Two new faces in PNP’s Eastern Hanover political machinery

WESTERN BUREAU:

THE PEOPLE’S People’s National Party’s (PNP) political machinery in the Eastern Hanover constituency now has two new faces at its leadership level. They are in Lennox ‘Zico’ Fray, the divisional chairman for the Hopewell Division, and Craig Oates, chairman of the constituency.

There are three divisions in that constituency, Sandy Bay, Chester Castle and Hopewell. Two of the divisions, Chester Castle and Hopewell, held their divisional conferences on Sunday, hours before the constituency conference was also held at Bethel Primary School in Hopewell.

The Sandy Bay conference was previously held in June and Andria Dehaney-Grant, the sitting councillor and deputy mayor of Lucea in the Hanover Municipal Corporation, retained her position as divisional chairman.

The selection process in the Hopewell division was the more interesting of the two conferences on Sunday. Incumbent councillor caretaker, Jeffrey Brown, faced a challenge from three other contenders for the position, two of which fizzed because of party rules and regulations, while the challenge from Fray took the vote of delegates to decide.

Fray, a political neophyte, managed to convince 34 of the 40 delegates to vote in his favour, while the incumbent Brown only acquired six votes.

In the Chester Castle conference the incumbent, former councillor and former mayor of Lucea, Wynter McIntosh, retained his position as divisional chairman, as he was elected unopposed.

It was then on to the constituency conference and election where the incumbent, McIntosh, did not seek re-election as constituency chairman, but instead nominated Oates for that position, which was quickly seconded. No other nomination was forwarded for that position.

The rest of the constituency executive was returned en bloc, with one addition, in that McIntosh was elected as vice chairman in charge of outreach and organisation, a position which was not previously occupied.

Vice chairman in charge of organisation in the PNP’s Region 6, Michael Troupe, told The Gleaner that the election of Oates will mean that he would be the candidate representing the party in the Eastern Hanover constituency whenever a general election is called.

“Based on my understanding he is now the candidate of Eastern Hanover,” Troupe said.

“He has passed the threshold, he has been on top in the polls, and he has been working in the constituency as the candidate before. Through this election he has just received the chairmanship of the constituency,” he stated.

“The party leader is coming in a few days to introduce him as the candidate in Eastern Hanover,” Troupe added.

Better representation

In an interview with The Gleaner, Oates noted that the constituents of Eastern Hanover can expect a better level of representation than what they were getting over the years.

“They can expect someone that will be going out there and fight as hard as ever to get some of the basic amenities that are not in place,” he stated.

He named water and roads as issues that need immediate attention, adding that he will be ensuring that contractors who get work in the constituency are held to high standards. Also, Oates said that a greater level of attention is needed in youth affairs education.

“We have a mixture of unemployment and under-employment in this constituency, and I will be making sure that some form of apprenticeship programme is established within the constituency,” he stated.