MAY PEN, Clarendon — For some residents of northern Clarendon, November 22 is the perfect date for the by-election that will once again see them with political representation in the Aenon Town Division.

For others, the wait since Councillor Marjorie McLeod-McFarlane died after a battle with cancer has already been far too long.

McLeod-McFarlane, who last February created history for the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) by becoming its first representative from the party to win the division, died on September 1 of this year.

The division is one of four seats for which by-elections were announced on Wednesday.

“I think they should have attend to it a little more urgent, more faster; I think it’s too late now. That’s a cause that should have been attending to earlier,” insisted barber Orville Simpson.

Describing the Government’s approach to the matter as “laid-back”, Simpson argued that the Andrew Holness-led Administration should have been more proactive as the matter of rural representation is urgent.

“Those things are important. Remember those people are representative of a certain people. You are going to need a next person to carry on the position, so I think they should have attend to it earlier,” he told the Jamaica Observer shortly after Minster of Local Government Desmond McKenzie made the announcement during a post-Cabinet media briefing.

However, street vendor Alford Miller disagrees with Simpson. He believes the announcement of the by-election is timely, and stressed the need to select the right candidate. In his view, Aenon Town’s elected representatives have to measure up to a high bar.

“If you don’t work up to their standard, dem done wid you after the one term, if you do out the term. Those kind of people don’t put up with foolishness. It’s not like in the town where one man a win and a gwaan all the while, and it can’t stop. Those people don’t bother with that. You get a chance, you better work. You don’t work, they get rid of you and find somebody else,” he told the Observer.

“Yes, the timeframe is reasonable based on the fact that they have to find the right person to put there. Because you can’t get up and throw anybody inna certain situation. Even [Member of Parliament for Clarendon Central] Mike Henry situation… him a legend when it comes on to May Pen. You have to seek out and find the best person to replace man like those; man that can live up to their standard. Those kind a man, you would call them irreplaceable.”

The Government on Wednesday also announced by-elections for the Morant Bay Division; Trelawny Southern Constituency, in addition to the St Andrew North Western constituency. All polls are slated for November 22, while nomination day is November 6.