JOHN-PAUL Alexander White knows that he is embarking on a journey that may be as difficult as trying to cross the Red Sea without the help of Moses.

However, the civil engineer and People’s National Party (PNP) candidate is convinced that he has what it takes to conquer one of the giants of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party in North East St Andrew.

In continuation of the friendly rivalry that exists between two of Jamaica’s top schools, JP, as he is popularly known, is confident that the teachings of his alma mater, Jamaica College, have prepared him well to fend off Kingston College stalwart and Rhodes scholar Delroy Chuck.

“I was born, grew up and presently live in this constituency. The PNP did not approach me to contest the seat. I took it upon myself to, and people kept telling me how difficult a task it would be,” he told the Sunday Observer in an interview.

“Out of my own conviction. I approached the PNP, offered myself and I specifically asked for this seat. So-called easy seats were offered to me, but I declined. I understand the longstanding issues that affect the constituency at large, and my natural skills can be brought to the table to help with these issues,” he said.

“For example, I don’t need to call somebody from the National Works Agency to tell me what is wrong with a road or gully, these are my natural skills which I do for a living. I have a better first-hand appreciation of what it takes to correct these problems,” he added.

White, 46, the son of former pastor of the Rehoboth Gospel Assembly, the late Henry Alexander White, and Olive White, reasons that he grew up watching his parents making tremendous sacrifices for the common good and wants to continue to build on the foundation that they started.

“I watched my father turn away from potential riches to service through the church and his community, and my mom stuck beside him. So I grew up in an environment which suggests to me that your life here just cannot be about yourself. You can’t just live in a society and walk around as if nothing matters, especially at this point in my life where I have now watched my peers go in different directions.

“Clearly I was blessed to have opportunity and strong parenting, and today I see myself at least trying to do as much,” he said.

Seasoned in the construction industry, White has a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, and a Master’s degree in construction engineering and management from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus in Trinidad & Tobago.

He worked first in construction with his father, then moved to bauxite company Jamalco in Clarendon and was a member of the engineering team that constructed the Greater Portmore Housing project, which has more than 10,000 housing solutions.

“The Greater Portmore project was a major challenge. I was the junior engineer that was sent by the company (West Indies Home Contactors) to clear all the land, start to cut drains, roads, infrastructure, etc,” he said.

“I also did a stint in Trinidad, and stints in New York and California, before returning to Jamaica in 2006 to start a business, following the death of my father.”

Being away from Jamaica for seven years allowed White to have a greater appreciation of business, and when he returned to home soil he started his own organisation, Equilibrio Solutions Jamaica Ltd, which does project management consulting for large projects.

“We were the firm that developed the modernisation of the rum factory at Monymusk in Clarendon for National Rums of Jamaica and the company recently incorporated in Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago,” he said, insisting for his own part, that management of State enterprises should be entrusted to technically skilled individuals in the respective disciplines.

“I am someone who believed for some time that the style of governance that you adopt has to bear some resemblance to a technocracy… there are horses for courses,” he argued.

“Unlike First World countries, we can’t afford to allow someone at the top (to be a) politician who is just a figurehead. Unfortunately, we don’t see it as a practice, we don’t find people at the top of certain ministries that I call vertebrae ministries like transport & works, finance, health, agriculture, these key ones, who are founded, experienced and accomplished in these matters,” said White.

“People will say that you don’t need to have that, but my argument is that the CEO of any enterprise in this country must have established credentials and experience. Until we start to run governance like the business that it should be, I don’t see a future.

“I have skills, my education was paid for by the taxpayers of this country, which can be used to bring about a higher level of efficiency in government,” he said.

A father of two sons, White decided to enter elective politics in November last year and completed the official process early in the new year.

So far, according to him, his travels through the constituency have been favourable.

“Contrary to what people told me to expect as JLP country, the reception has been quite good. I always say that perception is one of the greatest stumbling blocks to the advancement of civilisation,” he said.

“When you perceive something without knowing the facts, you either leave it alone or you go with it. I am yet to see the so-called JLP stronghold within the constituency. I have not had any unpleasant experiences in the so-called strongholds of Grant’s Pen, Andrew’s Pen, or Barbican. The people have listened to me. Not everyone has expressed love, but by and large the experience has been very good. I only wish I had some more time,” he said.

As for his opponent, the present justice minister and three-time MP who served formerly as Speaker of the House of Representatives, White said he has been found wanting in some areas.

“To be fair to Mr Chuck, he has done some work, but there is a lot more which needs to be done,” said White. “We know each other, we have had no unpleasant circumstances. I actually first met him when I came back to Jamaica in 2006 as he was the lawyer for a project that I was doing in Norbrook. We even met last week at a community meeting and we shook hands.”

White values his chances in a seat in which Chuck swamped his last opponent, Hugh Thompson, in the 2007 general election. Chuck polled 5,764 votes to Thompson’s 2,814, the total ballots cast representing a 59.4 per cent voter turnout.

Some of those who voted for Thompson said that they had never seen or spoken to him, arguing that he could have enjoyed more support had he been more visible.

White wants to change all that, and has been circulating reading material, as well as doing walks and greeting residents of the constituency.

“I think I have a realistic chance, because I bring to the table skills that the constituency can benefit from,” he said. “I see myself having a minimum 10-12 years there, and I have a lot of ideas and physical projects that will affect the entire constituency. Some are short-term in the first year, some medium, five years, and the biggest one is a 12-year project.

“Representational politics is a very costly undertaking, but there are novel ways that you can use to get to people, although there are some expenses you have to bear for sure, like election day costs, but I don’t see myself needing millions and billions of dollars and I will not ascribe to buying votes.

“One of my passions for the constituency is education. Apart from the Queen’s High School, the only public primary and junior high school is New Day (All Age and Junior High school) and it is in a deplorable condition. The physical plant needs a complete overhaul,” said White, who also argued that the future Jamaica has no place for unskilled persons.

North East St Andrew includes the communities of Cherry Gardens, Jack’s Hill, Aylsham, Acadia, Grant’s Pen, Barbican, Sandy Park and Drumblair.