Dear Editor,

Congratulations to Pearnel Charles Jr on a historic victory in the Clarendon South Eastern by-election. He’s the first candidate from a major political party in the history of by-elections to have got over 6,000 votes running against an independent candidate. He’s now ranked at 10th for the largest number of votes in a by-election and he’s the only candidate in the top 10 who never ran against a major party political candidate.

Here are the top 10:

1) Ann-Marie Vaz: 9,989 votes (2019)

2) Damion Crawford: 9,670 votes (2019)

3) Dwayne Vaz: 8,738 votes (2014)

4) Bruce Golding: 8,503 votes (2005)

5) Norman Dunn: 8,169 votes (2017)

6) Daryl Vaz: 7,927 votes (2009)

7) Shahine Robinson: 7,797 votes (2001)

8) Carol Jackson: 7,324 votes (2001)

9) Shane Alexis: 7,246 votes (2017)

10) Pearnel Charles Jr: 6,845 (2020)

The people who were predicting over 10,000 votes running against an independent candidate were not being realist. So, to get the pulse of the people, Prime Minister Andrew Holness should be careful of the people around him giving him information based on emotions.

So for some Labourites expecting over 40 seats if a general election were to be called in the near future, that is unrealistic. They should know that People’s National Party candidates like Dayton Campbell, Victor Wright, Hugh Graham, Dwayne Vaz, Imani Duncan-Price, Ian Hayles, Richard Azan, Fenton Ferguson, Colin Fagan, and Dr Walton Small won’t be easily beaten.

The Jamaica Labour Party hard core and well-dedicated base has increased in this by-election, even though Pearnel Charles Jr never ran against the People’s National Party’s Patricia Duncan Sutherland. When I refer to hard core and well-dedicated supporters they are the ones who will not only vote in a general election but also a local government election and a by-election. Therefore, to know how well Pearnel Charles Jr did is look at the fact that in the 2012 Local Government Elections, when the swing was against the Jamaica Labour Party, it got 5,616 in the constituency, compared to the 6,123 votes in the 2016 Local Government Elections, when the swing was with the party.

Now, in this by-election Pearnel Charles Jr has grown the hard core and well-dedicated base in the seat by over 700 votes. Obviously, other voters who will vote for the Jamaica Labour Party in the general election weren’t motivated to come out because Pearnel Charles Jr was the favourite candidate to win.

Pearnel Charles Sr and Pearnel Charles Jr are the first Jamaica Labour Party father and son team serving at the same time in the Lower House of Parliament. They’ve now joined Peter Phillips and Mikael Phillips, who represent the People’s National Party.

I see Pearnel Charles Jr getting back his portfolios in the Cabinet soon, and maybe even given the additional portfolio of information. I won’t be surprised if he’s selected as the new deputy leader of Area Council Three.

Also I won’t be surprised if he’s the new Leader of Government Business in the House and Karl Samuda may be the new House Speaker.

Teddylee Gray

Ocho Rios, St Ann

teddylee.gray@gmail.com