Ras Astor Black (left), the Jamaica Alliance Movement's candidate for North West St James, greets the National Democratic Movement/New Jamaica Alliance's candidate, Apollone Reid, outside the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on nomination day. They are both contesting the North West St James seat. (Photo: Charmaine N Clarke)

VOTERS across western Jamaica who are turned off from the two major political parties will have their fair share of third party candidates to chose from come October 16.

On Monday, eight candidates without links to the traditional parties were nominated across the constituencies in St James, Hanover, Westmoreland and Trelawny.

Ras Astor Black, who first came on the political scene when he ran in the North East St Ann by-election for his Jamaica Alliance Movement, is now trying his fortunes in North West St James. He turned up at the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court at 11:15 am, 15 minutes after his scheduled time, as the People's National Party's candidate Gordon Brown had run late.

Black, who often spouts complaints of being marginalised by the media and most state agencies, arrived with 50 signatures. The 40 extra, he said, were protection against any fault the Electoral Office's officials might find with his primary list of 10 signatures. He was accompanied by a sole man, and both of them bore Ethiopian flags.

Black was not the only third party candidate in North West St James as the National Democratic Movement/New Jamaica Alliance's (NDM/NJA's)Apollone Reid also plunked down her $3,000 fee, provided her list of signatures and was duly nominated.

But she had more supporters than Black as she was accompanied by about two dozen supporters and a Liani Hazel who danced to a spiritual rendition of a French song. At the end of her performance, Reid released a bunch of blue balloons that took her sign "In God I trust" only as far as the top of the Gun Court building.

Reid did double duty on nomination day as she also completed the process for her husband Juan, who is a NDM/NJA candidate for West Central St James. According to Mrs Reid, her husband was absent because he had been stranded in Central America for the past three weeks.

And even though he was late, one of the most eagerly awaited third party candidates, Winston Malcolm finally showed up in Eastern Hanover where he was placed on the ballot list as a candidate for the United People's Party (UPP). Malcolm, who was listed as a candidate for both the NDM and UPP a week before nomination day had, at one point, indicated that he would run for neither party, claiming that they both lacked organisational structure on the ground which would not allow him to mount an effective campaign.

In east Central St James, the NDM/NJA's Cornel Cameron plunked down six $500 bills and was duly nominated. He made an inconspicuous appearance, arriving without any supporters and only one witness in tow. When asked about his solitary state, Cameron contended that the results of the October 16 ballot box would be more important than the number of supporters who accompanied him on nomination day.

The other third party candidates are the NDM/NJA's 40 year-old contractor Leonard Sharpe in Western Hanover and 34 year-old attorney Olive Gardener in North Trelawny.

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