#JAVOTES2024 | ‘It's just love’ in the Papine division

Darrington Ferguson, the People's National Party (PNP) local government candidate going up against Venesha Phillips for the Papine division in East St Andrew, said there is no ill-will in the rivalry.

This, even as Phillips, his good friend, recently crossed the floor to represent the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in this election.

"The word is love. Just love," said Ferguson, responding to questions about the election challenge he's faced with.

Ferguson cast his vote at the August Town Primary School this morning, where voters, PNP and JLP alike, trickled slowly into the polling station in the early hours.

Ferguson said he is hopeful the numbers will pick up during the course of the day.

"The process is good. It is a bit slow, but it's moving. We have done our work, we have executed today, and at the end of it we are expecting to win," he said.

Lighting, roads and community safety are among the main issues plaguing his division and the constituency at large, he said.

"If you visit the August Town community, especially when it is dark, you will realise that there is very poor lighting. So it is really something that we need to look at. Minor water supply is also a disaster. We continue to struggle in those areas. We need to pay them more attention,” said Ferguson.

Representing the PNP, Phillips won that division with 2,208 votes to 1,931 from JLP's George Planto.

Even as she switched political sides, there was no outward show of ill-will observed against her from voters who turned out throughout August Town this morning.

"After today when the counting done, is Venesha going to KSAMC (Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation). Anything that PNP come wid to try get rid of Venesha not going to work!" shouted JLP supporter Leon Perkins outside the Escarpment Road polling station. 

"She is not a PNP or a Labourite, she works for the people. Venesha is the only one I see do things for the community, whether Labourite or PNP. Venesha fix the road when she was a PNP and she come over now, and all praise be to her!"

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