PNP representatives treat Kingston Central as 'meal ticket to power', says McKenzie

Past People’s National Party (PNP) members of parliament for Kingston Central have used the constituency as a “meal ticket to power”, a senior figure in the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has charged.

JLP deputy leader Desmond McKenzie, who made the claim, noted that among the past PNP parliamentary representatives for Kingston Central are former Prime Minister Michael Manley; former local government minister Ralph Brown and former education minister Reverend Ronald Thwaites.

“Ask yourselves what development this constituency has benefited from,” McKenzie said today, making reference to the tenure of the former ministers.

“They can’t point to anything of substance. They treat the people as though ‘cho, they are going to vote for us anyway',” McKenzie told party supporters during a JLP Area Council One meeting at Holy Family Primary School in downtown Kingston.

By comparison, McKenzie, who is also Minister of Local Government and Community Development, said residents in the constituency should ask themselves how the incumbent JLP first-term MP, Donovan Williams, could have already accomplished so much.

He cited, as examples, the construction of several homes for residents under the New Social Housing Programme and what he said was the drastic reduction in crime across the constituency.

“What were they (former PNP MPs) doing all this time? They saw you as a meal ticket to power,” he said to wild applause.

McKenzie also took aim at the PNP’s prospective candidate for Kingston Central, retired senior superintendent of police Steve McGregor.

“Don’t allow this constituency to become a dumping ground for people who don’t know what good representation is,” he said.

- Livern Barrett

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