Dr Ferguson the undisputed champion of modern Jamaican politics

Monday, January 16, 2012

Dear Editor,

Dr Fenton Ferguson is now an undisputed champion of modern Jamaican politics as he is the first to defeat a rival father and afterwards his daughter in the same constituency.

He uprooted Pearnel Charles from Eastern St Thomas in the 1993 election and has just defeated Charles' daughter, Patrece Charles-Freeman. Neither Patrece nor Pearnel is an easy nut to crack, but Ferguson is solid as a rock. His victory is more than winning a seat. It has also dashed the JLP's hopes, if not altogether, in this election, of achieving the record of a father and a daughter sitting together in the Parliament for the first time.

This is important for the PNP since it has the record of a father and a son sitting at the same time in the House — Norman and Michael Manley and now Peter Phillips and his son Mikhail.

Ferguson's victory has denied the JLP in this election the chance of a daughter of one of its MPs (current or former) getting into Parliament through the ballot. Patsy Pink of the JLP was unopposed in the 1983 snap election which the PNP did not contest.

Patsy's father, Neville C Lewis, was a JLP MP in North West St Elizabeth — 1962 to 1976. Heather Robinson of the PNP had won in South Central St Catherine in 1993. Her father Rudolph was the PNP MP for Western Westmoreland — 1959 to 67.

The JLP has not used a St Thomas resident to contest the Eastern St Thomas seat since Isaac Barrant, the first MP. Four of the five contenders sent there have been beaten by Ferguson. The fifth, LG Newland, had retired from active politics before Ferguson's time.

The JLP went all out in Eastern St Thomas in this election, but could not stop the embarrassing 42-21-seat defeat. Ferguson, now in his fifth consecutive term, has clearly changed this constituency into a PNP stronghold.

He will be the longest serving MP of this parish — surpassing LG Newland's 20 years. The JLP will have to consider using a St Thomas resident in the next election if they are to have a chance at this seat. These outsiders are evidently no match for the champion — Dr Fenton Ferguson.

Bradshaw Singh

25 Westminster Road

West Midlands, United Kingdom

brasingh@msn.com

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Dr Ferguson the undisputed champion of modern Jamaican politics