In the run-up to the general elections expected by year-end, the Jamaica Observer’s Western Bureau continues to focus on the candidates in this part of the island.

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

This week we feature the Jamaica Labour Party candidate for North-West St Elizabeth, J C Hutchinson.

Born in Black River, St Elizabeth on November 20, 1943, J C Hutchinson attended the Santa Cruz Primary School, Knox College and Munro College before going on to the Cornell University in New York, USA.

Shortly after returning home in 1968, Hutchinson became involved in a number of community organisations, including the Jamaica 4H Club and the St Elizabeth Cultural Group.

A few years later, he was elected president of the St Elizabeth Chapter of the JLP’s youth group — Young Jamaica.

Hutchinson was elected member of parliament for the constituency of North-East St Elizabeth in 1980, a position he held until 1989. He did not seek re-election in the 1989 general election.

In the 1997 general election, Hutchinson switched to the North-West St Elizabeth seat and defeated Mel Brown of the People’s National Party (PNP) by over 500 votes. Soon after, he was appointed the JLP spokesperson on agriculture.

Hutchinson, who lists his hobbies as cricket, football and dominoes, said during his first stint as MP in the 1980s, he undertook a number of projects in the constituency which significantly improved the standard of living of constituents.

“During that time I was responsible for the implementation of major projects such as:

* construction of the Aberdeen health centre;

* construction of the Balaclava market;

* refurbishing of the Balaclava community centre;

* development of the Phoenix Park Housing Scheme;

* construction of the Burnt Savannah Primary School;

* repairs to several miles of roads; and

* improvements in the water supply in many communities.

“These are just some of my achievements in the constituency during that time and on that basis, the constituents in North-West St Elizabeth know that I am a very hard working and dedicated person,” Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson, however, told the Observer that he has been unable to achieve “a lot” during his present tenure as MP because he has been victimised by the ruling People’s National Party.

“Roads in the constituency are in a poor state, there is a lack of telephone service and three-quarters of the communities are without piped water because the present Government has failed to pay any attention to the constituency,” Hutchinson said, adding that it was “direct sabotage”.

He contended that the other constituencies in the parish have had their fair share of social and economic development but North-West St Elizabeth continued to lag behind because it had a JLP representative.

When Hutchinson was asked, “Why should Jamaicans vote for you?” he pointed to his accomplishments when the JLP was in office during the 1980s.

“From in the 1980s, I have a track record that shows that if the playing-field is level and I am able to get the resources, then I will be able to get things done in my constituency.

The record of accomplishment has been there from in the 80s. If I wasn’t being sabotaged in this constituency, then things would be much better,” Hutchinson argued.

He said when the JLP forms the next Government, he would be putting in place a marketing system for the hundreds of farmers in the constituency.

“This is a farming constituency, and because of the poor marketing of the crops produced, many of the farmers have given up farming,” the JLP candidate said.

“If a proper system was in place, more acres of land would be under cultivation and the farmers would earn more.”

He said emphasis would also be placed on:

* skills training at the Lacovia community centre;

* strengthening various agricultural groups in the constituency;

* construction of a pineapple processing plant at Ginger Hill;

* a storage, grading and packaging station in Lewisville;

* improvements in water, roads and telephone service in the various communities in the constituency; and

* the refurbishing of community centres.

“I am one who believes in education and one of the things I definitely would be looking at, along with the skills training, is areas where we would be able to provide better education for our young people,” Hutchinson said.