‘Big Rob’ whups Fagan
Published:Friday | September 4, 2020 | 7:20 AMRomario Scott/Gleaner Writer
St Catherine South Eastern could not survive the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) tsunami that covered the island on Thursday as Colin Fagan of the People’s National Party (PNP) suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Robert Miller.
It is the first time since 1983 that the JLP has won the seat and has effectively broadened the party’s footprint in Portmore.
The towering six-footer, nicknamed ‘Big Rob’, told The Gleaner that he went out hard to snatch the seat from Fagan, who he had accused of providing poor representation.
On Thursday night when the dust settled, Miller had amassed 6,829 votes to clinch victory to Fagan’s 5,735.
Fagan retained the seat in the 2016 election by a margin of only 395 votes, which had given the PNP cause for concern.
But Fagan, in staunchly defending his political record, said, “He knew how to win.”
“If I am the only PNP candidate that will win in the election … . If Colin Fagan is the only person that is going to be in the Parliament, it will be me,” Fagan had told The Gleaner moments after his nomination on August 18.
Last night, the results proved otherwise. The fears mushroomed into a nightmare for Fagan and the PNP.
Fagan could not be reached last night after the poll results came in.
However, Miller, the victor, told The Gleaner that the votes he amassed came in short of what he was expecting.
“But nonetheless, I thank God for small mercies. I want to congratulate my opponent for a hard fight. I promised the citizens of [St Catherine South Eastern] that I will be there for them, that I will represent them, and that I will ensure that I develop their communities. I still hold to that promise,” Miller stated.
The member of parliament-elect told The Gleaner that he wanted St Catherine South East to be a model constituency.
“I am not just the member of parliament for JLP supporters, but for every supporter,” he said in the aftermath of his victory.
Miller said that the close defeat he suffered in the Waterford division of the constituency, thought to be the bedrock of the PNP there,was a signal that voters had grown tired of dereliction.
“I am not going to disappoint them. I am going to do my work to ensure that they are satisfied with the choice they have made,” Miller stated.
Miller disclosed to The Gleaner on Thursday night that he had overseen the addition of 1,700 new voters to the list for St Catherine South Eastern. Of that number, he estimated that 800 were transfers.
He also disclosed that he would be going after all five divisions in St Catherine South Eastern to reverse the PNP’s hold on the Portmore Municipal Corporation.
Currently, there is only one JLP councillor in the corporation from St Catherine South Eastern.