Political passion erupts on Duke Street

A sea of colour transformed a section of Duke Street in Kingston on Thursday as the annual ceremonial opening of Parliament got under way amid pomp and ceremony.

And supporters of both major political parties, which account for all the parliamentarians in Gordon House, were out in their numbers. But the supporters of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) vastly outnumbered those of the opposition People’s National Party as they cheered on their favourite parliamentarians taking part in a parade.

The green-clad JLP supporters, who stood along the perimeter wall of the United Congregation Church of Israelites, also had a marching band adding to the atmosphere before the official entry of Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his government colleagues.

Although fewer in number, the PNP supporters appeared to be more vocal and expressive with The Gleaner about – unsurprisingly – who they believe will win the upcoming local government elections, which is just over a week away.

Joyce Powell, a resident of Central Kingston, said she wants the PNP to win the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation because she believed they would be better at putting a stop to the gangsters pushing crime where she resides, and she wants to see more development.

Powell, who said she has been a PNP supporter for 52 years, told The Gleaner she was of the view that the JLP politicians only offers promises they cannot deliver on.

“Mi want better and every day dem [the JLP] get up a promise people. Faithful promise mek damn fool glad!” she said.

Alexia James, a young woman from the Greenwich Town division in South West St Andrew, who was also among the cheerleaders for the Opposition, said she hopes Jamaicans will vote solely for the PNP, because she believes her councillor “a work” and would allow them to have constant water running in their pipes and a removal of the zones of special operations (ZOSO) in the constituency in which she resides.

“Wi councillor a work, a try get it [their problems] sort out, but you see di Government weh we have now, we need water. ‘Cause see water gone, all when wi councillor talk to NWC (National Water Commission), we have meetings with them, dem come inna di division [but] we still no have no water,” James told The Gleaner.

“Street lights is the next thing. With the violence in the community, we need the street lights. The ZOSO don’t mek no sense. It don’t mek no sense inna di community. We need a crime plan. We need something different, because the ZOSO not working,” she said.

“The police dem, mi nuh know if a di training dem a get, dem no know how fi deal with people. Dem need a little more community policing. Police weh know [how fi] respect people, how fi talk to people ... . That can include in a di crime plan. Dem don’t know fi talk to people! Dem don’t know how to deal with the residents! Dem need a little more training!” she said.

ROOTING FOR GOLDING

Another PNP supporter, who only wanted to be identified by the name ‘Darkie’ from the Trench Town division, said Mark Golding is her “prime minister” and that is why she was present on the street.

“Him nuh tun politician fi go rob up poor people money! Me know that as a fact, ‘cause me know him fi years before him go inna dat [politics], and mi always a tell him, ‘Gwaan nuh, yuh no see Omar [Davies] want you!’ And him never interested, ‘cause di man tek plane like taxi and him have him money. Him no haffi rob poor people! Him come fi help us just like him father, just like how him father used to help poor people,” Darkie said.

She then referred to the time when Jamaica had a polio outbreak and Golding’s now-deceased father, Sir John Golding, assisted with rehabilitation, citing the measure of the ultimate Jamaican leader she believes Golding has the potential to be.

David Stewart, a JLP supporter, said he arrived along Duke Street around 10 a.m. “with Fayval [Williams, minister of education and youth and member of parliament for St Andrew Eastern] crowd”.

Stewart was very confident that the JLP will brush aside the PNP in the local government elections.

“Mi come fi support mi party from mi a young boy til now. Da one ya [local government elections], wi a tek it with flying colours. Everything tun green, man, and mi positive a dat,” Stewart said.

And 87-year-old woman, who only wanted to be identified by the name ‘Scarlett’, said she has been a JLP supporter since she was four.

“I asked my grandfather if yu can ‘Fol’ yuh fist an work?’ and my grandfather said, ‘No’. So, from that day I choose Jamaica Labour Party until today day,” said the woman, who will celebrate her birthday in a matter of weeks.

“When I die, I want to be buried in green. My casket must be green, and my vault must be green,” she said.

ainsworth.morris@gleanerjm.com