CLARENDON, Jamaica— Mayor of May Pen Joel Williams is expecting a comfortable victory for the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) candidate Suzette Barton when the votes are counted in the Aenon Town Division Friday evening.

“I have responsibility for a cluster of three polling divisions. So far, based on our canvas, I am satisfied with how we are flowing.”

“I am expecting things to pick up as the day goes on. You have persons who are still at work. You have persons who are coming in from various parishes who work outside of the constituency, so by midday I expect our numbers to surpass what they would have gotten in the box in the last election,” Williams told Observer Online.

He said the constituents will vote for the JLP candidate due to years of neglect suffered under the People’s National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament [Horace Dalley] and councilor [Delroy Dawson].

“It is historically a PNP seat [but] what has happened is that they have taken the people for granted, very little work has been done. When you look at the road condition in the area – with no disrespect to former Member of Parliament Horace Dalley who was in power for 18 years, and you were a minister- I would have expected that the roads in the area would be much better than what I’ve seen.”

“Equally my former colleague councillor Dawson, who is on the ticket for today, I would have expected that as councillor, you would have done much better, as it relates to road, as it relates to water, as it relates to the whole farming sector,” added Williams.

He said the people felt abandoned under the PNP representation.

“You talk to the people and you get the sense that we were taken for granted. Nothing really has been done for them to enhance their lives. I am pretty confident that Suzette will do a marvelous job when the opportunity is given this afternoon,” added Williams.

—Oneil Madden