- IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Dr. Karl Blythe surrounded by PNP party delegates.
Devon Evans, Gleaner Writer
OCHO RIOS, St. Ann:
WITH THE election of councillor for the Alexandria division in Southwest, St. Ann set for November 24, most political pundits are already conceding a victory for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
The by-election, announced on November 1, by Mayor of St. Ann's Bay, Delroy Giscombe, will fill the vacancy created by the death of councillor for the division Derrick Frater on July 2.
Up to the time of his death, the late Mr. Frater who was a member of the JLP was Jamaica's longest serving parish councillor, having served the Alexandria division for 28 years and 3 months. Prior to the late Mr. Frater's first election to the St. Ann Parish Council in March 1977, this division was held by another JLP stalwart, the late Mrs. Myrtle Gallimore for 30 unbroken years.
JLP DOMINANCE EXTENDED
In the 2003 Local Government Elections, Mr. Frater extended the JLP dominance polling 1666 votes to the PNP's Georgia Moses 800 votes and 140 votes for the People's Political Party candidate Claude Dussard.
Interestingly, the by-election will be contested by two close family members. Businessman and former training instructor Winston McLeod is the candidate for the JLP and his niece Shirley Campbell, a 36-year-old housekeeping supervisor at Breezes Runaway Bay Hotel is the PNP's candidate. Both admitted to close family relationship but are still eager to battle against each other for the vacant parish council seat. Having won the division in consecutive elections over the past 58 years and with a margin of victory of over 800 in the last election, it is difficult to see how the PNP could turn around this margin and come out the winner. A clear indication that the JLP is going all out to retain this division came from no less a person than party leader Bruce Golding who took almost the entire hierarchy of the JLP to Alexandria on Nomination Day, November 7. He told party supporters that the JLP is taking this by-election very seriously. Mr. Golding said the party will be using its victory in this election to begin the process of changing the government and he called on the electors in the division to come out in their numbers and give the government a clear signal that it was time for them to move out of office.
But for those supporting the PNP they see the task of unseating the JLP as possible. With the PNP upset victory in the once JLP dominated Mount Industry division in St. Catherine still fresh in their minds, party faithfuls are no less confident of taking another JLP stronghold.
