AT first glance there seemed hardly any need for the heavily armed soldiers and police personnel who stood guard at the Holy Family Primary School on HighHolborn Street in Central Kingston as very few persons went inside to vote, during the Observer’s visit.

However the political divide in sections of this inner-city cluster which resulted in no orange clad People’s National Party (PNP) outdoor agent at that polling station, seemed to warrant the increased police presence.

Soldiers and police alike spent the time keeping the precincts of the polling station sterile.

One soldier was seen ushering children away from the gate and  ordering those who had voted already to keep their distance while a police officer was kept busy refusing admittance to women who brought along their infants to the polling station.

One Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) outdoor agent Jacqueline Sullivan said she had no idea why the PNP agents had kept away from those polling stations.

“I don’t see any of them from morning,” said Sullivan who hastily added that they were not being prevented from being there.

But a stone’s throw away at a community known as ‘Tel Aviv’ the orange clad supporters converged in their numbers to offer support to the PNP’s candidate Ann Marie Morrison who is hoping to wrestle control from the JLP’s Rosalee Hamilton.

“I am confident of a victory because people see in me a better candidate who won’t let them down and who will be here with them through thick and thin,” she told the Observer.

One of her supporters Meva Henry, said by the end of the day the division will have a PNP councillor to work alongside the PNP’s Member of Parliament Ronnie Thwaites.

“We tun up di ting December 29 (General Elections) and we ago bind di ting today March 26,” she said.

When asked why no orange clad agents were at Highholborn Street the supporter became incensed.

“If dem now want we up deh we ago run weh di JLP dem from down here,” she said.