Michael McLean, Gleaner Writer

Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth:

With the 2007 Local Government Elections to be held on Wednesday, the Santa Cruz division in north east St. Elizabeth - a division controlled by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) for well over 20 years - has been said to be the main battleground in that constituency.

Incumbent councillor Stallyn Brown, who has been at the helm of the division for the past 10 years, says he is confident that he will be returned as councillor for the third time.

"I am confident that I shall return, no doubt about that, based on the work that I have done in the division," he said. "I have no qualms about people electing me again for the third straight time as their councillor."

Brown, 43-year-old businessman from Burnt Savannah division in the parish, first won in 1998 and again in 2003. In the last local government elections, he defeated the Peoples' National Party (PNP) candidate, dentist Lynden Rose, by 515 votes.

Challenges

But, faced with the serious challenges of providing better parochial roads, the councillor told The Gleaner that this time around, he would be able to finish up several projects he started.

"With my party, the JLP, now in power, and with the changes by Prime Minister Honourable Bruce Golding, giving the council more money, a lot more roads across the division will be fixed in the next two years," Councillor Brown said.

There are more than 30 communities that make up the Santa Cruz division, which includes Burnt Ground Housing Scheme, Brighton, Seven Corners, Park Mountain, Holt, Good Hope and New River. In these areas, discontentment over very poor roads has prompted road blocks in recent times by residents.

In the meantime, Mr. Brown's opponent, the PNP's Angella Forbes-Wright, the only woman among the eight contenders in the constituency, says she is also confident of turning the tables and possibly creating history in the parish.

Priorities

"I am 100 per cent confident, and I am sure I am going to unseat the JLP candidate, who has been there for 10 years now. and the division has been underrepresented, the businesswoman said.

The 40-year-old supervisor employed to the Super Plus group, who was born in Burnt Ground district in the parish, said her immediate plans, if victorious, are to tackle bad roads, unemployment, and education.

"My first priority will be to deal with the bad roads, training to develop the youths for employment, to enhance early childhood education, and to improve health care," Mrs. Wright said.

She said she would also be supporting sports activities, building a better community, by working with the people and supporting agriculture.