Williams walks

Former Mayor of Kingston Delroy Williams has resigned from the Jamaican Senate, effective immediately, hours before the prorogation of Parliament today.

The decision has put vacancies on the Government side in the Upper House to three, following last year’s resignation of Matthew Samuda, the current member of parliament for St Ann North Eastern, and former business executive Don Wehby.

The Gleaner has learnt that the resignation may be aimed at giving Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness room to “repopulate the Senate” ahead of tomorrow’s ceremonial opening of Parliament.

“After nine fulfilling years in this role, I am humbled to have contributed to the vision of transforming Jamaica and supporting your legislative agenda for our nation,” said Williams, in the letter dated February 11, 2025 and addressed to Holness.

“Serving in the Upper House has been an incredible honour, and I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to contribute to our community and country. I am proud of the progress we have made together and the positive impact we have achieved for our Jamaica,” the councillor for the Seivwright Gardens division in the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation added.

He did not disclose his reasons for leaving the role in the letter which was also copied to Governor General Sir Patrick Allen.

“As I step away from my responsibilities as senator, I still believe and remain committed to our shared vision for the future of Jamaica and look forward to supporting our government in this important endeavour,” said Williams, the current deputy mayor of Kingston.

Several calls to the councillor’s phone late yesterday for comment went unanswered.

His decision comes as he seeks to woo Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters in Clarendon Central, where he is seeking to replace Lester Mike Henry as the party’s representative and candidate in the expected general election later this year.

Multiple Gleaner sources have said Williams is likely to be confirmed as the party’s prospective candidate, putting an end to weeks-long uncertainty in the JLP stronghold.

This was reportedly communicated to a meeting of the JLP’s Clarendon Central executive last evening. The constituency executive was told that they would know who is the candidate by Thursday.

Yesterday's meeting followed another reportedly held between Holness and Mayor of May Pen Joel Williams last week.

The latter Williams was handpicked by Henry, who has been head of the constituency since 1980.

There has since been a divide in the constituency, with supporters for the May Pen mayor crying foul over the former mayor’s application for the seat.

Last week, a delegate, who The Gleaner will not identify, in an emailed letter registered her opposition to any move to replace Henry’s pick.

“The Central Clarendon constituency has long been served by the esteemed Mike Henry, whose decades of dedicated leadership have earned him the unwavering respect and admiration of the people. In keeping with this legacy, Mr Henry has endorsed Mayor Joel Williams as his successor – a humble, respectful, loyal and decent leader whose approach to politics resonates deeply with the residents of Central Clarendon. He has been with us through thick and thin.

“However, we are alarmed by the attempt to parachute Mr Delroy Williams, a former mayor of Kingston and sitting councillor in Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ constituency in the city of Kingston, into our Clarendon constituency. This is the same man who was held responsible for the loss of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation, a big defeat for Labourites.

“It is disheartening to witness the growing trend of the party leadership inserting individuals with little popularity and weak ties into constituencies. Central Clarendon deserves a leader who understands our community’s needs and has earned the trust of its people over time,” the JLP delegate noted.

She said the imposition of Williams in the seat is creating huge divisions, deepening bitterness and increasing disillusionment among Labourites.

The woman said such heavy-handedness is dictatorial and will backfire, alienating voters and weakening the party’s grassroots support across Clarendon.

“Some already know but it bears repeating, the JLP is weak in Clarendon, and much of that is due to Labourites being disillusioned by poor representation and immature leadership.

“Many JLP supporters who follow politics daily are beginning to believe that the party is preparing for a massive loss at the next general election and that the leadership is simply inserting candidates that will support them in Opposition. This is sheer madness as no one is sure how things will play out as in many cases it is the very same loyalists who will turn against their own and bring them down,” the delegate said.

She urged the JLP leadership to “tek sleep mark death” and to respect the will of the delegates and constituents, allowing them to choose their caretaker and possibly the next MP.

“Anything less would betray the democratic values that should guide our party and nation,” she said.

editorial@gleanerjm.com