AFTER signalling a shift in political fortunes for the People’s National Party (PNP) in 2001, the St Ann North Eastern constituency will again be in the political spotlight today when nominations are accepted for a September 30 by-election.

In 2001 the constituency was considered a safe seat for the PNP which had captured the majority of votes in nine previous elections, with 1980 being the outlier.

But then, first-time candidate Shahine Robinson gave the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) its second hold on the seat when she defeated the PNP’s Carol Jackson by more than 700 votes in a surprise win following a by-election called by the then governing PNP after the resignation of Danny Melville.

Robinson held the seat until her death in 2020, but that did not stop the JLP as political newcomer Marsha Smith retained the constituency for the party in the 2020 General Election.

Smith, who endured a turbulent relationship with her supporters over the years, resigned last week, and JLP leader, Prime Minister Andrew Holness immediately announced a by-election, today being nomination day, with the electors headed for the polls on September 30.

Holness announced former Senator Matthew Samuda — who he said had resigned days earlier — as the party’s candidate, despite no prior indication that the Cabinet member had walked away from the post.

In an immediate response, the PNP announced that it would not contest the by-election, which it described as “striking and unprecedented”.

“The prime minister has clearly orchestrated the holding of this by-election ,which is a slap in the face of the electors of southern Trelawny who have had no parliamentary representative for a full year — a quarter of the life of this House of Representatives.

“It is also a slap in the face of the people of Morant Bay, [St Thomas,] whose right to elect a councillor within 90 days of a vacancy was abridged by the Holness Administration using an amendment to the Representation of the People Act, a by-election which is legally due now,” said PNP President and Opposition Leader Mark Golding.

He said the Holness Administration in the final year of its term of office and it is becoming increasingly unpopular.

But on Tuesday Samuda told the Jamaica Observer that despite the PNP opting not to nominate a candidate, he is preparing for an election following reports that at least one other party intends to run a candidate, and a member of the public might also be nominated as an independent candidate.

“Preparations are on in earnest. I will have a large home-grown crowd. There is a lot of excitement. The Jamaica Labour Party supporters in North East St Ann are very attuned to politics and they expect to put forward their best foot,” said Samuda.

“Ultimately, the key is to make sure that you are duly nominated, and that your forms and everything are in order, and there is nothing to worry about. As is customary, we had the EOJ [Electoral Office of Jamaica] review our forms, we met with the police about our arrangements for nomination day, and we expect several senior officials from the party to join us.

“On a personal level, I am excited and looking forward to the experience as a candidate and not a campaign manager, as I have done several times before,” added Samuda.

He said he is prepared for an election as there have been all sorts of murmuring.

“We have done the work; I have given of myself to the constituency for the past almost 18 months. I have been genuine and honest with people, and I hope that they will see me as the person who they want to help them in the next phase of their development journey,” said Samuda.

EOJ has indicated that all is in place to accept nominations from eligible candidates for the by-election.

Nomination will take place between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm at the Office of the Returning Officer, St Ann North Eastern, located at 1 Wharf Street, St Ann’s Bay.

In the meantime, the police have announced traffic changes today to facilitate nominations for the by-election.

According to the police, the changes will be in effect between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm and will impact: Park Avenue/Main Street, Bravo Street/Park Avenue, Main Street/Bravo Street (at the police station), Bravo Hill/Royes Street, King Street/Marcus Garvey Way, King Street/Church Street (in the vicinity of the Anglican church), and Church Crescent/Main Street in the vicinity of Rubis gas station, and Bravo Street/Harbour Street.