Cabinet approves map for proposed parish of Portmore

Information Minister Robert Morgan says Cabinet has approved a map for the proposed parish of Portmore.

The disclosure came during Wednesday's post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House in St Andrew.

Morgan said that the map was prepared by the National Land Agency.

Questions have been raised about a proposal outlining boundary changes in Portmore from the Local Government Ministry which triggered intense exchanges at a meeting of the Public Administrations and Appropriations Committee.

Fitz Jackson, the member of parliament for St Catherine Southern, which includes parts of Portmore, sought to get clarity from the ministry's Permanent Secretary, Marsha Henry-Martin, on a document submitted to the Portmore Municipal Corporation on the proposed boundary shift.

The lawmaker questioned whether Henry-Martin was mindful that the proposed shift would have “consequential changes” for existing constituency boundaries.

Jackson said that this is the remit of the Representation of the People Act and the electoral advisory committee of Parliament.

But calling the question “multifold”, Henry-Martin said that she was not prepared to answer since this was not among questions submitted to be discussed as part of the committee's agenda.

It is unclear whether those questions have been answered.

The opposition People's National Party has called for a parliamentary inquiry into Everald Warmington's declaration that the Jamaica Labour Party plans to create a political stronghold through adjustment of the constituency's boundaries.

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