By Erica James-King, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
THE PEOPLE'S National Party (PNP) feels it might have lost the confidence of the people in western Jamaica, accounting for why it suffered an overwhelming defeat in four parishes in Cornwall, while putting up a lacklustre showing in Westmoreland in last Thursday's Local Government elections.
By contrast, the Jamaica Labour Party has been buoyed by the fact that the west stayed true to the party's predictions, in the run-up to the elections.
Maxine Henry-Wilson, PNP General Secretary, points to the "economic situation and difficulties with the deterioration in the dollar" as turning the political tide against the PNP which, until Thursday, had won seven straight local and national elections dating back to 1986.
STRATEGY FOUL-UPS
Mrs. Henry-Wilson also blamed its loss on hitches in its organisational strategy, during an interview with The Gleaner on the weekend. "We really didn't expect to win St. James this time around; what we said we'd do is make an investment in St. James," she said.
She also noted that the party was aware that it had lost substantial ground in Trelawny and St. Elizabeth, and said it was clear that over the coming months, it would have to do a lot of work to rejuvenating itself in both parishes.
Commenting on the party's loss in St. Elizabeth, Mrs. Henry-Wilson said there was a close margin of seven of eight in the Parish Council in the 1998 elections in favour of the PNP, and the majority win by the JLP this time around, while disappointing, was not shocking.
On the matter of Hanover, the General Secretary said the party's hopes dimmed in that parish in the run-up to the elections. This, largely due to poor mobilisation. "We had certain concerns about Lucea going into the elections... the extent to which we were able to garner the popular support there. An urban centre like that tends to be a little different."
TRELAWNY
Turning attention to Trelawny, Mrs. Henry-Wilson explained that in the south, the JLP's win in last October's General Election boosted the opposition's standing in the parish and made it easier for it to take home that council. "Although we went in with a fighting chance, we recognised that we were at a disadvantage," said Mrs. Henry-Wilson.
With regards to Westmoreland, Mrs. Henry-Wilson claims there was unease among some supporters with regards to the selection of the party's candidate for the Petersfield division, which was won by the JLP.
Meanwhile, the JLP has silenced its critics with its overwhelming conquest, winning control of 11 of 12 Parish Councils, in addition to the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation.
"Despite what the soothsayers say, we knew we would have taken the west," declared a confident Ed Bartlett, Deputy Leader of the JLP.
NO SURPRISE TO JLP
In an interview with The Gleaner last Tuesday, Mr. Bartlett predicted that the JLP would take Petersfield, Frome, Friendship, Cornwall Mountain, and Little London divisions in Westmoreland. Of the gains the party expected in Westmore-land, only Little London slipped its grasp.
Commenting on the party's sweep in the west, Mr. Bartlett said the party surprised others but its widespread win came as no surprise to its members. "The people of western Jamaica have increasingly shown that they believe we are a viable alternative to the ruling party," commented the Deputy Leader. "The people are frustrated with the measures of the Government and they are confident that we have their interest at heart. No wonder there is a big swing to the JLP in the west and elsewhere in the island," he continued.
He pointed to "excellent organisational and campaign strategies in the west," which he said gained momentum in the aftermath of the October election. This, in addition to "the fact that the people were not getting quality representation from the PNP-dominated Parish Councils."
