PNP Cries Gerrymandering as Gov’t Set To Table Bill Making Portmore 15th Parish

The Counties and Parishes Amendment Act, 2025 is set to be tabled in the House of Representatives later on Tuesday.

The bill is seeking to modify the existing boundary of St Catherine, with a view to establishing the municipality of Portmore as the country’s 15th parish.

More in this report from Daina Davy.

Member of Parliament for South St Catherine, the People’s National Party’s, PNP, Fitz Jackson, is reiterating his party’s objection to the plan.

In a statement on Tuesday, Jackson charges that the move is part of the process of gerrymandering.

Gerrymandering means the manipulation of the boundaries of an electoral constituency in order to favour one party or class.

The communities of Braeton, Greater Portmore and Hellshire are all part of the broad Portmore community and fall within the constituency of South St Catherine.

South St. Catherine is considered a PNP stronghold with the party losing the seat only once since the first contest there in 1967. The constituency has four divisions; Greater Portmore North, Greater Portmore East, Braeton and Hellshire.

The proposed map for the new parish of Portmore, which cabinet approved in March last year, does not include Hellshire.

Fitz Jackson believes the proposed boundary changes are not in the best interest of democracy and governance.

Jackson claims there is no benefit to residents for Portmore to be established as a parish.

He says to date, the parliamentary committee examining the boundary changes has not cited one potential benefit of the proposed changes.

Meanwhile, Fitz Jackson says the PNP will not accept the changes that seek to establish Portmore as the country’s 15th parish.

He says the party is prepared to fight in the courts and protest in the streets.

Fitz Jackson, MP for South St Catherine.