Ready for elections
Holness tells JLP’s Central Executive that party’s machinery set for local government polls
Published:Monday | January 15, 2024 | 12:11 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
Armed with what it describes as a favourable internal poll showing the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) with a “strong lead” in most of the local seats, the Andrew Holness-led administration yesterday announced that its machinery was ready for the local government elections, signalling that a date could be announced as early as this week.
“Party Leader Andrew Holness said he was confident in the prospects of the Jamaica Labour Party for the upcoming elections, as the internal polling numbers showed the Jamaica Labour Party maintaining a strong lead in a majority of parish council seats,” the party said in a press release yesterday evening.
Holness indicated the party’s readiness at its Central Executive meeting at the JLP’s Belmont Road headquarters in New Kingston, after some of its top executives, including Chairman Robert Montague, General Secretary Dr Horace Chang, Deputy Chairman Dr Aundre Franklyn, Deputy Leader of Area Council One Desmond McKenzie, and party treasurer Aubyn Hill presented individual reports on the party’s preparation and readiness for the polls.
Last night, when contacted by The Gleaner, Opposition Leader Mark Golding said the People’s National Party (PNP) was also ready for the local government elections.
Golding, president of the PNP, said the party’s internal polls were showing it was ahead in most divisions across the island.
Since 2020, the local government poll, which is constitutionally due every four years, has seen three postponements and is now due by February 28 of this year.
The election, which was last held in November 2016, was postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic and has been delayed multiple times since then.
It was expected that the party would have announced a date for the poll at its annual conference in November, but the country was left wondering.
Traditionally, local government elections have been used to gauge political temperature for general elections. The next general election is due next year.
Holness, in the meantime, has challenged the party’s candidates and leaders to ensure that they focus on their communities and highlight the strong achievements that the JLP has made over the last six years.
“He added that no other government has done as much for local government, and only a Jamaica Labour Party-led government has the vision and the expertise to continue the positive evolution of local government in Jamaica,” the release said.
No Portmore election ploy
The party leader also used the occasion to put to rest the suggestion from the opposition party that the move by the Government to make Portmore a parish is an election ploy.
Holness stressed that making Portmore a parish was never intended as an election gimmick or a strategy to win Portmore.
He noted that the country is evolving economically, culturally, and socially.
“This evolution requires the Government to make strategic changes to enhance the development of areas like Portmore, which requires changes in definition and management to further its development,” he said.
Holness was adamant that his Government would never seek to use the people of Portmore for narrow political objectives.
Speaking with The Gleaner, however, Golding called Holness’ comments on Portmore “disingenuous”.
“Their motivation has already been laid bare by Minister Warmington’s public utterances,” Golding said in reference to a public declaration last November by Member of Parliament for South West St Catherine Everald Warmington.
Warmington, addressing party faithfuls at the St Catherine East Central constituency conference, had said the coming boundary shift in Portmore would allow the JLP to create a stronghold in that constituency.
Yesterday Holness went on to point to the issue of road repairs, which he said have become a “political flashpoint” used by persons who believe that they need to protest to get their roads fixed.
Noting that the roads continue to be a critical priority for the Government, Holness shared that the new SPARK Programme will provide a collaborative approach between the Government, members of parliament, councillors, and community members. He instructed them to work collaboratively and help ensure that the Government’s focus on road infrastructure is successful.
He added that, at the next sitting of Parliament, the Government will outline a consultative process for communities to contribute to the decision-making on which roads should be repaired in their communities, but emphasised that priority ought to be given to those roads considered to be pain points in communities.