THE political battle lines have been drawn in Clarendon North Central as relations between Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Communications Director Robert Nesta Morgan and state minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Pearnel Charles Jr sour over who should replace the latter’s father, Pearnel Charles Sr, as the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) representative in that constituency.

Sources close to JLP affairs told the Jamaica Observer last week that JLP leader and Prime Minister Andrew Holness is likely to “sit this one out in the eyes of the public”, but his wish will reflect in the actions of JLP General Secretary Dr Horace Chang.

“Anything you see Chang do, that is what the prime minister wants. He can’t come out openly and say Nesta should get it, but he’ll use Chang to do what he wants,” one source, who asked not to be named, said.

According to that same source, Charles Sr’s grip on the rural constituency is slipping and accounts for the “steady decrease” in his margins in the last couple elections.

The Electoral Office of Jamaica results for the last five general elections show Charles losing in 1997 by 480 when he polled 5,194 votes for the JLP to the People’s National Party’s (PNP) George Lyn’s 5,674. When polls closed in 2002 he reversed the results, winning by 1,305 votes after securing 5,867 votes to the PNP’s 4,562. By 2007, his margin increased to 1,869 after he polled 5,978 to the PNP’s 4,109. When the 2011 general election came around he continued his winning ways, grabbing 1,836 more votes than his opponent with an overall number of 6,661 to 4,825. By 2016, however, that margin slipped to 536, after he secured 6,230 of the votes to the PNP’s 5,694.

“Outside of pushing the father-son dynasty story, which by the way will only grab the attention of outsiders, Nesta is saying that people want someone new. He is telling the delegates that Charles has not been effective and that the younger Charles will be no different.

“Young Charles on the other hand has been pushing the argument that he has been working in the constituency with his father for 11 years and that he knows how it works, and Pearnel is begging the delegates to stay with his son. He wants to leave the seat but not until his son has strong support. Nesta applying to challenge when he steps down came as a surprise, because people always felt that it would be Junior or his sister going up against his sister,” the source said.

Another party insider told the Sunday Observer that it will be difficult for Charles Jnr to win, even with the support of his father.

“He got to where he is because some believe his father used certain tactics. He told the prime minister that he will forego a ministry if his son gets a position in one, and that move has not been forgotten. And even then, he doesn’t have the support of the party youth like G2K, primarily because he didn’t come up through them. He met with Young Jamaica last year, but he still doesn’t have their support either. Then you have the young MPs (Members of Parliament), many of whom won’t support him because they don’t feel he worked in the party to be where he is now. Someone like [Alando] Terrelonge was sidelined so that he could get a spot,” the source explained.

But Charles Jr’s supporters have dismissed those arguments, noting that he surpassed expectations in the Ministry of National Security and also that his performance saw the prime minister moving him to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade to assist Minister Kamina Johnson Smith.

“It is ridiculous the kind of narrative that Mr Morgan’s camp is pushing, even while Pearnel Sr is still in office. He hasn’t resigned; he is the sitting MP. Mr Morgan should respect that. When you talk about a Member of Parliament, you want one who has personality and one who will be an MP for all; that is not Robert Morgan. I could say a lot, but I will just say he is not fit. He has no respect for those who have helped to build this party,” the source said.

The Sunday Observer toured the constituency’s three divisions — Chapleton, Rock River, and Mocho — where several residents expressed their views about the situation.

“Robert straight a head. We carry Mr Charles last election and him nuh do nothing. Mi beg Mr Charles three sheet a ply (board) and him seh when him win. See it deh, him win and all now. Wi know Robert; a right ya suh him born and grow. Robert Nesta Morgan straight ahead. Wi nuh want nuh more Charles. If Mr Charles did play him cards right a him wi would vote for,” Wood Hall resident Jullian Brown said.

For Joseph “Skill” McKenzie, a florist from Chapleton, Morgan is more likely to assist his community than Charles Jr.

“Pearnel nah help wi. Him father never help wi suh why him a go help wi? The area gone way dung; everybody poorer, the district poorer. Nothing nah happen here. Robert born here come from here, grow here and him just want fi help here. Him just waah help wi that’s why him running. Right now if him get di chance, him help wi. A long time mi a beg him, a cuss him, a quarrel wid him fi come run and mi ready fi vote fi him. Same way Pearnel come see down here is di same way him out fi leave it,” he said.

