Political newcomer Markland “Action” Edwards, who aspires to dethrone the incumbent mayor of Portmore Leon Thomas in the upcoming local government election, turned up at the nomination centre at Ascot High School on Thursday in a backhoe and construction gear, saying he is ready to start working for residents. But Thomas dismissed the gimmick, asserting that he is not phased by any attempt to take his seat.

Edwards, running on a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) ticket, is trying to achieve a victory in what is known to be traditional People’s National Party (PNP) territory, a fact which buttresses Thomas’s assuredness that his seat will remain safe as he extends his 11-year reign at the helm of the Portmore City Municipality.

“My seat is not threatened. I [do] not even know who the [opposing] candidate is,” Thomas told journalists following his nomination, while asserting that he will increase the margin of victory he gained in 2016 when he took the mayoral race by more than 1,700 votes.

Asked about his opponent’s aim to increase the current two seats held by JLP councillors by taking over the other 10 divisions in Portmore, Thomas scoffed at the idea, saying, “My opponent don’t understand local government, not even community business, because he has never been involved in [anything] like that before. So if he said that he is going to win 10 seats, then I don’t know what he is talking about, because the People’s National Party will be winning all 12 divisions.”

Thomas further asserted that even with the delays with calling the local government election, he still would’ve been victorious at any time it was called.

The election, which is constitutionally due every four years, was last held in November 2016. It was due to be held in November 2020 but was postponed as the country was still in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was notwithstanding the fact that the general election was held two months earlier in September that year.

“Since the 2016 election we started to prepare. So if it [was] called four years after the 2016 election, the victory would be mine still. So, for the prime minister putting off, putting off, he is putting off because he feels that he is going to get a political beating,” he said.

Thomas further said that his plans as mayor involve improving communities by capitalising on ongoing investor interest in Portmore and preparing young people for the opportunities to come.

“So you will be seeing significant improvement throughout Portmore. Our young people, we are also in dialogue with them because we are going to make certain that they utilise the [Portmore] Community College and the Heart Training Centre in Portmore, and we are building a database for all of them because some of the times the investors who come to Portmore need to find skilled workers and we are building that skill bank for them,” he said.

Edwards, who was accompanied to the nomination centre by his mother and aunt who were two of his six nominators, said he had no doubt he would emerge victorious, given the “hard work and commitment” of sitting MPs Robert Miller, now serving as Edwards’ campaign manager, and Alando Terrelonge, as well as caretaker for St Catherine Southern Delroy Dobley,

“I know for sure that at the end of the day when the ballots are finally counted on February 26 that we will take majority control of the Portmore City Municipality Corporation,” he said.

“They want to regain power, which is impossible at this time. When you look at all the investments and all the progress and all the strides that this Government has made over the years, there is no way we can put back the country in the hands of the other party. The country remains in the hands of the Jamaica Labour Party and, of course, with an Andrew Holness-led Government, the prosperity will trickle right down to the man in the street,” Edwards said.

He said that he would address some of the low hanging fruits and rectify them, which are the usual complaints by residents — on-time garbage collection, lack of water in their pipes, street lighting, and proper road infrastructure.

Like Thomas, he said he plans to capitalise on investors wanting to come into Portmore.

“When you look at all that’s happening in Portmore right now, everybody wants a piece of Portmore. So you need proper leadership, proper planning, proper execution to ensure that Portmore becomes the people’s place and becomes a mecca city or the mecca parish for other parishes to follow,” he said.

During the nomination process, which went smoothly, save for a small incident in which PNP and JLP supporters ended up running into each other outside the nomination centre due to crossed timelines, eight councillor candidates — four for each party — were duly nominated.

The JLP’s nominees are Dr Rene Level, Greater Portmore North Division; Patrick Barrett, Greater Portmore East Division; Richard Mendez, Hellshire Division; and Tricia Walters, Braeton Division.

The PNP’s nominees are Gary Nicholson, Greater Portmore North Division; Anthony Wint, Braeton Division; Hochoy Gordon, Greater Portmore East Division; and Vanrick Preddie, Hellshire Division.

The mayor will be directly elected, continuing the system put in place since Portmore gained city status in 2003.