WAKEFIELD, Trelawny – Unimpressed with his performance over the past 15 years, the ruling People’s National Party has asked their sitting councillor for the Wakefield division in Trelawny, Wellington Reid, not to seek re-election when the next local government election is called.

“Clearly Reid has not performed; he won by a majority of over 700 votes in 1986 and the last election (in 1997) he could only win by nine votes in a magisterial recount,” said chairman of the party’s North Trelawny executive and area member of Parliament, Wendell Stewart.

He added that Reid would be replaced by 36 year-old Dianne Leaky, the daughter of former Cabinet minister and member of Parliament for North Trelawny, Desmond Leaky.

According to Stewart, Leaky has been working in the division and has been warmly accepted by the people.

“She is bright and gets along with people very well and should make a difference,” Steward said of Leaky.

The Wakefield division is comprised of the communities of Bounty Hall, Wakefield, and the sugar cane growing areas of Bunkers Hill, Dromilly, Deeside, Unity and Hampden. It has a population of over 10,000 and the economy is centred around the Hampden Estates that fall in the division.

Although the communities in the division have an adequate supply of piped water and electricity, residents have complained about the deplorable state of the roads and the lack of telephone service.

They have also accused their sitting councillor of neglecting the division and not providing proper representation.

But Reid has a different opinion. He said that he has done a lot of good to the division since he became councillor in 1986.

He cited improvements in water and electricity supplies to a number of communities, repairs to the Bunkers Hill and Bounty Hall community centres, asphalting of roads in Unity and New Cargin and the constructing of two basic schools, as some of the projects he has done during his tenure.

But he added that he would bow to the wishes of the people in his division and make way for Leaky.

And despite the party’s poor rating of his performance, Reid has his eyes set on taking over another division. He said he has applied to the party for the go ahead to replace Trelawny mayor Joseph Wright, who is set to retire from active politics, as the representative for the Falmouth Division.

“The people in the Falmouth division want me there, and I am confident that I will get the approval of the party,” Reid said.