ANNOTTO BAY, St Mary — Nomination Day activities across St Mary took on a carnival-like atmosphere yesterday as six candidates were registered to contest the December 29 general election.

Those nominated for the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) were Robert Monatgue, Western St Mary; Richard Creary, South East St Mary; and Lennon Richards, Central St Mary.

Joylan Silvera was nominated to run on the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) ticket for Western St Mary; Dr Winston Green, South East St Mary; and Dr Morias Guy, Central St Mary.

Jubilant party supporters, clad in orange (PNP) and green (JLP) outfits, danced in the middle of the street in the major towns of Annotto Bay, Gayle and Port Maria where the candidates turned up to hand in their nomination papers.

From as early as daybreak, supporters dressed in their respective party colours could be seen milling around several communities from where they were being transported to the major towns where nomination day activities were centred.

In South East St Mary, a sea of green-clad JLP supporters, led by a gospel band, ushered Creary to the nomination centre at the electoral office in Annotto Bay, where he handed in his papers about 11:15 am.

“I feel good, I feel good that I’m getting an opportunity to represent South East St Mary,” Creary, who is also mayor of Port Maria, told reporters after returning officer for the constituency Delra Herde-Morgan declared him duly nominated.

“I have been the representative in Richmond for eight-and-a-half years now, the people will tell you that I have served them well and I plan to continue and to serve a wider geographical area,” Creary added.

Creary, who was accompanied to the nomination centre by his wife Andrea, brother Don and two of his councillors along with a throng of supporters, said he was confident of victory when the final ballot is counted on December 29.

Green, meanwhile, who will be seeking to wrest the seat from the JLP, is banking on the level of work he has done in the constituency since he was named the PNP candidate more than three years ago, to help him secure victory at the polls.

Accompanied by senators AJ Nicholson and Navel Clarke along with former member of parliament for the constituency Harry Douglas and other members of his constituency executive, Green handed in his nomination papers about 1:20 pm.

“I have been in the constituency working as a dental surgeon for the past 17 years, and with that, it has allowed me to meet quite a number of the constituents,” Green said, adding that his campaign so far as been smooth.

“I have been working the constituency. I am confident of victory. It comes with no arrogance, there is still work to be done and we are doing it,” Green said and argued that the huge crowd of jubilant party supporters was evidence that victory for the PNP was near.

For most of day, several areas of the parish were abuzz with activities as hundreds of supporters danced in the streets to different party songs, chanted party slogans and waved flags at their passing opponents.

In the parish capital, traffic was brought to a halt as Guy and Richards were led to the Port Maria Civic Centre by hundreds of their supporters who partied in the street while the candidates handed in their papers.

The police in St Mary said there were no reports of violence.