ON THE CORNER: In Eastern St Andrew - Tight race between Andre and Fayval

Labourites and Comrades in Eastern St Andrew know it’s a tight race between the People’s National Party’s Andre Hylton, who is defending the fewer than 500 votes margin he won by in 2011, and Fayval Williams, who is determined to wrest the seat from his grasp.

But despite the close nature of the race, these diehard supporters are adamant that the election will not be determined by violence. 

Instead they are trying to convince electors to vote for their candidate come February 25 by talking up the merits of Hylton and Williams.

The Gleaner recently sat with JLP supporters on Charvis Avenue off Mountain View Avenue in the heart of Williams’ stronghold, and PNP supporters on Ivy’s Corner in August Town, where Comrades have painted the area orange.

Both sides are confident of victory when they votes are counted and shared their take on why their candidate should and will win.

Nikesha:  “Fayval will win because is a different organisation we are more in one and we can’t take another losing so we have to come together and do something cause we no get nothing for the four years.”

Kurline Clarke: “For the four years the Member of Parliament that is here now (Hylton) didn’t do anything for the community and Fayval just come and she is working so we have to give her the chance to be the MP.”

Hortense Smith:  “Him (Hylton) win because every Labourite never come out but now everybody united.  Fayval have the flavour.”

Marilyn Smith:  “I live in this constituency since 1967 and of all the MPs, you can talk about Edmond Bartlett, but Ms Williams is a people’s person … she is for kids, she believes in education and I see where Fayval went out and seek jobs for children.  Ms Williams gave out 250 test glasses to people in this constituency.”

Kenisha Crossdale:  “The people just need a representative who them know say when things happen in the community you can call.  The people dem can never call Hylton because him never available.  Look at Papine school road, good God man, look how many schools round there so and Hylton can never ever fix the road.  The people dem have to swing from pothole to pothole.  We don’t want him anymore.  Time for a change.”

Kurline Clarke:  “People must vote Labour because it is the party for the poor.  I don’t know if the PNP is for poor, rich or anybody, because them only love when we poor.  Two years them know say chikungunya a come yah and them don’t do nothing till the whole a we a walk like we cripple.”

Samantha:  “The Jamaica Labour Party is for the poor not for just some people to benefit.  The JLP is for our children’s education, and moving us from poverty to prosperity and that is what we want.”

Marilyn:  “When it comes to business, investment in this country we don’t see where the PNP is going with that.  When you talk about corruption, when you talk about crime, when you talk about youth dying that’s the PNP.  In Eastern St Andrew, we have hospitals, schools and colleges and none of the people who leave these colleges can’t a job.  We need to pump up the thing.”
 

PNP supporters on Ivy’s Corner: Andre a proven performer

Michael Rutherford:  “Andre Hylton will retain his seat … I was born in this constituency and over 40 years I have seen MPs come and go and none has done the amount of work that Andre Hylton has done inside this constituency.”

Nicholas Myers:  To how me see it, apart from Roy McGann and Colin Campbell, a the best MP and him a perform.  A nuff things him do and we can say him a work.

Garfield Thomas:  Andre is a proven performer.  Throughout the constituency he has done many, many things.  In my 50 years in August Town my road (Bedward Way) has never been fixed and right no me have a highway.  There are many roads, bridges and other things he has fixed.

Rutherford:  We have never seen sidewalks in August Town and the MP give us sidewalks all the way from Mona Hockey Field to Tavern, come back trough Papine.  Him also give us garbage skips and worked with Central Government to fix the Kintyre Bridge.

Ralph Henry:  We had St Aubyn Bartlett here for two terms and him never do nothing until the last election them run come fix the road. 

Venesha Williams: In terms of schooling Andre has helped more than 150 persons to go to college.  Him even provide Internet class and some persons get care packages.

Williams:   The JLP talk all the things that they are going to do but I’m not stupid and I honestly believe that the PNP has done a lot of work and they are working.

Rutherford:  Once you not blind, and even if you are blind you can hear that this country is going forward.  Investors are coming back and if you just drive through and look at the buildings going up you can see that Jamaica is back and if you vote for the other people you will stop that.  There is no better choice to make now than the People’s National Party.

Everton Simms: Four years ago when Labourite did win, just check what they did for the country, me no see them do nothing. PNP make Jamaica the number one country in the Caribbean for investments and once there is investment it will make work for me and my youths them. 

Janet Dalley:  The policies of the Government of the day should make any young person vote for the PNP.  There are so many programmes which are geared to the youths.