DARLISTON, Westmoreland – P J Patterson’s successor, Luther Buchanan yesterday whipped his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) opponent in a by-election the ruling People’s National party (PNP) was expected to win at a canter, but with a reduced majority.

Rain clouds threatened as polls opened yesterday morning in Eastern Westmoreland, but as nightfall came and a victor was announced, the jubilation overshadowed the bleak conditions which might have contributed to the low voter turnout that marked the mostly incident-free by-election.

Buchanan, the sitting PNP councillor for the Leamington division, polled 6,400 votes, while attorney Don Foote of the JLP secured 3,300 of the ballots cast – still a hiding – but the latest result provided slight consolation for the two-time loser.

In the 2002 general elections, Patterson had flogged Foote by more than 4,798 votes from a voter turnout of 59 per cent.

The other contender yesterday, Ras Astor Black, self-styled president of the Jamaica Alliance Movement (JAM) got 44 votes, but some publicity for his efforts. Thirty seven ballots were spoilt. The votes cast represented 44.6 per cent of the constituency.

“You have demonstrated today your political wisdom in continuing to support the PNP, this victory belongs to the people of Eastern Westmoreland,” an elated Buchanan told rejoicing supporters outside PNP campaign office.

The poll also marked the first electoral test for Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, even though pundits gave the JLP no chance of winning a seat held by Patterson for almost 20 years.

Relishing the moment, Simpson-Miller, who had earlier addressed the annual general meeting of the Jamaica Council of Churches, shed her sombre black and red suit for a sporty white top and black pants. She thanked the Almighty for blessing Buchanan and commended the other candidates for running a spirited campaign.

Last night, in conceding defeat, Dr Horace Chang, the JLP deputy leader in charge of area council four, said that the party would be looking at its organisational structure in the constituency over the next few months in an effort to wrest the seat from PNP.

He said that the party was not very unhappy with the result, pointing out that it was a PNP bedrock seat.

“It would have been nice to have won the seat but the fact is that this seat is PNP territory and any reduction in the margin is a good sign,” Chang consoled himself and supporters.

Foote, for his part, conceded that he was beaten because of the “superior organisation” of the PNP. He added that he would be considering his political future in the coming weeks, but suggested that he might take another shot at the seat.

“The people are already telling me to run again so I think I might do that,” he said.

Voting in the constituency got off to a slow start under cloudy conditions and only picked up near midday.

For the most part, the heavy contingent of police personnel on hand seemed to have outnumbered the voters. Apart from two scrimmages outside polling stations in Darliston and Berkshire, the day was incident-free.

Assistant director of elections in charge of field operations, Earl Simpson, told the Observer last night that voting went fairly smoothly.

“There were no voting-related incidents,” Simpson said. He added, however, that there were few election-related matters reported to his staff by the political parties.

All the 127 polling stations were opened on time. The quietness that characterised the day dissipated by nightfall as Buchanan arrived with a huge crowd of supporters to acknowledge his victory which was announced by returning officer, Daphne Johnson.

Later at Buchanan’s campaign office a large crowd of party supporters clad in orange and red waved flags to the sound of loud music and noise-makers.

“I am sure that your former representative, the Honourable PJ Patterson, would be a happy man tonight,” shouted Bobby Pickersgill who turned up with other members of the party’s top brass including Colin Campbell, the general secretary who insisted that the party was united, contrary to other charges.

Buchanan who was described by his colleagues as energetic, was also full of thanks to his constituents.