RAMBLE, Hanover - As the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) prepares itself for upcoming elections, the party's Area Council Four on Sunday appointed a campaign chairman for the region, and announced that all of its candidates would be in place within the next six weeks.

CHANG... committees put in place to wrest power from PNP

"The Area Council Four executive today (Sunday) has taken the decision to appoint an Area Council Campaign chairman and an Area Council organising committee because we intend to be in full campaign mode in March," said Dr Horace Chang, the party's deputy leader, who has political responsibility for that region.

Chang told reporters that Montego Bay businessman Homer Davis would chair the campaign committee, while Life Underwriter Jenice Scott would head the organising committee.

Chang was speaking to reporters shortly after the party's Area Council Four annual general meeting at the Knockalva High School in Ramble, Hanover.
The JLP's Area Council Four comprises the parishes of Hanover, St Elizabeth, Trelawny, St James and Westmoreland where there are 15 parliamentary seats and 62 parish council divisions.

The JLP presently holds six of the parliamentary seats and has 31 elected councillors in the region.
But the party has political control of all but one of the five parish councils in Area Council Four.

Chang stressed that committees were put in place to wrest political power from the governing PNP when the polls are held.

"All of this activity is part of preparing the Area Council machinery for the parish council elections which are due this year or a general election which could be called anytime after the leadership conference of the People's National Party," Chang explained.

He added that the region's executive has been working assiduously over the past year to put in place competent candidates, to develop its organisational capabilities and to fashion a formidable campaign programme.

"By expanding these programmes this year, we believe we can take on the PNP and beat them in Area Four," Chang remarked, adding that the party had interviewed a number of "excellent" candidates, who want to represent the party.

"We have seen some excellent persons, indeed every single member of the Officer Corps who met them were pleased and this indeed sends a signal that the JLP in this region is not only alive and well, but is in a position to take over government from the PNP," the JLP deputy leader argued.

At the same time, Chang said that the party was expected to fill the two remaining constituency vacancies in the region - South St James and Central Westmoreland - and to have in place all the parish council candidates by the end of next month.

Meanwhile, a number of incumbent members of the party Area Council Four executive were returned unopposed at Sunday's annual general meeting.

These include:
. J C Hutchinson, chairman;
. Barrington Gray, vice chairman;
. Collin Murray, secretary;
. Grantly Miller, assistant treasurer; and
. Noel Donaldson, treasurer.

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