After suffering five heavy defeats at the polls in parliamentary elections and losing nomination fees amounting to $15,000, Trelawny’s resident maverick, Ras Astor Black, is at it again.

This time, Black, the president and founder of the Jamaica Alliance Movement (JAM), is seeking to represent the people of West Portland in the March 23 by-election, which is also being contested by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP’s) Daryl Vaz and Kenneth Rowe of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP).

Already, Black, a Rastafarian, has contested seats in North East St Ann, Eastern Westmoreland, West Kingston, North West St James and closer home, North Trelawny where he managed to secure 65 votes – the highest he has ever attained in any one election.

In fact, in all of his outings the very vocal Black has amassed roughly 200 votes.

Local political observers have already written off Black’s chances of even getting a refund of his deposit in the contest for the West Portland seat, not to mention winning the controversial seat that was won by Vaz, in the 2007 general elections.

Black, himself, I believe, is harbouring no thoughts about winning.

So why then does he continue to seek political power at the parliamentary level and bolster the coffers of the Electoral Office of Jamaica?

Many believe that Black loves publicity and wants to be constantly in the news.

The founder/chairman of the board of Bob Marley School for the Arts institute, in Trelawny, Black also runs a local cable channel – BobArts TV – where he promotes himself on an almost non-stop basis.

A strong advocate for the section of the Northern Coastal Highway that runs between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay to be named after the reggae icon, Bob Marley, Black is also the vice-chairman of the Trelawny chapter of the Jamaica Cultural Commission.

He served for many years as the host of the Reggae Vibration radio show, Northwestern University’s WNUR Radio and Comcast Community Cable TV in Chicago. It was while living in Chicago that he took his popular radio show and used it to give upcoming Jamaican artistes their first start in the music business.

Earlier, this week, he told this column that his decision to contest the West Portland seat, forms part of his plan to keep the name of the JAM alive.

“As the leader of the Jamaica Alliance Movement I have to continue promoting the movement. When the general elections comes we will have all the candidates in place and will become the new, different and honest government of Jamaica,” he said.

Undoubtedly, the JAM president will perhaps want to secure more than the 65 votes – he got in the 2007 general election in North Trelawny – on March 23, but it would be a big surprise if he does, bearing in mind that his party seems to be going nowhere and the perception that he is all about keeping his name in the news.

On that count – courtesy of this column – he has succeeded again, but really, it’s about time he came better.