Comrades have 31-year hold on Clarendon SW
Published:Tuesday | August 11, 2020 | 12:09 AMRomario Scott/Gleaner Writer
A ding-dong battle could be shaping up in Clarendon South Western, one of the strongest and most consistent seats for the People’s National Party (PNP) in the parish, as the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) looks to bag the seat being vacated by Noel Arscott.
Arscott, the PNP member of parliament (MP) who came out tops in the last three polls, will not be seeking re-election with newcomer Lothan Cousins to be nominated on the party’s ticket for the upcoming election.
The JLP’s Kent Gammon, who Arscott defeated in 2016, is more seasoned and could pose a bigger challenge to his new political rival as he seeks to break the PNP’s 31-year grip on the seat.
In 2007, Clarendon South Western was the only seat left in the PNP’s column in the parish as the JLP ended its 18-year drought being in charge of the Government.
In 1959, as a result of an advancement in the Constitution, 45 constituencies were provided for Jamaica, an increase of 13 constituencies over the 32 which had been fixed in 1944.
Clarendon South Western was among the 13 newly created constituencies for the July 28, 1959 general election. The parish was divided into four constituencies namely – North Western, North Eastern, South Eastern and South Western.
Of the 12 contested general elections since then, the JLP has won the seat five times to the PNP’s seven.
The constituency’s first MP was the JLP’s Rupert O. Terrier, who defeated the PNP’s T.G. Mignott 7,016 votes to 5,996.
He retained the seat in 1962, polling 8,346 to trounce his three opponents, Mervyn Harris (PNP) – 4,069, Artis Chambers (People’s Political Party) – 339, and Colin McIvor Campbell (Independent) – 70.
In 1967, the number of constituencies in the parish was increased to five and existing boundaries redrawn. Clarendon South Western was not included among the five constituencies.
It was not until the 1976 adjustments when the number of constituencies was increased to six that Clarendon South Western was once again on the map.
That year, the PNP’s Hugh Small defeated the JLP’s Lloyd Mears 6,452 votes to 5,031.
The following election, in 1980, the seat was returned to JLP hands as Dudley McKenley beat the PNP’s Rowan Skyers 6,717 to 5,999. It remained with the JLP after the 1983 election as well, as the PNP boycotted the polls.
However, in 1989, the PNP began an unbroken winning streak, with O.D. Ramtallie beating the JLP’s Arthur Williams 8,307 to 4,788. He retained the seat in the 1993 election.
Charles Learmond also had a two-term hold between 1997 and 2007, before making way for current MP Noel Arscott.
Arscott’s first victory came at the expense of the JLP’s Joel Williams, who was tasting his third consecutive defeat, 6,913 votes to 5,675.
In 2011, the two duked it out again, with Arscott prevailing 7,711 votes to 5,555.
In 2016, the constituency stuck with Arscott, giving him a third term in office, despite seats elsewhere tumbling for the party, leading to a shock one-seat defeat for the PNP, which held a 21-seat majority in Parliament at the time.