JLP supporters seen here hanging a cotton doll, which they say symbolises the death of the ruling PNP. This was one of the many colourful scenes outside the St. James Parish Council yesterday. -Adrian Frater photoAdrian Frater, News Editor
WESTERN BUREAU:
THOUSANDS OF jubilant Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters converged on the St. James Parish Council office yesterday, demanding that the People's National Party (PNP) administration, which ruled the council up to Thursday's Local Government elections, vacate the building, immediately.
"A time fe unoo leave- a fe wi time now," screamed a woman clad in full green, with a broom in one hand and a bell in the other, and a crowd of fellow labourites dancing around her. "We waa go clean up di place because we ready fe go work right now."
Under the watchful eyes of a group of heavily armed policemen, who stood guard at the entrance of the building, the JLP supporters mixed insults and praise. They chastised Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and the People's National Party (PNP), while singing the praise of Opposition Leader, Edward Seaga.
"We have everything under control," said Deputy Superinten-dent of police, Derrick 'Cowboy' Knight, the crime chief for St. James, who arrived with a 50-strong police contingent shortly after mid-day to complement the much smaller police team that was there before.
"It's really just a case of spontaneous celebration," said Calvin Ellison, the newly elected JLP Councillor for the Montego Bay South division, who was the first of the newly-elected councillors in the now JLP dominated council to join the jubilant party supporters. "I myself feel like a brand new person this morning and seeing the joy of the people, I know I owe them something special in terms of representation."
It was a visibly uncomfortable time for the Parish Council workers, who remained huddled in the building for most of the day. Occasionally, one or two would peep out through the various windows on the four-storey building observing the antics of the labourites, as dutch pot covers echoed up and down Union Street, on which the Parish Council building is located.
Inside the building, Secret-ary/Manager Christopher Powell was quite philosophical about the elections, which saw the council, which the PNP previously held 15-2, going to the JLP by a 9-8 margin. According to him, he was fully prepared to work with whatever administration is in place.
"We are prepared to work with whatever new administration comes in power," he told The Gleaner. "We are here to work for the people."
