Media practitioner Haile Mika'el to contest local election

Dalton Laing, Gleaner Writer

WHITEHOUSE, Westmoreland: Media practitioner and sports educator Haile Mika'el says he will be contesting the White-house division in Westmoreland as an independent in the upcoming local government election on March 26.

"The candidates cannot satisfy my vote. I can't vote for any of these candidates, so I decided to represent myself and the people," Mika'el said in an interview with Western Focus.

Mika'el will be going up against the incumbent councillor Valdence Gifford of the People's National Party and Harold Francis of the Jamaica Labour Party.

Mika'el, christened Richard Anthony Robinson and also as 'ah Ritch I', did a deed poll in 1995 in keeping with his Orthodox Christian religion. He hails from St Ann but has made Belmont, Westmoreland his home since 2001.

"Unless you are dedicated fully to this job with an office space where people can come and voice their views, then no work will be done," Mika'el stated. '"I am satisfied that people want to see me run and I am hearing people saying we are going to vote for you because you can do it. So I am going all the way."

Mika'el is the father of six children and also practices beekeeping. He also works as a netball coach at Belmont Academy and is a freelance writer. His says that his spirit of volunteerism is well received by the people in the Whitehouse division.

'My two inspirations are Emperor Haile Selassie I, who assisted in drafting the United Nations Constitution, and the organisation of Africa unity and Marcus Mosiah Garvey, who formed the biggest black organisation outside of Africa," Mika'el said.

"All of these principles are based on morality and that is what we need - people who are focused in terms of trying to get the population back on track."