Their nominations were not accompanied by the large colourful crowds that flanked the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) or the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), but the underdogs of western Jamaica’s slate of political leaders are hoping that their message will prevail over the hype in the August 27 polls.

“I am here to ensure that rightousness prevails. that everyone has a house and everyone has food. that there should never be any poor,” Yuwakhidid Itsahyuwan Iduwaqayliz aka ”Shiloah’ told the Observer West on Tuesday following his nomination as an independent candidate for the western Hanover seat.

The 44-year-old Iduwaqayliz – whose name when translated means “the sharp witted one of Yahweh” and “the prophet watchman” said he had received a vision in which he was instructed by “the creator” to go to western Hanover and offer himself as a political representative.

A resident of Ocho Rios, St Ann, Shiloah said he would not be campaigning leading up to the election as if the creator sent him he would provide the means by which he would succeed.

In the meantime Iduwaqayliz, who said his organisation – the Jerusalem Bread Foundation (JBF)- consists of himself, his wife and his mother, says he will continue to do what he has always been doing, namely, travelling the land, healing the sick and “raising the dead if necessary”.

Also contesting the Western Hanover seat is Kendal resident, Jeremiah Smith, whose aim is to give Rastafarians a presence in Parliament.

“It is only at a ‘government-to-government’ level that the issue of reparation and repatriation can be dealt with adequately,” he said.

Smith said that there was need for more support from the Rastafari community in order to secure the seat. “A lot of the brethren don’t have the knowledge and understand how important this is,” he said. “It’s a struggle.”

If elected, Smith said he would focus on improving agriculture, health, education, the environment and embarking on social development projects.

Leonard Sharpe, the NDM’s representative for Western Hanover, also hopes to get the Western Hanover seat.

No stranger to the political landscape, Sharp unsuccessfully contested the Western Hanover seat in the 2002 general elections, securing less than 100 votes. Less than a year later, he failed in his bid to represent the Green Island division in the local government polls.

But yesterday, he boasted in an interview with the Observer West that he is the best candidate in the five-man race to represent Western Hanover.

“I am the best man for the job. I have a development plan for the constituency and I am confident that I can find solutions for the problems in the constituency,” he said.

His plan for the area include: the development of the Lucea Harbour; the construction of a craft centre in Green Island; to equip the security forces to make them more effective and to upgrade the Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea.

Independent candidate for St James East Central, Roystan Richards – one of 10 candidates nominated on Tuesday to contest the four constituencies in the parish – describes himself as a community leader who represents the interests of the people.

A resident of the area since 1980 when he moved to Spot Valley from the Paradise Norwood area, he’s quite busy with house-to-house visits aimed at convincing the voters to support his candidacy.

So far the 47-year-old farmer who polled 12 votes when he contested the 2003 local government elections in the Rose Hall Division has had a few small donations from persons who “believe in my message”.

The National Democratic Movement’s (NDM) Apollone Reid will contest the West Central St James seat against incumbent Clive Mullings of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and Francis Tulloch of the People’s National Party (PNP).

Reid, a businesswoman polled just over 280 votes in North West St James in 2002.

Citing the low level of literacy especially in the 123 inner-city areas in NW St James and the paucity of funds spent by successive, governments on the residents behalf, she decided, after working with her husband in West Central, to move that constituency on realising that the people there were easier to reason with.

She said that if elected, she would aim to unite Jamaica and make it a better place, one with a true democracy.

Ras Astor Black, president of the Jamaica Alliance Movement will go up against the opposition JLP’s Dennis Meadows for the North Trelawny seat which is currently held by the PNP’s Patrick Harris.

“I am bringing a proposal to make Trelawny an independent parish,” Black said.

“Most of the resources in Trelawny go to Kingston. For example, 80 per cent of our water goes to St James and the payment for it then goes to Kingston,” he argued. “I am going to go to the people and tell them that that is what is needed for us to improve our standard of living,” he said.

To aid his campaign he plans to stage a mass meeting in Water Square, Falmouth, on August 25, at which time he will expound on his vision for the constituency.

Anthony Lemonious, a 44-year-old University of Technology (UTech) graduate, plans to push technology during his campaign against the PNP’s Doneth Brown-Reid and the JLP’s Marisa Dalrymple Phillibert for the South Trelawny seat.

“I want Jamaica to be the technology capital and so I will be pushing wind energy, solar energy and hydro electric,” he said.

The NDM’s Conrad Powell, an attorney, and Sharon Witter, a farmer, will both make a bid for the constituency of South East St Elizabeth.

If elected Powell will advocate the legalisation of marijuana for medicinal for medicinal and economic purposes.

– reporting by Keril Wright, Mark Cummings and Paul Reid