PNP preps to rebound from 0-10 blowout to JLP in Region Six

As the People’s National Party (PNP) holds the public session of its annual conference today, senior members are confident that Region Six is poised to deliver a strong performance in the next general election, following a lacklustre showing in 2020.

The ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) currently holds all 10 constituencies in Region Six, which comprises St James, Hanover, and Westmoreland. However, before the 2020 general election, the PNP held five of these seats.

With the next parliamentary polls less than a year away, Colin Hitchman, PNP chairman for Region Six, told The Sunday Gleaner that all 10 candidates are in place and have been canvassing the grounds. He noted that fresh candidates have been installed in some of the constituencies.

“The candidates are ready right now, fully prepared. ... A majority [of them] are new, but they have been working with the people for quite a while and the people have accepted them, so they are ready,” said Hitchman.

PNP General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell is set to throw his hat into the ring in Westmoreland Eastern when the polls are called. The constituency is currently represented by the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Daniel Lawrence, who got 4,862 votes to unseat the PNP’s Luther Buchanan (4,851 votes) in 2020.

In Westmoreland Central, Dwayne Vaz will seek to retake the seat he lost to then-JLP candidate George Wright in 2020. It remains unclear who will represent the JLP as Wright currently sits as an independent member of parliament (MP).

At the same time, Westmoreland Western could see the PNP’s Ian Hayles battle with sitting JLP MP Morland Wilson.

Attorney-at-law Heatha Miller Bennett is the PNP standard-bearer in Hanover Western, while Andrea Purkiss is in Hanover Eastern.

Over in St James West Central, Dr Andre Haughton will be heading back to the polls, having lost to Marlene Malahoo Forte, polling 4,415 votes to her 6,181. Allan Bernard, who contested the Montego Bay North East division in the local government polls earlier this year, will try to wrest St James North Western from Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang.

The PNP’s remaining three candidates in St James are newcomers – Senator Janice Allen (Central), Nekeisha Burchell (Southern), and Rochelle Reid Knott (East Central). The three women are expected to go up against current MPs Heroy Clarke, Homer Davis and Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, respectively.

REGAINING MOMENTUM

When asked about their confidence level now, four years after the September 2020 hammering, Hitchman told The Sunday Gleaner that the opposition party is positive that it is regaining momentum in Westmoreland, which was regarded as a PNP stronghold before 2020. He further noted that the results of the February 2024 local government elections show the party is on the right track across Region Six, holding two of the three municipal corporations – Hanover and Westmoreland.

There are 11 PNP councillors in Westmoreland, while the JLP has three. All seven councillors in the Hanover Municipal Corporation are from PNP. In St James, the JLP has 11 councillors to the PNP’s six.

“ ... In the local government elections, we won all the seats in Westmoreland and Hanover [if results are grouped as parliamentary seats]. Of the five in St James, we would have won two. We know we are competitive in all five, but we can win four,” said Hitchman.

The chairman, however, declined to say which of the St James constituencies he has the most confidence in.

“I will leave it at that for now,” he told The Sunday Gleaner.

Meanwhile, Campbell also expressed a belief that the results of the local government elections are indicative of a victory for the PNP.

“We did pretty well in Region Six. We won 24 out of 38 [divisions], so a very good performance, and if you look at the constituencies, we [would] have won seven of the 10. The mood on the ground is good. People are energised and ready to go … . They want the general election now, so we are fine-tuning the organisation and we will be ready when the elections are called,” the general secretary stressed.

At the same time, former PNP Vice President Dr Karl Blythe told The Sunday Gleaner that while he is confident that the party will do well in Hanover and Westmoreland, he is uncertain that it will be able to snatch some of the JLP’s seats in St James. He pointed out that it would be no easy feat unseating Chang or Bartlett as they have both been MPs since 2002.

“It is difficult for the PNP to claim any major hold in St James with Bartlett and Chang. It is very difficult, if we have to be frank. We are treading on a likkle rocky ground,” Blythe said. “ ... I believe it is only the Bartlett and Chang seats that [are] the safe seats for the JLP. And it all depends on whether they are running or they’re putting in new candidates.”

Blythe further noted that the PNP has “strong candidates” in St James Southern and West Central.

rochelle.clayton@gleanerjm.com