With talk of general election in the air, the Jamaica Observer’s Western Bureau will help you get to know the candidates in this part of the island.

Who are the candidates and why should you vote for them?

This week meet the Jamaica Labour Party’s candidate for North East St Elizabeth, 52 year-old Basil Perriel.

Born on March 18, 1950 at White Hall in St Ann, Basil Perriel attended the community basic school before going on to Goshen Primary School and Xavier High School in Kingston.

After high school, Perriel attended the Knockalva Agricultural School where he completed a Certificate Course in Agriculture.

In 1968, he enrolled at the University of the West Indies, Mona where he later gained a Bachelor of Science Degree in social work.

After graduating from university, Perriel taught agricultural science at the Lacovia Secondary School in St Elizabeth and was later an agricultural assistant at Bodles Agricultural Research Station.

He also worked with the Social Development Commission as regional co-ordinator and later as the assistant personnel and industrial relations manager at Appleton Estate.

Perriel is presently a director of the St Elizabeth Dairy Development Co-operation and charter member of the Kiwanis Club of Santa Cruz.

He is married and has five children.

He now responds to the question: why should I vote for you?

“I am a people oriented person and having served 17 years with the Social Development Commission/ Insports at the various levels including youth officer, acting parish manager and regional co-ordinator, I think I have gained the knowledge and experience to represent the constituency effectively,” he said.

“A recent poll in the constituency shows that three out of every five persons between the ages of 18 and 23 are unemployed and four out of five lack training skills.

My main objective is, therefore, to establish an industrial vocational training centre and to recruit youngsters to have them trained in various skills,” the candidate explained.

“I am also well-prepared professionally and possess the right expertise to address the various problems being experienced by the constituents such as bad roads, unemployment and lack of skill training.”

He said he is presently in contact with overseas interest groups in Atlanta with a view to recruiting youngsters for jobs in the health and hospitality sectors in the USA.