Who let the dogs ‘vote’?

SEVERAL Pitbulls, Doberman Pinschers and German Shepherds — all adorned in green — were taken to the Seaview Gardens Health Centre in the West St Andrew constituency by their owners to reinforce the support for the party.

As the group of young Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters stood to one side holding on to the ferocious dogs, a group of People’s National Party (PNP) supporters sat on the other side with a Collie adorned in orange harness.

Both sides pointed proudly to the animals and boasted that theirs was the best.

The Labourites, who hailed from the Nitty Gritty community of Seaview Gardens, said they decided to take out the animals to add excitement to the voting proceedings.

“A man haffi split dem vote wid dem dog,” said one man as he held on tightly to the harness of the ferocious animal.

His other friends said they had trained the dogs themselves and so had no concerns that they would attack others.

A few metres away, a group of PNP supporters sat under a tree with a huge Collie in its orange harness.

“This dog nuh like green you know because when him see de Labourites a pass him start to bark and when him see the PNP him start wag him tail,” said one PNP supporter.

That aside, the supporters said despite their opposing political views, they shared a good relationship.

“We live good down here. In Seaview Gardens JLP and PNP live good together,” said a Labourite.  

Added a PNP supporter, “Down here, wi live good. Wi nah kill we one another but we tired a di shower ting.”

The group of comrades, who were enjoying drinks under the tree in Front Scheme, said they were just relaxing as they awaited the results while the JLP supporters said they were getting ready to celebrate their victory with a party later in the evening.