Garrison voters critical of COVID election

Several residents in two political strongholds say they won’t be risking their health to vote on election day despite assurances that their safety will be guaranteed when they go to the polls on September 3.

In St Andrew South West, Delacree Park resident Kaydionne Brammer is still fuming that an election will be held in the middle of a pandemic. Living in a traditional People’s National Party (PNP) constituency, she has always voted for that party, but says this year will be an exception.

“I don’t even believe election should call, so I’m not voting, because I don’t like the way how they handled the whole COVID thing. I don’t think they value the people; none of the two parties,” she lamented.

Brammer said she cast her vote for former party president and member of parliament, Portia Simpson Miller, in 2016 without any reservations. Simpson Miller retired in 2017 and handed over the baton to Dr Angela Brown Burke.

Brammer feels that the PNP should have strongly objected to the election being held on September 3, although the party’s general secretary, Julian Robinson, has since stated that the Opposition cannot determine when polls are called.

Anthony Sinclair said that he won’t be voting either. He, too, is from Delacree, which is part of the Greenwich Town division. Greenwich Town secured 3,917 votes for the PNP in the 2016 election, therefore contributing to Simpson Miller beating the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Victor Hyde by more than 10,000 votes.

“They give us two weeks’ quarantine, carry us back to 7 o’clock, and then they want us come out after to go pack up inna crowd to vote? That don’t make sense,” Sinclair said.

The Government was forced to implement curfew measures for the entire country amid a spike in coronavirus cases. Effective tomorrow, the entire country, with the exception of those under the 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, will be placed under a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. restriction until September 30. Residents living in St Thomas, St Andrew, St Catherine and Clarendon will remain under a 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew until September 2.

But no matter the risk, some residents in the JLP stronghold of Kingston Western said that they will be voting for the incumbent, Desmond McKenzie.

“A West Kingston this, you know. Everybody know West Kingston. If de MP not giving us anything, wi still nah switch; wi a born Labourite,” said 19-year-old Junior Beckford.

Denham Town resident Kenneth Haye said that people do not necessarily vote for MPs in constituencies such as Kingston Western. Instead, residents are voting for who they want to become the next prime minister.

“I believe them need to change the system where you don’t vote for MP to choose your leader. I find that people vote for the party, and some of the MPs don’t deserve to be MP,” said Haye, 60.

But one young man in the constituency said they do not have a choice but to vote for the JLP. Although the constituents are in need of jobs, water, and infrastructure, casting ballots for the PNP could be fatal.

“That caan gwaan. Anyhow that gwaan, people a go dead,” he said, referencing the politics of violence tracing back more than half a century.

The JLP has held the Kingston Western seat since 1955. Former Prime Ministers Alexander Bustamante, Hugh Shearer, Edward Seaga, and Bruce Golding have all represented the constituency in the past.

McKenzie took over in 2011. He secured 9,326 votes to the 1,597 votes won by his challenger, PNP candidate, Joseph Witter, in 2016.

But the spike in COVID-19 cases could impact on voter turnout in the constituency.

“I normally vote, but it don’t make sense I vote this moment, because people are going to bungle,” said Hannah Town resident Nichoy Williams.

He feels the election should be postponed.

“It look bad that you are the Government and you see that the virus out and you really push this election. It don’t make sense,” he said.

But despite the increase in cases, Anthony Clarke said people will go out to vote for their candidate of choice.

“I am 50 years old now and from mi born and grow until now, mi know about Jamaican people, excitement is we.

“So don’t matter what is out there, all if gunshot a fire and man dead, people a run out same way, so mi don’t know how COVID that them not seeing going to let them stop run out,” he said.

COVID-19 has not influenced Joan Golbourne’s decision to abstain from voting. She feels that enough has not been done to help youths to secure jobs.

She said that last week was the first in a long time she was able to get running water to flush her toilet, as water has been a scarce commodity.

“I don’t vote, because what am I going to vote for? Is one man mi vote for and is God,” Golbourne lamented.