MONTEGO BAY, St James – Chairman of the St James Parish Council and mayor of Montego Bay Noel Donaldson has applied to the central executive of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) to be party’s constituency representative in South St James.

“I have applied to the party to represent the people there, (South St James) and I am looking forward to represent them,” said Donaldson, who is also the party’s councillor for the Norwood division of the St James Parish Council.

Arguing that the constituency has been ill-served over the past 17 years, Donaldson is confident that he can significantly improve the standards of living of the constituents.

“The residents have been suffering from, among other things, deplorable road conditions, lack of piped water supply, poor social infrastructure and I am of the view that I can bring to the table a level of representation that can significantly improve the quality of life,” he told the Observer.

Agriculture is the mainstay of the constituency, but the sector that was already on the decline was dealt two severe blows nearly two years ago when the Moko disease and then hurricane Ivan ravaged the banana industry in St James.

Yesterday, Donaldson argued that enough is not being done to resuscitate farming in the constituency and vowed to improve the sector, if elected to represent the area.

“Based on what has happened in the constituency over the past 15 years, it can be said that the constituency has been left behind. There is a lot of work to be done and I am prepared to work assiduously to reverse the trend,” he said.

Prior to joining the JLP in 2002, Donaldson, the son of former Montego Bay mayor Cecil Donaldson, was a member of the People’s National Party.

In 2003 Donaldson defeated Dr Lennox Reid of the PNP in the Norwood division in the Parish Council election of that year.

He was later installed as mayor of the resort city of Montego Bay.

Donaldson is a member of the party’s central executive committee and is currently the treasurer for the party’s Area Council Four, which comprises the parishes of Trelawny, Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, St James and Hanover.

He has also been a member of the JLP’s National Campaign Committee and was recently installed as the party’s campaign co-ordinator for St James for the up-coming local government polls.

Junior security minister Derrick Kellier, who defeated the JLP’s Carl Rhoden in the 2002 general elections, currently represents South St James.