THE two major political parties have made it clear that they will be pulling out all the stops as they aim for victory come November 22 in the crucial Aenon Town Division in Northern Clarendon.

A traditional People’s National Party (PNP) stronghold, the Aenon Town Division was flipped by the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Marjorie McLeod-McFarlane in the local government elections in February, making it only the second time the party has won that division.

McLeod-McFarlane died suddenly in September leaving a vacancy which the JLP is now seeking to fill with political newcomer, school teacher Suzette Barton.

But the PNP’s Delroy Dawson, who held the seat until he was defeated by McLeod-McFarlane in February, is heading back to the battle with confidence that he will be returned to the Clarendon Municipal Corporation after what he describes as “a short break”.

The JLP now controls the Clarendon Municipal Corporation holding 11 of the 22 divisions with the PNP having 10 and Aenon Town vacant.

A victory for the PNP in the Aenon Town Division would leave both parties with 11 seats in the corporation chaired by the JLP’s Joel Williams. On the flip side, the JLP could find itself back with its two-seat advantage when the votes are counted.

With that in play, both parties pulled out several heavyweights and hundreds of supporters for the nomination of their candidates at Claude McKay High School on Wednesday.

Backed by the party’s Vice-President Mikael Phillips, former MPs Horace Dalley and Richard Azan and other ranking members of the PNP, Dawson was escorted to the nomination centre at Claude McKay High School by scores of orange-clad supporters oozing confidence.

“This is a PNP stronghold but in the last election some of our Comrades never came out to vote but they are motivated and ready now to vote,” Dawson told the
Jamaica Observer.

“We have done our assessment [of the February defeat] and we are now going into the field to do our field work and from there we will be victorious,” added Dawson who polled 1,311 votes in February to lose by 92 votes.

He declared that the battle for Aenon Town was more than a fight at the local level as it will be a referendum on the performance of the JLP at the national level.

“We will regain the seat and send a signal to the JLP that ‘time come’. It will also be a signal that this constituency is ready to return to the PNP and that Wavell Hinds will be victorious for the PNP when the general election is called,” declared Dawson.

Less than an hour after Dawson was nominated, a sea of green covered the main street in James Hill as JLP supporters led their candidate to the nomination centre.

JLP leader Prime Minister Andrew Holness was scheduled to head the nomination team but he was late, leaving the party’s Chairman Robert Montague as the ranking member.

Cabinet members Matthew Samuda and Dr Dana Morris Dixon; Area Council Three executives Michael Stern and Zavia Mayne, sitting MP for Clarendon Northern Dwight Sibbles; and the electoral ‘ground general’ MP for St Catherine South Central Dr Andrew Wheatley, were among the JLP heavy hitters who accompanied Barton.

Following her nomination Barton, a cousin of the late McLeod-McFarlane, told journalists that while she is new to representational politics she has been in the political arena with the JLP for a long time.

“Mrs McFarlane started as the divisional councillor and in six months, she would have achieved much more than what was accomplished in 13 years [under the PNP] and we want that to continue. And so we are going out there, we are energised and we will take home this division,” said Barton as she played down the fact that Aenon Town has traditionally gone to the PNP.

“Because in time people realise that the Jamaica Labour Party is all about progress. People understand the message of the Jamaica Labour Party has been sending, the vision that the Jamaica Labour Party has for the country…and young people have come on board.

“People are breaking traditional moulds and joining us. We are the party of choice and young people are aware of that and we are going to continue the prosperity train,” declared Barton.