Dear Editor,

Now that the dust has seemingly settled (for now) on the recent local government elections, it’s time to examine the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) pyrrhic victory.

According to the Electoral Office of Jamaica’s final count, the JLP won seven of the parishes to the People’s National Party’s five, with the Kingston and St Andrew Municipality (KSAMC) ending in a tie.

Not so fast says the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ), its count is at JLP seven, PNP six, adding to the conundrum.

The EOJ’s result has been strongly refuted by the PNP as it believes it has won the elections. More anon.

A close examination of the figures will show that even in parishes in which they have won, the JLP lost ground by losing some divisions. Then there is the case of the “orange wash” in Hanover, where the PNP won all seven divisions.

In all of this, there are some major losers on the green side of the fence.

The chairman of the JLP, Robert Montague, lost his St Mary parish six-seven.

Giant killer in the last general election, newcomer Rhoda Crawford, who sent then PNP Member of Parliament Peter Bunting packing in Central Manchester, lost all four divisions in Manchester Central.

Defacto Minister of Information Robert Nesta Morgan cost his party the Mocho Division in Clarendon when, ostensibly, a fallout with one of his councillors, Romaine Morris, resulted in Morris crossing the floor to the PNP and winning the division.

Then there are the two ladies in the Papine and Trafalgar areas of the KSAMC who crossed to the JLP after winning for the PNP in 2016 — both lost their divisions. Had either Kari Douglas (Trafalgar) or Venesha Phillips (Papine) won, the JLP would have retained the prized KSAMC.

Back to the PNP’s refusal to concede while challenging the EOJ’s final result. This is a move which will undermine the integrity of the EOJ and threatens to take us back to a dark period in our political past.

As it stands, the PNP must be careful going forward when one considers a similar ugly situation which unfolded after the 2007 General Election when then Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller refused to concede to the JLP’s Bruce Golding.

Finally, there should be a shortage of eggs for consumption, what with the scores of people on both sides who emphatically predicted victory before the polls closed only to end up with eggs on their faces.

Damac

damac@yahoo.com