( L - R ) Mullings and Tulloch Adrian Frater, News Editor
WESTERN BUREAU:
IF INDICATIONS on the ground hold true, the battle for the St. James West Central seat in the upcoming general election could well see parents and their children standing on opposite sides of the political divide.
Based on recent Sunday Gleaner interviews done in the constituency - which covers the electoral divisions of Salt Spring, Mt. Salem, Granville and Spring Gardens - incumbent Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parliament (MP), Clive Mullings, has solid support among younger voters, while the People's National Party's (PNP) candidate, Francis Tulloch, is highly revered by older electors.
Since the 2002 General Election, the constituency has been expanded to include Farm Heights, Ros and all of Mt. Salem.
Mullings, an attorney-at-law who won the seat five years ago, tallying 7,047 votes to former Montego Bay Mayor Hugh Solo-mon's 5,888, seems strongest among the 40 years and under age group.
But Tulloch, who became the constituency's first MP in 1976, appears to be a big favourite among electors over 50.
"I believe Mr. Mullings has been a good MP and deserves another chance, especially under a JLP administration," Kay-Ann Currie of Mt. Salem tells The Sunday Gleaner.
"He has helped many people with building material for home improvement, as well as back-to-school support for their children," she adds.
However, a forthright Venetta Samuels of Ros whose political involvement dates back to the 1970s, says she is firmly backing Tulloch's return. According to her, he was a champion for the people of St. James from the 1970s to the '90s.
"Mr. Tulloch is one of the best MPs we have ever seen here in St. James," claims Samuels, noting that he has had a hand in every major development in the parish.
"He was the one who help us to get the lands on which I now live in Ros Samuels added.
She believes that with his vast experience, the respect he commands at the highest level, plus the work he has done for St. James in the past, the current generation needs to give themselves a chance to experience what she terms "the stewardship of a first-class MP".
However, Currie, and several other youthful voters believe that Mullings has done a fine job from the Opposition benches, and, if the JLP forms the next government, he would adequately address matters such as improving social amenities and providing training and job opportunities, which are considered priority among the young.
Despite his significant support from youths, Mullings also has some detractors among young electors, who are contending that his effectiveness in the constituency has not matched his performance as the Shadow Minister for Mining and Energy.
"He is a nice man but I am not feeling his presence," says 35-year-old Shauna Lewis of Granville. "I would like to support him again but I heard that Mr. Tulloch was a very good MP in the past, and I am tempted to give him a chance to see what he can do."
While Tulloch seems poised to benefit from his track record, at least one veteran PNP supporter is somewhat wary about his history of resignations.
"Well, I like Mr. Tulloch as a person and I believe he has served us well in the past," says 80-year-old Ziola Foster of Mt. Salem. "However, I know some people will have a difficulty with the fact that he has resigned, and come back on so many occasions in the past."
But disaffection runs deep in the constituency, as a significant number of persons, especially those in the 25-30 age group, are disinterested in the political process.
"This politics thing is a joke," said Roy Brown of Salt Spring. "A vote for the PNP or JLP is a licence for more hardship. What we need is a revolution of the mind, where we will see ourselves as part of the Jamaican family instead of JLP and PNP."
