PNP, JLP exuding confidence in St Bess ... But voter apathy could slow them down

By: editorial@gleanerjm.com

Image caption: Everton Fisher, former mayor of Black River

WESTERN BUREAU:

WHEN THE People’s National Party (PNP) swept the then 14 local government divisions in St Elizabeth in 2012, not many could have envisioned the stunning reversal as the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) wrested control of the municipal corporation in 2016 with a 9-6 margin.

Now, almost eight years later, the JLP’s leadership in Area Four, which includes St Elizabeth, is expressing much confidence that they will not only retain their seats in that parish’s municipal corporation, but that they will snatch two divisions from the PNP.

J.C. Hutchinson, who leads the JLP’s Area Four, said the ruling party will be taking aim at all six divisions in the PNP’s column, especially Black River and Myersville, where the party performed credibly in 2016.

“We are sure that we will be taking the Ipswich division, and we are closely eyeing another two. But there is no doubt that we will be retaining the municipality by an increased margin. No doubt about that,” Hutchinson told The Gleaner yesterday. “We have served the people well and there is no need for them to look elsewhere for leadership.”

However, when The Gleaner spoke to residents on the ground in St Elizabeth, there seems to be much discontent with both political parties. Many persons have indicated that they will not vote, citing that over the years both parties have failed to provide them with proper roads and a reliable source of potable water.

“Honestly, I don’t want to hear about any politics, I just want this local government election to finish fast so that these politicians can just get out of our lives,” said an elderly resident of Newmarket. “We try the PNP, it nuh work; we try the JLP and it still no work. For a country to grow, it needs proper infrastructure. Look at our roads – a total disgrace!”

While noting that the roads across the parish are not as good as he would have liked, Hutchinson, who is the member of parliament for the St Elizabeth North Western, said plans are in the pipeline and funds have been identified to upgrade municipal roads across the island.

“The prime minister (Andrew Holness) has announced that J$40 billion will be spent on improving our roads, especially those that fall under the municipal corporations, so we believe the concerns about the roads will be addressed in short order,” he said.

The availability of potable water is another issue that Hutchinson said is being addressed, with two major water systems poised to come on stream.

“We are working on getting the Newmarket water system in my constituency up and ready to serve the parish this year. We are also looking at putting any water system in place,” said Hutchinson. “We have heard the concerns of the people, and it is our duty to address their concerns, and we will.”

FAILED TO DELIVER
Everton Fisher, a former mayor of Black River, thinks the JLP has failed to deliver on its 2016 promises to the people of St Elizabeth, and he is confident that the PNP will regain the municipal corporation by a comfortable margin.

“I believe we have a strong chance of winning at least 10 seats… there is national swing against the JLP, and I expect to see the impact here in St Elizabeth, who won the Balaclava division by an impressive 1,189 to 662 margin in 2016. The people are still upset about the 300-plus (percentage) increase in salary to the Government, while giving just a meagre 15 per cent to civil servants.

“Despite the fact that we have four members of parliament here in St Elizabeth, the people are still facing major challenges with the road network ... the roads are in a terrible state and not enough funding is coming to municipal corporations to address repairs,” said Fisher. “The water system in the parish is deplorable ... the Government has been making a lot of promises about improving the water supply system, but the people are now experienced enough to know empty promises.”

Joseph Patterson, the founder of the fledgling United Independents’ Congress, is on the ballot for the Braes River division, which Donovan Pagon won for the PNP by a 1,261-475 margin in 2016. There is a feeling that Patterson is merely testing the water to see how he will likely fare in the next general election.

Based on the 2016 results, the divisions that are likely to be the battleground divisions are as follows: Ipswich, where the PNP won by 28 votes, Brompton, which the JLP won by 348 votes; Black River, which the PNP won by 67 votes; and Malvern, which the JLP won by 212 votes.

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