JAMAICA Labour Party deputy leader and caretaker for East Central St James, Ed Bartlett, has accused the ruling People’s National Party of funneling the bulk of the parish’s road improvement funds to the South St James constituency of Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, Derrick Kellier.

According to Bartlett, this unfair distribution of much needed funds has left his constituency, which is now represented by Speaker of the House, Violet Neilson, with some of the worst roads in the island.

He was speaking at his annual constituency conference at the Dumfries Community Centre recently.

The JLP caretaker charged that there was “precious little” provision in the government’s announced $3 billion islandwide road improvement programme for East Central St James. According to Bartlett, this was an act of “deliberate, profligate spite” because the area has now become a major JKLP stronghold and has been deserted by the PNP.

He also charged that the ruling party was having difficulties finding a replacement for Neilson, who has indicated that she will not be seeking re-election as a result of health concerns.

During his address, Bartlett also outlined a plan of action for the constituency that he will be representing in the next general election. The plan includes the development of Adelphi into a major town, as one means of relieving some of the burden from the city of Montego Bay.

In his keynote address, JLP campaign co-ordinator and former party chairman, Dr Percival Broderick, launched a blistering broadside against the governing PNP. And he again repeated the JLP’s recent accusations that the ruling party was engaged in using trickery and “blood money” to buy out supporters of the opposition party.

The campaign co-ordinator used the opportunity to urge Labourites to take the money, but stand firm with the JLP.