High stakes in Aenon Town

A fiercely contested by-election is set to unfold today in Aenon Town, Clarendon, as Jamaica’s two major political parties pull out all stops to secure the division even as three other contests get under way.

The parliamentary by-elections in Trelawny Southern and St Andrew North Western are largely expected to be routine victories for the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), but a spirited contest is anticipated for the Morant Bay division of the St Thomas Municipal Corporation.

All eyes, however, are on Aenon Town, a traditionally strong division for the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) that the JLP managed to win in February’s municipal elections.

That victory tipped the Clarendon Municipal Corporation in the JLP’s favour, with 12 divisions to the PNP’s 10. A win for the PNP today will produce a tie, handing them control of the parish through the popular vote – a critical blow to the JLP just months ahead of the general election.

According to available Electoral Office of Jamaica records, the PNP has won five of the eight elections since 1981, most recently in 2012 and 2016. The result for the 1990 election was not available.

Delroy Dawson, a two-time PNP councillor defeated by the JLP’s Majorie McLeod in February this year, is vying for a comeback against JLP candidate Suzette Barton.

McLeod, who defeated Dawson by 92 votes, died on September 1, creating the vacancy in the division.

“The support is strong. The people had supported the previous councillor based upon family connections and the character that she was. I think the PNP stands a better chance of winning it now. This candidate that the JLP has doesn’t really have that kind of charisma to woo over the JLP’s base to support her. So we expect to defeat the JLP with a wide margin,” Scean Barnswell, PNP councillor for the Hayes division, told The Gleaner yesterday.

Barnswell is the minority leader in the Clarendon Municipal Corporation.

Dawson and Barton were unable to comment when The Gleaner reached out for comment yesterday.

However, May Pen Deputy Mayor Clive Mundle is optimistic about Barton’s prospects, saying that she is expected to widen McLeod’s margin of victory for the JLP.

“We will hold on to it. The people are excited, and they are going to come out and vote. We’re going to win by at least 300 [votes],” he told The Gleaner, adding that the party was not concerned about the PNP’s previous successes in the division.

“They (PNP) weren’t delivering to the people. So that’s why the people decided to make a change, and for the six months that the former councillor Majorie McLeod was there, she has accomplished a whole lot of things. During my walking and campaigning, the people are willing to give this lady, Ms Barton, a chance to carry on from where Ms McLeod has left off,” added Mundle, who is the councillor for the Frankfield division.

OTHER CONTESTS

Meanwhile, the PNP is expecting veteran candidate Yvonne Shaw, who will face the JLP’s Winston Downie, to bring her experience to bear in a competitive race. Shaw, who has won six elections since 1981 on both the JLP and PNP tickets, won her contest in 2003.

JLP General Secretary Dr Horace Chang told The Gleaner late yesterday that both the Aenon Town and Morant Bay divisions are expected to be “a bit” more challenging to win because they are being contested by the PNP.

Still, he said all four contests are being managed well by the party and are organised and in good order.

This includes Trelawny Southern, where former House Speaker Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert is seeking another mandate after resigning in September 2023 amid an adverse Integrity Commission report. Duane Smith is representing the JLP in St Andrew North Western, a seat once held by his father, Derrick Smith, for almost three decades.

Rohan Banks, a former PNP candidate, is running as an independent in the latter contest, while another independent candidate, Lloyd Gillings, who previously represented the JLP at the local government level, will square off with Dalrymple-Philibert.

‘MISCHIEF’

Yesterday, the PNP released a letter addressed to Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake alleging vote buying and intimidation in the Aenon Town and Morant Bay divisions.

“We received a report of thugs in the Lyssons area this morning tearing down orange flags and firing shots. We have also been alerted to plans by certain individuals to engage in vote-buying activities in both the Aenon Town and Morant Bay divisions,” the PNP said.

“Intimidation and vote buying serve to undermine the integrity of our electoral system. We recognise the critical role that law enforcement plays in preserving the sanctity of the electoral process and, therefore, call upon your office to ensure that officers, especially those from the Protective Services Division deployed during this time, are vigilant in identifying and addressing these breaches,” the party added.

However, Chang, who is also the national security minister, dismissed the claims as “mischief”, noting that those activities are in Jamaica’s distant past.

“We’re not indulging in any intimidation. That’s the last thing we would do at this point in time. Not only is that not a part of our culture and modern politics [practised] by Mr [Andrew] Holness, but also, the police will not allow it,” he told The Gleaner.

Chang said he has asked the police to be on the alert for any troubling activity from any side.

“Political violence has left the scene for years, and we give credit for that. Both sides should take credit. I don’t see why the PNP is trying to make mischief,” he said.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com