Outsiders beware, Harris tells aspirants North Trelawny voters prefer their own

Richard Morais, Gleaner Writer

FALMOUTH, Trelawny:

DR PATRICK Harris, the member of parliament (MP) for North Trelawny, has fired a thinly veiled jab at outsiders seeking to replace him as the People's National Party's (PNP) standard-bearer in the constituency.

"Many people think that North Trelawny is a safe PNP seat and that is why many persons would want to come; but what they do not know is you have to live here, you have to work here, you have to know the people and the people have to trust you," Harris told journalists at a press conference yesterday.

There has been a beehive of political activity in North Trelawny since Harris indicated he would be walking away from representational politics at the end of this term.

Five persons have so far applied to replace him in the constituency. They are former cabinet minister Aloun Assamba; PNPYO president Damion Crawford; Paul Lyn, Garth Wilkinson, councillor for the Falmouth division; and Claudette Jackson-Rickards, former councillor for the Martha Brae divison.

Assamba was MP in South East St Ann, but was chased out by the constituents ahead of the 2007 general elections. Assamba was described as a non-performer. Crawford was born and raised in Kingston, while Lyn had attempted to unseat Audley Shaw in North East Manchester in the 2007 election.

The PNP has held North Trelawny since 1972. Harris has warned the aspirants not to do anything that would jeapordise that dynasty.

"We do not want to turn over the pail of milk, we do not want the cass-cass or the over jealousy."

Meanwhile, the two-time MP said he is leaving politics because his objectives of putting the constituency on a sound economic footing were realised.

"I entered politics to see the change of the economic base of our community. We were a sleeping fishing village, sugar was declining and we decided to formulate a plan and enforce it in developing the economic base," Harris said.