Trevor Bailey is unbending in his position of not wanting another Charles to represent him in Parliament’s Lower House.

“Wi nah get nuh help from him suh it nuh make sense. Look how much time him father win and not even likkle road, not even likkle contract, nothing at all. Mi know di son, but mi nuh want nuh more Charles. Anyhow di son come it a go be di same ting, ’cause nuh him same one a go work wid di son? Di first time him lose him bawl and seh if only him did hear wah wi seh, and then him come back over and is pure politics,” the man said, adding that he is prepared to jump out of the frying pan into the fire this time around by voting for Morgan.

“A Nesta wi seh. It nuh mek sense wi a work wid him and wi nah get nothing from him.”

Karl Thompson, who said that he is familiar with Morgan’s family, stated that he will not be voting for the JLP.

“Mi nuh inna Pearnel and him son enuh. Pearnel deh ya from ’97 right, and up to now mi nuh see weh him do inna di constituency fi all dem amount a years. Him win from 2002 and from that him nuh stop win, and mi nuh see weh him do. Right now mi done vote. Mek di young people dem support who dem waah support, mi done. Mi nuh too much inna di Labour Party because dem have di constituency ya too long and nuh improvement nuh deh ya. From ’62 until now only nine years the PNP do in this constituency and no improvement, suh mi nuh interested inna Labour Party, mi nah support dem; mi done vote. Right now if mi fi vote a PNP mi a vote for, suh di two a dem can stay deh,” Thompson, a Sutton resident, expressed.

Over in Rock River, Chadae Williams is more familiar with Charles Jr and is prepared to support him no matter what.

“Who name Robert? Where him come from? Weh him a do down here? When mi look into it di people dem more familiar wid Pearnel Jr. A di first mi a hear di name Robert, suh if me fi mek a choice mi would say Charles, because mi nuh know who name Robert. And for di people dem who seh Robert, di same mouth weh seh no will seh yes when voting day come. Dem a seh Robert, but if Pearnel Sr fi come back and run fi him seat again dem a go vote him in and if him son come, dem still a go vote him in because dem a die-heart Labourites. Di people dem love Pearnel,” Williams said.

A man who gave his name as “Spanglaz” insisted that another Charles should not return to the constituency.

“Mi not even voting again. Mi nuh want nuh more Charles ’round here. Him never do nothing fi wi and him son not coming to do nothing,” the man charged.

A strong Charles supporter, who gave her name as Grandma Taylor, said that residents were not truthful in saying Charles Sr has done nothing for the constituency. According to her, he might not have assisted many adults, but he ensured that the children were well taken care of in terms of school and day to day living.

“He is about the youth. They are lying if they said they didn’t get any help. When you talk about back-to-school it’s Pearnel, when you talk about scholarships, it’s Pearnel. When you talk about community centre, it’s Pearnel. Dem want di man give dem $100 every day instead of helping di next generation,” Taylor stressed.

It was a quiet day in Mocho, but residents who gathered at a shop were not in the mood to hear about the two potential candidates. The group, comprising only women, said that they were no longer interested in voting and accused Charles Sr of catering only to his loyalists. They told the Sunday Observer that they would like to see more community centres being built in the constituency and an upgrade of the infrastructure, to include better lighting and road.

Morgan provoked a response from Charles Sr when two Saturdays ago he announced his intention to contest the seat for the JLP in the next general election, some two and a half years away. The OPM director said that representing the constituency has been a lifelong dream of his.

But in a testy response, which raised several eyebrows, Charles Sr said that he is still the people’s representative, despite Morgan’s announcement.

“Just to advise you all: When I went to North Central Clarendon, the PNP was representing the constituency. I worked very hard, but lost my first attempt. I didn’t run away. I, along with friends and family, worked and worked, and beat the PNP. I won by 650 (votes), second time by 1,700+, third time by 1,800+, fourth time by 600+,” he said.

“I am the people’s representative at this time and I have not advised any of my delegates I am resigning or retiring.

“Young Pearnel has been working with me for the better part of 11 years. He can apply when I am finished, and any other person who is interested. For now, don’t disrupt my constituency. You are wasting your time.

“My mind and my muscles are better than some who are trying to disrupt the party… don’t even have the respect to tell me of your interest. Joining the PNP with propaganda against me and my party. Think again; there are many seats around. Go do as I did — take a vacant seat. Meet me on the ground,” Charles Sr wrote.