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Charles Sr criticised for ‘non-existent’ leadership

Published:Monday | June 15, 2020 | 12:16 AMOlivia Brown/Gleaner Writer
Charles
Charles

Illon Dawkins, president of the Simon Foundation Group in Simon, Clarendon, is criticising Pearnel Charles Sr, member of parliament for the North Central Clarendon constituency, for being an absentee member of parliament (MP). Dawkins claims Charles Sr’s leadership in the area is “non-existent”.

“If you’re not getting support from political representatives, we are not going anywhere. One of the main challenges we face is that we are not seeing the MP. He has never been here to talk to us, have a meeting or anything. Even with COVID, he has not been here to hand out anything or say anything. I have never seen Mr Charles up here and the people here are very angry.”

Dawkins, who said his household is sustained by a tank dependent on rainfall, lamented the cost residents are forced to pay for the precious commodity. “Water is the main issue because people have to buy water, and this is something that hurts me to the core because I heard of the millions of dollars put aside to truck water to communities.”

Winston Howell, a farmer in Simon, said: “Water is a big problem. It has been our cry for years.” Howell told The Gleaner that his livelihood in agriculture has also been affected by the water woes in Simon.

NO ROADS

Noting a plethora of issues faced by residents of the rural community, Dawkins said, too, that the quality of roads has deteriorated over the years, and that bad roads have allowed for the destruction of many properties in the area. “Bad road is another issue, we don’t have any roads,” he said.

Dawkins told The Gleaner that he has provided correspondence to stakeholders and political representatives, including councillor for the Rock River division, Uriah Mitchell. “Mr Mitchell is trying his best, but he can’t do it alone.”

Addressing the issue of water, Mitchell said, “There are three wells at the lower side of Rock River that are supposed to provide water for Simon. There is also a proposal to put a steel tank at Simon that will also carry water from the well, and a rainwater tank will also be there for the community.”

However, refuting the residents’ allegations, Pearnel Charles Sr said, “No member of parliament in Clarendon has done the amount of roadwork that I have done in the last three years ... none! The road from Chapelton to Rock River, from Rock River to Moores and the one over Mitchell Hill are roads that I have fixed over the last three years. North Central Clarendon spends more money on roadwork than any other constituency in the parish.” Responding to claims labelling him as an absentee representative, Charles Sr said, “I was even in Simon three weeks ago handing out packages and I got in trouble because the people are saying I am 84 years old and I must stay in,” he joked. “I was elected four times in that constituency. The people chose me because of the work that I have done.” Emphasising that the development of North Central Clarendon is key, he said special projects are under way to improve other areas, such as education and healthcare.