“It’s a dark day for democracy” is the cry from some Westmoreland caretakers of unrepresented divisions in the parish, as they call for the Local Government Election to be held.

Deaths, resignations and promotions have contributed to a significant number of divisions across Jamaica being without representation. In Westmoreland, Whitehouse and Petersfield are on this list.

George Wright, who was the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor representing the Petersfield Division, vacated his post when he became Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Central in September 2020. In Whitehouse, People’s National Party (PNP) Councillor Valdene Gifford tendered his resignation in March of 2020, citing ill-health as his reason for stepping down. As a result, Mayor Bertel Moore has had to assume the duties of both councillors while still managing his division of Negril.

“The delay is affecting us greatly,” stated Micheal Jackson, JP, the Opposition PNP caretaker for the Whitehouse Division, “Because there is no one that is specifically assigned to the area. The mayor is already burdened in dealing with Petersfield and his own division, Negril, and now Whitehouse is added to it. It is unfair because we are not getting the attention that the seat requires.”

Jackson further pointed out that because there is no representative sitting at the municipal corporation meetings, the issues being faced by residents in the division go unresolved.

“We need someone on the ground, just to report these issues,” Jackson posited, “The rehabilitation of parochial roads, rural water supply for the wayside tanks, of course the whole issue of garbage collection, as you drive right across the division you will see garbage all over, [representative] going to community meetings so that the views itself can be represented and taken to the parish council. “

“The people are crying out because they want representation from the people who can represent them in the municipal corporation,” he stated.

“Someone who is fully acquainted with the division and the challenges at play and can identify amongst the people, so it [local government election] should be called without delay.”

Not all share that view, however.

Rudolph Uter, councillor of the Frome Division, says the delay allows him to continue his work.

“We are just coming out of [the COVID-19 pandemic], can we really take on a local government election at this time?

“The election can only be called by the prime minister and the minister of local government, they must have a strong reason why it has not been called as yet,” Uter said.

He said that the PNP did it before, highlighting that the Local Government Election was held on March 6, 1990, before an eight-year delay for the next election on September 10, 1998.

Uter also highlighted that for many first-time councillors, they can only earn a pension if they have served an eight-year term. Therefore, the delay will be beneficial to them.

“I am okay with the delay as I get to continue my work,” he continued, “If the elections are not called, it will save the country money.”

Abigail Malcolm, caretaker for the Cornwall Mountain Division, stated that the delay has afforded her more time to do more for her campaign. She is confident that whenever the election is called, she will be ready. Citing the main issues plaguing the division to include garbage collection and roads that require rehabilitation.

The last Local Government Election was held in November 2016. The next polls were due in November 2020 and were postponed for three months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2021, the Government further extended the delay by 12 months, making the election due in February 2023.

However, uncertainty looms as the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) has stated that the budget submitted for the election has not yet been approved by the Government.

The estimated budget for the Local Government Election is approximately $1.3 billion. Director of Elections Glasspole Brown has stated that the EOJ will require a three-month period to train at least 30,000 election day workers, and in order for the EOJ to be ready for a February 27, 2023 election, the budget should have been approved already and training started.