THE BATTLE GROUND SEATS: Eastern St Thomas - Dr Fenton Ferguson (PNP) vs Delano Seivright (JLP)

2011 GENERAL ELECTION RESULT

CONSTITUENCY TOTALS

Eastern St Thomas

Fenton Ferguson - 8,018

Patrece Charles Freeman - 7,545

Vote turn-out: 55.30 per cent of 28,364 voters

Ballots rejected: 84

Despite calling himself the 'Five-Star General', Dr Fenton Ferguson has obviously become less safe in the seat, which he has held since 1993.

While there have been 10,509 new votes added to the list since he first became MP, Ferguson's numbers have been static. The 2011 general election was the first time that he polled more than 8,000 votes, having twice polled in the 7,500 region.

In fact, since 1993, he has gained only 818 new voter, while the JLP has increased its vote count by 1,900 over the same period.

Before the arrival of Ferguson on the political scene in 1993, East St Thomas was the stomping ground of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

Only one PNP representative, Violet Thompson, in 1976, held the seat before Ferguson. It has otherwise been represented by the JLP's Isaac Barrant, Lynden Newland, and Pearnel Charles.

East St Thomas has four divisions: Bath, Port Morant, Morant Bay, and Dalvey. In the 2011 election, Ferguson won all the divisions, with the exception of Dalvey.

There are 30,726 persons on the voters' list.

 

Winning Margins

 

• 1994 - 7,625 votes

JLP's Isaac Barrant over independent Albert Robertson

- 1949 - 6,695 votes

JLP's Isaac Barrant over

PNP's Eric Young

- 1955 - 1,136 votes

JLP's Isaac Barrant over

PNP's C.G. Kelly

- 1959 - 2,940 votes

JLP's Lynden Newland over

PNP's Isaac Matalon

- 1962 - 3,859 votes

JLP's Lynden Newland over

PNP's Joseph Matalon

- 1967 - 2,440 votes

JLP's Lynden Newland over

PNP's Richard Hoffman

- 1972 - 1,027 votes

JLP's Lynden Newland over

PNP's Seymour Stewart

- 1976 - 310 votes

PNP's Violet Thompson over

JLP's Lynden Newland

- 1980 - 6,238 votes

JLP's Pearnel Charles over

PNP's Winston Jones

- 1983 - Unopposed

JLP's Pearnel Charles

- 1989 - 468 votes

JLP's Pearnel Charles over

PNP's Franklyn Sephestine by

- 1993 - 1,554 votes

PNP's Dr Fenton Ferguson over

JLP's Pearnel Charles

- 1997 - 1,509 votes

PNP's Dr Fenton Ferguson over

JLP's Dennis Wright

- 2002 - 1,326 votes

PNP's Dr Fenton Ferguson over

JLP's Dennis Wright

- 2007 - 938 votes

PNP's Dr Fenton Ferguson over

Dr Omer Thomas

- 2011 - 473 votes

PNP's Dr Fenton Ferguson over

JLP's Dr Patrece Charles Freeman