NEWLY minted People’s National Party (PNP) councillor-elect for the Mocho Division in Clarendon North Central, Romaine Morris said his victory in last week’s local government elections proves Jamaicans are moving away from tribal politics.

Morris had won the seat on a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) ticket in 2016 but crossed the floor to the PNP in January, following a fall-out with the Member of Parliament Robert Nesta Morgan.

On February 8, nomination day, people in the division said they would vote for Morris regardless of the party he is aligned with, and this was proven to be true on Monday.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer following Monday’s election, Morris said: “People want real representation. People now are exploring what can you do for us, if you have our best interest at heart. Persons don’t want to support a system that is tribal.”

He added: “I think the days of ‘diehearted’ politics, even on the part of supporters and representatives themselves, are behind us. Diehearted politics has cost Jamaica a significant amount of damage over the years.”

Explaining the damage he believes has been caused by “tribal politics”, Morris said this has been evident in the low voter turnout for the past five elections as confidence in the country’s political representatives has been decreasing each year. Following the election, Electoral Commission of Jamaica reported that approximately 29.6 per cent of an electorate numbering more than two million registered voters had cast ballots, which is a slight decline from the 30.06 per cent for 2016.

“Persons saying they won’t be voting, and I think it has been declining for the past five or six elections. There is a constant trend of low voter turnout — that is something that either political party has to look at, and examine, and see how best they can attract these persons because something is wrong with the model that they are using now,” Morris stated.

Nevertheless, the councillor-elect said he feels very appreciated by the people he represents in the Mocho Division.

“They recognised my dedication to them; I feel extra special. And I really respect the Mocho people even more to know that they can recognise talent because persons always say that seat is a diehearted [JLP] seat, and when you realise that persons actually move away from the traditional party to follow another person you have to say ‘Yes’ to them because now they know what they really want,” he said.

“Mocho is one of the divisions that have proven to Jamaica that the dieheartedness is fading out and persons now can vote on the merit of performance and what you do bring to table. I think that conversation is starting now and it started in Mocho — a good place for it to start,” he continued.

Looking to hit the ground running towards the development of his division, Morris said he intends to ramp up some new ideas that had been shelved for some time, including the well known problem of bad roads that he said has plagued the area, as well as social interventions.

Additionally, he insisted that despite the differences he has had with MP Morgan, he will lend his support with any of his projects that have the people’s best interest at heart.