Gov’t ministers’ visits made no difference

WESTERN BUREAU:

DESPITE SEVERAL visits from three ministers of government – Desmond McKenzie, Everald Warmington, and Matthew Samuda – as well as two visits from Prime Minister Andrew Holness to the parish over the last month, the people of Hanover voted resoundingly for the People’s National Party (PNP) in Monday’s local government elections.

The overwhelming support resulted in that party winning six of the seven Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) seats in the parish, according to preliminary counts.

The PNP won two of the three seats in Hanover Eastern, and all four seats in Hanover Western, with the biggest win margin being achieved by incumbent councillor in the Sandy Bay division and Deputy Mayor of Lucea Andria Dehaney-Grant.

The seat won by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) was that in the Chester Castle division, which was contested between retired educator Kaydeen Myles for the JLP, and educator and the PNP’s Wynter McIntosh, who was mayor of Lucea from 2014 to 2016.

While the six seats won by the PNP were won by margins of between 43 and more than 1,100 votes, the sole JLP win was by 17 votes according to the preliminary count.

The Electoral Office of Jamaica is estimating that only an average voter turnout of about 29 per cent participated in the elections islandwide but, in Hanover, that average turnout is even lower than in other areas.

Checks made by The Gleaner have revealed that the residents of the parish had several grouses which stimulated their voting patterns, including bad road conditions and the lack of potable water topping the list.

On his recent visit to the parish a few days before the election, Holness acknowledged that he was aware of those concerns which topped the list of the people, while promising that remedies will be embarked on soon.

“I have to be doing constant repairs to my motor vehicle to keep it in proper condition to carry passengers, and also to make sure the examiner does not take off my licence plate while I am working my route,” said one public passenger vehicle operator who runs the Lucea to Negril route, and who did not want his name disclosed.

BAD ROAD CONDITIONS

He said the bad road conditions have made it almost impassable, hampering him in properly maintaining his family and surviving economically.

Dehaney-Grant, who won her seat in the Sandy Bay division in Hanover Eastern by 1,000 votes, noted that the road conditions across her division are deplorable, and the cry for potable water in some parts of her division is unbearable.

“I will continue to help all the people within this division and beyond, and I will continue to be their standard-bearer to ensure that they have access to commodities that are basic human needs, and to make sure that the Sandy Bay division continues to stand out,” she told The Gleaner following her victory.

Marvell Sewell, the incumbent councillor for the Green Island division in Hanover Western, who won his seat by more than 900 votes, told The Gleaner he was not surprised by the margin of his win, as he has been representing the people of the division to the best of his ability, and he is of the opinion that they realise it.

“I really want to concentrate on the roads and water situation across the division, because it is surprising to note that we have the Logwood Water Treatment plant in this division, and yet a lot of the communities in this division do not have running water on a regular basis,” he stated.

He said that, with the imminent arrival of the Princess Hotel in the Green Island area, he plans to make the reintroduction of the fruits and vegetables market in that area a priority on his list, “with a view to putting the farmers of the area in direct touch with the tourism entrepreneurs”.

He made mention of his continued lobby for the Green Island to Negril main road to be properly lit with streetlights as one of the projects which he plans to pay much attention to during his second term in the HMC.

editorial@gleanerjm.com