JLP councillors being forced out
TWO Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillors in the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) have signalled that they will not contest next year’s municipal elections for their party because they were being forced out by the members of parliament in their constituencies.
But one, Roy Henry (JLP Waterloo division) made clear yesterday that he intended to run in the elections, even as an independent, if he is not on the JLP’s ticket.
Henry and Merlene Daley, (JLP Havendale division) hinted at their imminent departure, at least as JLP councillors, at Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the KSAC council. They later told the Observer that Derrick Smith, the MP for North West St Andrew and Lloyd Chuck, who represents the JLP in North East St Andrew, do not want them to run in the elections, to be held by next year March.
“My MP, Derrick Smith says he took a decision that he wasn’t running me again because he was not satisfied with my representation,” Daley said.
Daley, who believes that she has provided “dedicated service” during her 16 years in the division, was angry about how she first learned of Smith’s displeasure with her performance and that he intended to drop her from the JLP slate of municipal candidates for the constituency.
“About three weeks ago people on the PNP side said they’d heard a rumour that I was being kicked out,” Daley said. “Then a day after the PNP advised me of the rumour I heard it from the MP that he’d decided not to run me again and that I could appeal.”
Daley said that Smith was concerned that the roads in her division were in disrepair, but the councillor explained she had no final say over road repairs. “We merely make representations through the KSAC Roads and Traffic Committee to the National Works Agency (NWA),” she explained.
Smith was unavailable for comment but Daley said that she would not appeal his decision to the JLP’s central office.
“I don’t think after giving loyal and dedicated service I should have to appeal,” Daley said.
Under Jamaica’s local government system, parliamentary constituencies are further broken down into local government divisions within parishes to create the local government authorities. The MPs and the Opposition caretakers in the constituencies have substantial sway over who run as councillors and provide support for their programmes.
Henry, who has been a councillor since 1990, was disabled when he was shot by a gunman in the Grants Pen area on January 4, 1999.
Henry, who still has a bullet lodged in his back, said that the relationship between Chuck and himself became strained after he was shot. The MP, Henry claimed, has put out that the councillor, while he was recuperating, attended meetings of the KSAC but not those of the JLP’s constituency executive.
“I would not go because the executive meetings were at the constituency office on Waterloo Road, a short distance from where I was shot and the man who shot me was still running up and down,” Henry explained
Having resisted pressure to resign, Henry, who now walks with a cane, said Chuck passed a resolution at an executive meeting of the constituency in 2001, barring him from running in the next local government elections. Chuck’s resolution accused Henry of poor representation, the councillor said.
“He says councillors are to fix drains and roads and when this is not done he gets blamed. I am the councillor at the KSAC who has been able to have the most roads fixed in my division,” Henry said.
Henry has made representations to the JLP’s central office, but there is as yet no word on his future.
“I’m still waiting for the selection but up to now it has not been done. I’m wondering if that’s the equal rights and justice, and Mr Chuck is the Justice spokesman,” Henry said.
Chuck told the Observer that Henry would not run with his support because he has abandoned the constituency and has done no work. Chuck said that when he visited Henry at his house while he was recuperating, he told him that he had no further interest in politics and had only run in 1997 because he wanted to get his pension.
“He wants to run again because he learned recently that you can’t get a pension unless you run for three terms.”
The North East St Andrew MP said that Henry had never abided by the JLP conditions for councillors. Under these conditions, councillors are required to hold at least one divisional meeting per year, hold division executive meetings, supervise work programme in the constituency and attend constituency executive meetings.