SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland:

The by-election for the Cornwall Mountain division in Westmoreland went smoothly Monday with both candidates enjoying strong national support from the top brass of their respective parties.

The People's National Party's (PNP) Bernard Vanriel was the first to get nominated at the Cokesview Primary School where classes were suspended to facilitate the process on Monday.

His motorcade arrived at the nomination centre shortly after noon with Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller, Chairman Robert Pickersgill, General Secretary Peter Bunting, Luther Buchanan, D.K. Duncan, Wykeham McNeill and Roger Clarke.

Clarke, member of parliament for Central Westmoreland in which Cornwall Mountain falls, is optimistic of victory at the polls on July 14.

"The people will choose experience and comrade Vanriel has served the Cornwall Mountain division and the Petersfield division," Clarke said. "He is well known and his work has been properly documented."

Snaring a win

Vanriel says he will be building on the legacy of the late Michael Smith, who died just over a month ago. Vanriel, like Clarke, is banking on his track record to snare a win at the polls. He served the Cornwall Mountain division from 1977 to 1981 and the Petersfield division from 1990-2003.

The Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) Keith Barnes was ushered in the company of his wife, Althea Greenfield; party General Secretary Karl Samuda; JLP caretaker for Central Westmoreland, Russell Hammond; Dr Horace Chang; and Dr Christopher Tufton.

Hammond believes the by-election is an opportunity for his party to get its toehold in the Westmoreland Parish Council.

"In a council that is dominated |by the PNP, there is the need for a balance and the JLP Government will provide greater opportunity for benefits to come to the people of Cornwall Mountain and Westmoreland in general," he said.

Barnes said his performance as a former councillor will be his campaign forte.

"They (the constituents) called me to represent them because they saw my performance under the PNP administration so they know that under the JLP, I should do much better," he said.

- Dalton Laing

JLP candidate for Cornwall Mountain, Keith Barnes, and his wife, Althea Greenfield, arrive at the Cokeview Primary School in Westmoreland on nomination day Monday. - Photos by Dalton Laing