MAY PEN, Clarendon — Having turned what was once a strong Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) division into a victory for the People’s National Party (PNP) in the last local government election, Mocho Councillor Romaine Morris is now on a mission to turn the entire constituency orange.

Morris has put Clarendon North Central Member of Parliament, the JLP’s Robert Morgan, on notice that he is determined to see him lose his seat in the next general election, constitutionally due by September 2025.

“I can say that North Central Clarendon will be in the hands of the People’s National Party come the next election,” Morris confidently told the Jamaica Observer on the sidelines of a senior citizens’ forum held at Clarendon Parish Library last week.

“I can say that because when you talk to the people on the ground, it’s not me saying it, it’s the people saying it. I only have one vote in North Central Clarendon, and if the people make up their mind that they’re ready for a change now, there’s nothing I can do. The best thing for Mr Morgan is to just enjoy the next couple of days you have left in politics,” added Morris.

Tension between the two men played a major factor in Morris turning his back on the ruling JLP ahead of the February 26 Local Government Election. According to the councillor, his interaction with people on the ground has shown that constituents are ready for a change.

According to Morris, although many JLP supporters did not agree with his decision to switch to the PNP, the representation that he has given to the division has not gone unnoticed.

“As always, my focus [has been] on the people of the division, how I can represent them, how I can actually improve their life, how I can actually leave my mark and my impact on the people in Mocho. You know, so that is my focus. It’s always been. I think that’s what helped me to bring me through the February 26th election,” he stated.

He said despite his crossover, residents of Mocho have shown him genuine love.

“One of the most stressful part of my life was to go to the transition, and one of the things that I have to appreciate, I appreciate the people in the Mocho Division who gave me the reassurance…you recognise that, you know, you see people genuinely showing their love for you. And to actually see you go through an election, you see persons that, some of them are 70, 80, 18, 30, 40 years old and come out and say they’re going to vote for you.”

He argued that the momentum coming out of the local government election will be favourable for the PNP’s candidate for the constituency Dr Aujaé Dixon.

“The people within north central Clarendon are still enthused… about change and evolution. The people in north central Clarendon, they’re still energised. We are getting even more feedback now from the voters who are excited for change. Some people in Mocho region and north central Clarendon overall, they’re calling the current Member of Parliament [Morgan], the outgoing Member of Parliament. That’s the name that’s on the street now. People are very excited about it. We’re working closely with the party,” added Morris.

He told the Observer that his team is now working closely with Dr Dixon, to ensure that he wins the constituency whenever the general election is called.

“Representation of the people matters, because a politician can change a person’s life. And sometimes I think the current MP may not believe that, that they can actually change the people’s life. And that is one thing that we’re working on, to actually see how we can impact a person’s life, to impact the next generation — this generation and the next generation to ensure that North Central Clarendon at least take a big footstep forward,” declared Morris.