Constituents will decide on my successor, says Samuda

Expressing a sense of satisfaction with yesterday’s proceedings at the National Arena, Karl Samuda, the outgoing member of parliament (MP) for St Andrew North Central, has described what is expected to be his final Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) annual conference in his capacity as an elected representative as “one of the best ones”.

The 82-year-old has held the seat since 1980 and is the country’s joint longest-serving parliamentarian.

Samuda told The Gleaner that he has always gone to annual conferences with much anticipation about how the party could come together to improve society.

This year, his expectations were exceeded, he stated, noting that the highlight was Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s speech.

“(It was) very excellent, had content, had emotion, appealed to all levels, all stratas of society, was very holistic and quite appropriate at this time,” Samuda outlined in giving his review of the speech by Holness, who is also leader of the JLP.

“What I liked about his presentation is that he never focused on the Opposition. He focused on what we can do to change and looking ahead rather than looking behind.”

As eager supporters flocked him as he exited the stage at the end of the party’s 81st annual conference, Samuda declined to say who he was likely to endorse as his potential successor, stressing that it would be the people’s decision.

‘Absolute agreement’

He stated, however, that he was in “absolute agreement” with Delano Seiveright, a senior adviser and consultant in the Ministry of Tourism, being elected as the constituency’s vice-chairman. He commended Seiveright’s knowledge of the party’s processes, his intellect, and organisational skills.

Seiveright, who is also a communication strategist, was unanimously elected during a meeting of JLP delegates on Saturday.

Yesterday, he would not comment when quizzed about whether he would be interested in succeeding Samuda.

However, at least one JLP supporter from the constituency has already expressed support for him.

“A Delano wi want,” Dacia Ellis, from Lady Bug, Grants Pen, told The Gleaner.

Ellis, who described herself as a diehard Labourite, said she was peeved at how Samuda’s impending retirement was made public.

“Dem cya tell him when fi step dung and when fi step up. A wi a him people dem. A weh wi seh stand. A nuh weh di party seh stand,” she said.

“Dem supposed to call mi boss and talk to him. Him nuh supposed to just out. Dem cudda call him and seh ‘Mek wi talk like big man’,” she added.

Dr Horace Chang, JLP general secretary, stated during a press conference last Thursday that Samuda would not be seeking re-election. He also said that Mike Henry, the 89-year-old MP for Clarendon Central, who jointly holds the record with Samuda, would also retire.

Samuda subsequently shared that he was “surprised” at the announcement.

“The comment caught me totally off guard,” he said later the same day. “I wasn’t aware that an announcement of that nature was pending … . I wasn’t aware.”

He added that he was preparing to engage the appropriate process.

“I would have much rather a discussion, and in any event, I, as the member of parliament, owe the people who have supported me over these many, many years the courtesy of advising them in concrete terms and not by rumour,” he said.

In the meantime, Christopher Hunter, a supporter from the constituency, is worried about how this resignation might impact election results.

“Mi nuh feel good how him step dung. Election shudda run first before him step dung,” he said of the MP who has never lost his seat even when contesting it for the PNP in 1993 before returning to again run for the JLP in 1997.

However, while lauding Samuda for his work in the constituency, Tratara Moodie, a 31-year-old supporter from Whitehall, said it was time for someone else to represent the area.

“He has to step down and give somebody else a chance,” she said.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com