NOT SO FAST!

Outgoing Clarendon Central Member of Parliament Lester Mike Henry says he has not had “a change of mind” about who should replace him as the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) candidate in the looming general election, even as former Mayor of Kingston Senator Delroy Williams has reportedly signalled an interest.

Henry, the parliamentary representative for the constituency since 1980, told The Sunday Gleaner last week that he is clear about his decision to support May Pen Mayor Joel Williams as his successor and that this has been communicated to the party.

“He (Delroy) has a route to follow. I don’t know of him being assigned to any seat. If he has an interest, then he can go through whatever channel to do so,” said Henry, noting that the May Pen mayor “certainly” has his backing.

“I said that I’m not running again, and I told the constituency and handed over the constituency. The issue was addressed. So, if it is that the party is to take another route, then that’s brand new. Is he being injected by someone? I don’t know,” Henry added.

Efforts to reach Mayor Williams, the councillor for the Denbigh division in the Clarendon Municipal Corporation, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to The Sunday Gleaner’s request for comment.

Denbigh is a division in Clarendon Central and Mayor Williams assumed chairmanship of the constituency executive in 2022, an early indication then that Henry was in the departure lounge.

NO COMMENT

The Sunday Gleaner asked Senator Williams, who is councillor for the Seivwright Gardens division in the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation, whether he has an interest in running as the party’s candidate and if he had formally applied to do so, but he declined to comment.

“I have no comment at this time,” said Senator Williams, whose division falls within St Andrew West Central, the constituency represented by Prime Minister (PM) Dr Andrew Holness, who is also the leader of the JLP.

“The PM not going to interfere, but it’s natural to think that his councillor would have his support. Obviously, you would support your councillor if anything,” one Sunday Gleaner source within the JLP declared.

“The people on the ground have been rejecting Joel, mainly because him doing things through Tanya [-Lee Williams]. She has been in Joel’s setup for a long time, so she uses his workers and his runners, so she unintentionally cut off some of Mike’s day one workers. So them taking that as a diss and want Delroy. It’s unintentional but you can’t blame them,” the source said.

The Sunday Gleaner contacted Tanya-Lee Williams, who is the councillor for the May Pen North division, for comment on the matter, but she declined.

“I have not heard anything from the leadership of my party, so I have nothing to say,” she said.

Asked whether the mayor had her backing, she insisted on not commenting.

May Pen Deputy Mayor Clive Mundle, who serves as councillor for the Frankfield division (Clarendon North Western), told The Sunday Gleaner that he is 100 per cent in support of the current mayor succeeding Henry.

He said, too, that the mood on the ground indicates that the mayor also has the support of the people.

“The people have always supported Mike Henry and then he is handing the baton down to Joel. So the people will support him because they have supported Mike over the years,” Mundle said.

He said talks of an interest by the former Kingston mayor reached him “by the way”, but said there has been no official communication.

“Joel has an interest and I am supporting him 100 per cent for a whole lot of reasons … . Right now, Joel is the one doing the work for Mike. So he is grounded with the people and I will support him,” Mundle noted.

But JLP councillor-caretaker for the May Pen West division Loraine Green Mason said the sentiment on the ground in the JLP stronghold is for new leadership, which should not include Mayor Williams.

“There is an overwhelming support for Senator Williams, and for me, I have no personal vendetta with His Worship the Mayor. My thing is, he should continue to work as the mayor for Clarendon and the parish in general and allow someone with a new vision to propel Central Clarendon in moving forward,” Green Mason commented.

She added: “I’m not convinced that he is able to bring something new. He has been in the system for the last 37 years and it’s pretty much of the same that we are seeing, and I know based on the feedback on the ground that the people, who are the voters, want a change.”

JLP supporter Gary Douglas claims the former mayor has the approximately 90 per cent support from the people on the ground.

“The position for Mr [Joel] Williams is very weak. He’s been in the constituency about 40 years, but the reception for him is very weak. The people are reaching out to Mr Delroy Williams more. Wherever he goes, the reception is good,” Douglas said.

He said while constituents respect Henry and his decision, they also have a history with the mayor, who they reportedly believe “has not distinguished himself as a councillor or even someone to replace Mr Henry”.

“What I get from some of the constituents as I go around and I speak to others is that they want a fresh start. They want the constituency to refresh and reenergise itself and they don’t see that in Joel,” said Douglas.

The Sunday Gleaner has learnt that a meeting of the JLP’s constituency executive is to be held today in West Park to discuss the development.

Michael Stern – the deputy leader of Area Council Three, which comprises Manchester, St Ann and Clarendon – did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.

When contacted by The Sunday Gleaner, Stern indicated that he was travelling.

Calls to JLP General Secretary Dr Horace Chang’s cell phone went unanswered.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com