St Thomas voters tired of empty promises

Political apathy is rife in St Thomas Eastern, a seat the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP’s) Dr Michelle Charles is seeking to wrest from the People’s National Party’s (PNP’s) self-styled ‘Six-Star General’, Dr Fenton Ferguson, who has held power since 1993.

Supporters of both major political parties made it clear on Saturday that they are tired of the empty promises from both parties. Labourites and Comrades alike expressed frustration that the constituency has, in their opinion, little to show for having had Ferguson as its political representative for more than quarter-century. Less than 53 per cent of electors on the constituency voters’ list turned out in 2016.

A woman who gave her name as Natalie, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with Ferguson’s image, busily braided a young woman’s hair near Bath Botanical Gardens. Despite her branded clothing, however, her response caught our news team off guard.

“Not because me have it on, mi nuh must vote fi him,” she declared. “This PNP and Labourite thing, you know seh during the COVID outbreak, nobody not even call and say, ‘How unnu do?’ and when dem a campaign, nobody not even come inna the community an ask, ‘Wah gwaan?’”

Natalie went on to explain her personal peeve against Ferguson this time around, even though she has been a lifelong supporter of the PNP.

“Mi a nice, young girl, and mi tell him say mi want help fi fix me teeth, and him give me him personal cell number, and up to this blessed moment, mi a call and mi can’t get through. So mi only a wear it fi wear sake, but mi nuh must vote, even though last election, a him get me vote,” said Natalie.

Admitting that she had not heard Charles’ plans, Natalie said that she has no interest in the JLP but disclosed the one condition under which she could be tempted to switch allegiance.

“Right now, if Charles say she willing to help me fix my teeth, a she me a vote for. Honestly, a deh suh it deh,” said Natalie.

Two men outside the botanical gardens who identified themselves as Mr Stephenson and Omar Minott expressed strong support for the incumbent.

“Doctor take care of everybody ‘round here; bare LED light inna the street dem round here,” Stephenson said before his friend interjected.

“People from all over the world a come a St Thomas, a come a Bath Botanical Gardens. You nuh see how the road pretty?” Doctor a the general, and him shall forever be Eastern’s general,” Minott added, his friend endorsing this sentiment.

“Him a gwaan good, man. Mi nuh have no problem with him. Mi nuh know ‘bout the other two party, but a ‘power’ my thing deh.”

Questioned about Charles’ message, Stephenson admitted that he, too, was unaware of her specific plans for the constituency. But Minott made it clear that Ferguson would be hard to beat.

“Nothing wrong with her vision, but Doctor is the foundation. A him we used to, and him control everything, him control the people,” he said.

Ferguson has been the bane of the Charles dynasty, ousting Pearnel Charles Sr in 1993 and defeating his daughter, Patrece, in the 2011 polls. Now, a third Charles looks to rewrite the script.

A short distance away from Bath Botanical Gardens were two young women who gave their names as ‘Poochie’ and Kim, the former a staunch PNP supporter and her friend a JLP loyalist.

Poochie, who disclosed that she is a registered voter, said that she had grown disenchanted with her party.

“The election nuh look good pon Doctor side, PNP side. Dr Ferguson’s chances nuh look so bright because them only come ‘round and write down your name inna book,” she said.

“When them give you phone number and you call, you can’t get them – all o’ them. We did waan give the other party weh drop out, but it nuh work. We did want try suppen new.”

Still, she is confident that Ferguson will prevail at the polls. But it is her core concerns for herself, as a mother, that are front of mind. She also wants a steady job.

“Mi a young, green gyal with CXC siddung. Mi have two pickney fi send go a school,” Poochie told The Gleaner.

“Mi a single mother, so me can’t siddung dis a vote so and not even a one likkle work fi go sweep floor outta hospital. We have we right fi vote, but it nuh make sense.”

christopher.serju@gleanerjm.com