SUPPORTERS of the People’s National Party (PNP) who live in the Hughenden Division have vowed that come February 26 they will not be staying home but will be out in their numbers to try and secure victory for their candidate Mark King in the local government election.

They were adamant that a repeat of the last local government election in 2016 when the Jamaica Labour Party’s Andrew Harris was victorious will not take place this time around.

In 2016 Harris secured 1,534 votes, while the PNP’s Ian Telfer received 1,281 votes.

“King win everybody heart to how him deal wid we. Green or orange, him nuh specialise. A him a go gi we the change inna Maverley. Green only likes green, and it nuh supposed to go so. They are in power and they don’t look at us,” one of King’s supporters told the
Jamaica Observer on Thursday, adding that she will not stay home as she did in 2016 but will go out and vote for King.

One man told the
Observer that he is not pleased with the current leadership and, therefore, declared that he will not make the chance go by without voting for King.

“When people don’t trust you, them say them done with you and it is time for you to go. No wonder you see Pembroke Hall has turned orange as if it is mango season, and this is the same across the entire country. When you see the people who never turn out in the last election decide that this time we are coming out, that is because we have had too much of you,” the man, a King supporter, said.

One female resident of Maverley, who claimed she was a supporter of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), said she had to make a change from the JLP when she got exposed to King’s flavour of leadership.

“I say Mr King. There is no other King. Him nuh spend politics money. Him spend him own money from him pocket. I am a Labourite who turned PNP for Mr King,” she said.

The excitement and cheers for King from his supporters was not the same for Harris.

Seeing the outpouring of support from PNP supporters, King told the
Observer that it was an indication that the “people are fed up with the Jamaica Labour Party”. “I feel elated. The support goes to show you time come. When we talk about progressive change, that is the PNP. I believe in inclusion for all, irrespective of your political affiliation. When I become councillor, I am councillor for everybody, and I am starting from now.

“The first step I plan to take as councillor is to meet with all former councillors and hear what they did in their tenure that will still be viable today. I am willing to take that up in addition to what I am bringing to the table,” King said.

Harris, who will serve a second term as councillor if he wins at the polls on February 26, said he was very confident he will win.

“There has never been a challenge. The work continues. We have planned some new stuff for this year to make the Hughenden Division the cleanest division. We want to put some receptacles in place and bus sheds where they are missing. We are going to have Primary Exit Profile classes to help kids maximise their potential. We expect nothing more than victory. The feedback on the ground is solid,” he said.

One of Harris’s supporters described him as the best councillor and the best thing to happen to St Andrew North Western, where the division is located.

“He has fixed so many roads and the parks in Pembroke Hall and Maverley. He is down to earth and is a councillor you can talk to. He knocks on anybody’s door and they welcome him,” the female resident said.