ST THOMAS, Jamaica — Chairman of the People’s National Party (PNP) Fitz Jackson, while asserting that the by-election due on April 27 in the Yallahs Division in St Thomas Eastern “is an opportunity to right a wrong”, said that the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) lacked moral authority by allowing Dean Jones, the previous councillor for the division, to stand on behalf of the party in the first place.

Jackson said Jones knowingly breached the provisions of the act by having himself nominated and the courts have confirmed that, referring to a Supreme Court ruling that he (Jones) disqualified himself on the grounds that, at the time of the November 2016 Local Government elections, he was employed to the government.

The Opposition member of Parliament added that “to make matters worse, the gentleman (Jones) was seeking to be elected after having lied not only to the electors but lied to the court.”

He said the “JLP lacked the moral authority to say to that gentleman (Jones) you cannot stand on behalf of the party; and decided to pursue that wrong, to pursue that fraud against the electoral system in Jamaica.”

“It’s unfortunate, regrettable,” he lamented, adding that “I really hope that the well-thinking people of the Yallahs Division here in West St Thomas will stand up because they have a long history in Jamaica for standing up for what is right on a principled basis. We invite the spirit of Paul Bogle to rise again and stand up for another Bogle (Constantine) for what is right”.

Meanwhile, Jackson said that the party is hopeful and confident that its candidate will win the seat this time around after having lost to Jones in November 2016.

Bogle will be going up against the JLP’s John Lee who is also the vice chairman of the Yallahs Division.