JLP's Dale Delapenha to quit politics

BY MARK CUMMINGS Editor-at-Large, Western Bureau cummingsm@jamaicaobserver.com

Thursday, February 16, 2012

MONTEGO BAY, St James - DALE Delapenha, the sitting Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor for the Montego Bay West Division of the St James Parish Council, has confirmed that he would not be seeking re-election in the upcoming local government election.

The JLP councillor, who is also the managing director of Delapenha's Funeral Home, told the Observer West yesterday that he would be quitting representational politics to concentrate on his funeral home business.

"I am leaving to deal with the struggles that I have been faced with in my business, and I have also come to the realisation that I don't have to be in representational politics to serve," he said.

He made it clear, however, that he would still maintain his membership with the Opposition JLP.

Delapenha has been embroiled in a long-standing dispute with the Government and residents of Burnt Ground, Hanover, over his $40-million Royale Rest cemetery in the community.

Since the project got off the ground late 2005, residents of Burnt Ground have staged several protests to push Government to stop the project. The residents have consistently argued that the cemetery which is a short distance from the community's main water supply was being built on a water table and this, they claim, could pollute the water.

But despite numerous studies which have proven otherwise, the residents, in 2006, called on government for an environment impact assessment (EIA) to be done at the site, after the funeral operators were granted a permit to conduct burials there.

A stop order was then placed on burials at the facility, which was later removed following the outcome of the EIA and the go-ahead from the National Environment and Planning Agency, to proceed with burial at the cemetery.

But after a few burials, the residents intensified their protest, once again bringing burials to a halt at the facility.

Delapenha subsequently filed a lawsuit claiming compensation from the government for the "illegal closure of the cemetery".

Yesterday, he declined to comment on the impasse but conceded that his business has been "suffering tremendously" in recent years.

Meanwhile, the JLP councillor, who defeated the People's National Party's Henry McCurdy in the 2003 local government election, expressed satisfaction with his achievements at the council.

"Under my watch, we were able to move the Charles Gordon Market; the Harbour St Car Park; the Harbour Street Craft Market, as well as the Fort Street Craft Market from a position of deficit to profitability," said Delapenha, who chairs the commercial services committee at the council.

The JLP is yet to name a candidate to replace Delapenha in the upcoming election.

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JLP's Dale Delapenha to quit politics