CLARENDON, Jamaica – Senior members of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) are out in their numbers in Clarendon South Eastern for the by-election now underway, despite the seeming certainty of a victory for the party’s candidate Pearnel Charles Jr.

By the opening of the polls at 7:00 am, members of the Cabinet were seen at polling stations across the constituency, ensuring that everything was in place.

In Mineral Heights, Cabinet member Fayval Williams kept a watchful brief over a polling station with 18 polling divisions, while her colleague Floyd Green was positioned at an even smaller polling station at the Palmers Cross All-Age and Junior High School.

“The Labour Party has learnt that you don’t take anything for granted.  We have seen throughout our history, times when we have done very well as a Government, but we have dropped the ball on the political organisation front and unfortunately didn’t get the desired results,” Green told the Jamaica Observer.

“I think we have learnt our lesson from those experiences and the JLP under Andrew Holness doesn’t take anything for granted, nor do we take the people for granted,” added Green.

With support for the other candidate, Dereck Lambert, at the polling stations visited by the Observer so far, Green expressed confidence of a victory for Charles but he refused to predict a winning margin.

“Every constituency is important whether we have had it for several years or we have never had it yet.

“We are going to come out and support our colleague once we have the opportunity.  One of the things is that we are putting out real good candidates, so for us as members of the team it is a pleasure to come out and support our colleague,” added Green.

Arthur Hall