Sunday’s selection contest in the constituency of Western Westmoreland, being staged by the Jamaica Labour Party to determine who will represent it at the next general election, is set to be hotly contested.
This, as sitting member of parliament, MP, Morland Wilson, is bracing for a challenge from councillor for the Sheffield division of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation, Dr Garfield James.
James was a prominent member of the People’s National Party, PNP, up to July 2023, a few months ahead of the local government election in February 2024.
Colliecia Wright reports.
Sunday’s election is scheduled for two centres in the constituency – Little London High School and Grange Hill High School.
Polls will close at 4 pm, followed by the declaration of results at 5 pm. The victory will be decided by a simple majority.
Nationwide News has been reliably informed that the lone sitting Jamaica Labour Party, JLP, councillor in the constituency and the party’s three councillor caretakers have thrown their support behind Councillor James.
Dr James, the principal of Little London High School, is one of three former PNP councillors in the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation who refused to work with PNP vice-president, Ian Hayles, and resigned from the party. He kept his hold on the Sheffield division for the JLP.
One of the other dissenting councillors, Ian Myles from the Little London division, also retained his seat on behalf of the JLP in the February 2024 local government election.
Sitting MP Morland Wilson made history for the JLP in 2020 when he secured the Western Westmoreland seat, a first for the party in that constituency. He obtained 6,148 votes to defeat the PNP’s Wykeham McNeill, who received 5,095 votes.
In January, Wilson survived a yes/no consultation process in the constituency to determine whether party workers would support him for the next general election.
With mixed views from party workers, party leader and Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, told a constituency party workers’ meeting five days later that the party had not yet settled on a representative.
Holness said the consultation was the first in a series of processes, followed by the workers’ meeting. He said the next step is a poll expected to give a full picture of where the party stands with Wilson and the voters.
Holness said that will help inform the strategy going forward.
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