WESTERN BUREAU – As the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) moves to fill vacancies in Area Council Four by the end of June, contenders vying for the vacant seats have intensified their campaigns.

The constituencies in the region that are still without caretakers are:

. Hanover West,

. Westmoreland West, and

. Trelawny North.

Meanwhile former candidate for St Elizabeth South West, Derrick Sangster, and Frank Whitter who last represented the South East constituency for the party, are expected to resign soon, according to Observer sources.

The party’s Area Council Four covers the parishes of St James, Trelawny, Hanover, Westmoreland and St Elizabeth

Over in North Trelawny, Generation 2000 vice president, Ian Hayles, who has been working in the area since last June, appears set to get the nod of approval.

“Hayles seems to be a person who has the constituents at heart and he has the majority of the delegates,” a JLP delegate from the constituency told the Observer.

“He has been working very hard over the past months and has made inroads.”

When contacted, Hayles agreed that he had made some progress in the constituency, adding that he had been taking his campaign across the entire constituency.

“I have been to all the divisions in the constituency and the people have received me warmly,” he told the Observer.

His campaign has been laced with promises for the development and enrichment of North Trelawny.

Among the promises Hayles has made on the trail, are the establishment of computer training centres in each of the five divisions; access to free medical care and skills training in the areas of plumbing, electrical installation and carpentry.

According to the political aspirant, implementation of these projects would begin as soon as his candidacy was approved.

Christopher Jobson last represented the party in North Trelawny, but resigned and migrated shortly after Dr Patrick Harris defeated him in the 2002 general elections.

Another contender for the seat is David Stephenson, while the names of two sitting councillors of the Trelawny Parish Council are also being mentioned.

In Western Hanover, mayor of Lucea, Lester Crooks and councillor for the Lucea division, Audley Gilpin, as well as insurance sales representative, Donovan Hamilton, have all shown an interest in representing that constituency.

Since the start of the year, Gilpin has stepped up his campaign in the area and has been working steadily to win the approval of the delegates.

In an interview with the Observer, he appeared confident that he would be given the nod, based on his performance as a councillor.

“The people have asked me to vie for the seat because they know that I am a hard worker and will do well,” Gilpin, a successful businessman added.

In the neighbouring parish of Westmoreland, councillor for the Friendship Division, Hopeton Tulsie, is one of three contenders eyeing the Western Westmoreland seat.

He is the only sitting JLP councillor in the parish and is said to be popular among the delegates.

Dr Horace Chang, the party’s deputy leader for the region told the Observer that already a number of aspiring candidates were working in the constituencies of South East and South West St Elizabeth which, he said, are not “clear vacancies” at this time.

Earlier this month, G2K president, Christopher Tufton, confirmed that he had an interest in that seat. But businessmen Keith Reynolds and Harry Morrel are also said to be working in the area.

The sitting MP, the People’s National Party’s Donald Buchanan, is reportedly retiring before the next general election.

Meanwhile, a high-ranking JLP source told the Observer that two former JLP MPs are already working in South East St Elizabeth.