CHAIRMAN of the People’s National Party (PNP) Region One Lisa Hanna has sounded the battle cry that the party will be targeting the Trelawny Southern constituency, which has been held by the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Marissa Dalrymple-Philibert since 2007, whenever the next general election is called.

“You need a PNP MP (member of parliament) in South Trelawny. Everything else is secondary. So, Comrades, I have on my Gideon boots and I will be here walking with you, because one thing I can tell you; ‘I told Marissa [Dalrymple-Philibert] that I am coming for her seat,” Hanna declared.

She was speaking to party supporters during the recent public session of the party’s Ulster Spring Divisional Conference, held at the Albert Town High School, where it was confirmed that Councillor for the Albert Town Division Lloyd “Mozy” Gillings will be the PNP’s standard-bearer in the upcoming general election.

In the 2011 General Election, Dalrymple Philibert polled 6,260 votes to defeat the PNP’s Lindel Frater, who secured 4,736 votes.

At that time, the JLP saw a majority of its votes coming out of the Lorrimers Division — where the party traditionally enjoys a bedrock of support — with a margin of 1096 votes.

But Hanna, fully cognisant of her rival’s strength in the constituency, has vowed to turn the tables around in the next polls.

“We are going to shake up some things in South Trelawny. I am not prepared to leave it this time. And so I am also speaking to the Comrades in Lorrimers, if you know you are there, do not let the green people [JLP supporters] intimidate you on Election Day. We are going to need every single PNP vote in South Trelawny to come out on Election Day for us to bring Comrade Mozy over,” the PNP regional chairman argued.

Two years ago Gillings, who won the Albert Town Division in Trelawny Southern on the JLP’s ticket in the 2012 Local Government Election, crossed the floor to join the ruling PNP, citing the lack of support from JLP members.

At the time, Gillings’ defection angered deputy mayor of Falmouth and JLP Councillor for the Warsop Division Colin Gager, who contended that the Albert Town councillor should step aside and give voters a say in which party representative they want for the division.

Meanwhile, Gillings, who expressed confidence in unseating Dalrymple- Philibert, said if elected he would establish a revolving programme aimed at empowering budding entrepreneurs and providing employment for young people.

“I have a plan for South Trelawny, and part of my plan is to look for young entrepreneurs in the constituency, and what I will do with that Constituency Development Fund is to select one person per year from each divisions and develop them into real entrepreneurs,” he explained.

“I think we miss the purpose of the Constituency Development Fund. This fund is to develop the constituency. Anybody see their community develop?” he asked. “There is nothing that is being done in the constituency. We need the development fund to develop the constituency.”

Gillings also pledged to improve the lives of scores of farmers in the constituency, as well as to undertake improvement works on the water supply systems.

“It seems like our poor farmers have been forgotten. Comrades, I don’t like the way our farmers have been treated in this constituency,” Gillings declared.

He added: “Every time I walk through this constituency I cannot understand why South Trelawny don’t have running water. I remember in the previous Government $65 million was allocated for the Quashie River, and up to today I haven’t heard anything about it. When I become member of parliament, they have to answer to me about it.”

Meanwhile, during the private session of the divisional meeting, Dr Pauline Foster, who is the sitting councillor for the Ulster Spring Division, was elected secretary of the constituency which comprises four parish council divisions — Ulster Spring, Lorrimers, Warsop and Albert Town.

Of the four divisions, two are represented by the ruling PNP and one each by the Opposition JLP and an Independent.