Control of the Clarendon parish council will be at stake when the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Delroy Dawson and the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Suzette Barton face off in the November 22 by-election for the Aenon Divison in Clarendon Northern.

The two were nominated Wednesday afternoon to fill the vacancy created by the death of the JLP’s Marjorie McLeod-McFarlane in September.

McLeod-McFarlene had won the division with 1,403 (51.69 per cent) votes in the February local government elections defeating the PNP’s Dawson, the then sitting councilor who polled 1,311 (48.31 per cent) of the votes.

This was the second time that the JLP was winning the traditional PNP division and it gave the party a 12 to 10 advantage in the Clarendon Municipal Corporation with the councillors selecting Joel Williams as the chairman and Mayor of May Pen.

With the death of McLeod-McFarlene the JLP now controls the council with a one division lead at 11-10.

A victory for Dawson on November 22 would leave the council divisions tied 11-11.

Following their nomination, both candidates expressed confidence of securing victory with Dawson tell Observer Online that he lost in February because he was out spent by his JLP challenger.

Meanwhile Barton said the people were satisfied with the work of the late councillor in the few months she served after being elected.

According to Barton, she expects to be elected to continue this work