Seaga makes colourful entry into West Kingston
THREE candidates were yesterday nominated at the Denham Town High School, Kingston to contest the West Kingston seat in the October 16 general elections.
They are the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP’s) incumbent, Edward Seaga; businessman Joseph “Bunny” Witter, 38, for the People’s National Party (PNP) and Allan Martin, 49, autobody repair instructor of the New Jamaica Alliance (NJA).
Seaga, who was nominated first, showed up nearly two-and-a-half hours after his scheduled 10:00 am appointment. Shortly before his 12:00 pm arrival, a heavy security detail of soldiers and police patrolled the compound of the nomination centre.
About 20 minutes before Seaga arrived a crowd began to build up at the school gate, and with bells ringing they sang JLP songs.
The JLP leader, who made his entry from his stronghold of Tivoli Gardens, was followed by more than 2,000 supporters who formed a sea of green along Spanish Town Road. He was flanked by daughter, Annabelle and constituency officials.
As he made his way to the nomination centre, supporters played the party’s campaign song “Who you voting for”, while a marching band and about 30 bicycle riders dressed in green shirts led the way.
Police and soldiers at the gate had a hard time preventing supporters from entering the compound.
After returning officer, Clover Thompson, acknowledged the authenticity of the JLP leader’s nomination papers, Seaga paid the $3,000 fee in $100 notes, which has the image of former JLP prime minister, Donald Sangster.
Explaining his late arrival, Seaga said he had sent a message to his opponent Joseph Witter requesting that they be nominated jointly, “because he is someone for whom I have a great regard and I know he will help to keep the peace. I was waiting but the PNP is not ready.”
He said a joint nomination would indicate that they stood for a peaceful election campaign. “It would be a good symbol of peace if ‘Bunny’ had come together with me,” Seaga said.
Referring to an incident of heavy gunshots in Denham Town on Sunday, he said he hoped it would not continue. “It could be quite possible that it could be a clean election (but) only the violence on the streets could spoil it. I hate to think that any violence could spoil it because I want the election to be totally peaceful,” Seaga said.
Witter, dapperly dressed in black kareba suit with black shirt, arrived 10 minutes after his 1:00 pm schedule. He was accompanied by campaign manager Sydney Errar, who lost to Seaga in the 1997 general elections. Witter and more than 900 of his supporters who were dressed in orange, waved orange flags, held balloons and shouted “fourth term P J, P J fourth term”. They had walked the mile-and-a-half journey from Matthews Lane.
But riding on two motor cycles ahead of the PNP supporters, wearing JLP colours and showing the JLP victory sign were two noted JLP activists, Saleem Lazarus and “Justin” from Tivoli Gardens. Lazarus had a PNP supporter, Tamika Mills of Matthews Lane on the pillion dressed in full orange colours. Lazarus said his action was to demonstrate “peace, love and unity, to show that JLP and PNP can come together without violence”. “A peace and love we a deal with pon de motor cycle,” added Tamika.
After paying his nomination fee in $1,000 bills bearing the image of former PNP prime minister the late Michael Manley, Witter denied getting an invitation from Seaga for a joint nomination. “I don’t know anything about Seaga’s message; I got no invitation to be nominated jointly, probably he had it in (his) mind,” he said. Asked if he would accept the invitation, Witter said, only if it means a sign of peace.
Referring to JLP supporters joining the PNP march, Witter said both JLP men came to his Matthews Lane and Heywood Street offices and decided to join the march. He added that there was nothing wrong with PNP and JLP supporters walking together. “It shows that the area is at peace but it is not that we have been joined together,” Witter said.
Martin, accompanied by five supporters, came in quietly without even being noticed and was nominated at 1:30 pm.
He defined his candidacy as an initial move to those who have a democratic view to come out and demonstrate that there must be a turning point in Jamaica.
“If we are to breakdown tribalism in Jamaica we must contest a seat and set an example for people to follow,” he said.