The Government and Opposition staged tit-for-tat news conferences at Gordon House on Thursday in obvious attempts to grab headlines after the ceremonial opening of Parliament.

Tuesday’s passage of a Bill setting the stage for Portmore to be made Jamaica’s 15th parish was the item addressed at both press briefings, with the Opposition again blasting the Government for using its majority to push through the legislation, while the Government maintained its position and sought to rubbish some of the claims made by opponents.

In the first news conference, Opposition Leader Mark Golding described the legislation as “a political manipulation exercise”.

Golding said while the Opposition had “no particular objection to the idea of Portmore acquiring parish status at some time… the idea is being sold on a false premise by the Government because Portmore doesn’t currently have the amenities that one associates with a parish and will continue to rely on surrounding parishes for those amenities when it becomes a parish”.

Furthermore, he contended that the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) and the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) had been undermined in the process.

“The establishment of Portmore as a parish is being done by legislation which sets out the boundaries of that parish when it comes into effect. Those boundaries cut into the middle of two constituencies — East Central St Catherine and South St Catherine — therefore it will necessitate boundary realignment, and the matter of boundary alignment for constituencies and electoral divisions has been vested in the Electoral Office of Jamaica and the Electoral Commission of Jamaica that supervises the Electoral Office. In this instance, that has been completely undermined… and has been done without the input of the Electoral Commission and the EOJ, and we strongly abhor that approach to this,” he said.

“It is being done entirely to secure an electoral advantage to the Jamaica Labour Party because the areas which have been excluded from Portmore are areas which are well known to have strong support for the People’s National Party,” Golding argued.

“More importantly, it sets a very dangerous precedent because it can be done again where parish boundaries can be gerrymandered without the input of the ECJ and the EOJ to secure partisan, political benefit, and Jamaica has moved away from that kind of insidious political practice,” he added.

But at the second news conference, Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie countered that Parliament has no legitimacy or authority in establishing political boundaries.

“That is the responsibility of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica, and let me make the point which the People’s National Party is failing to make to the country: that there can be gerrymandering of the political boundaries at the level of the Electoral Commission, because on that commission sits both members of the Jamaica Labour Party and the PNP, plus there are independent members on the Electoral Commission of Jamaica.

“It is their responsibility to set political boundaries. It is the responsibility of the Government to set parish boundaries, and that is what we have done. We have not encroached on the responsibilities of the Electoral Commission,” said McKenzie.

He also refuted claims that the Government is making Portmore a parish as part of a political manipulation exercise.

“I want to nonsense this political argument because if the intent was to use it as a political tool, we could have done so before the holding of the local government elections. The prime minister gave clear indication that that was not on the cards. Even naming the parish of Portmore as the 15th parish has nothing to do with the outcome of any election, so this argument that is being bantered out there, about going to referendum and lack of consultation, has no merit,” said the minister.

His reference was to the PNP’s argument that the legislation was tabled without speaking with residents of Portmore. According to McKenzie, several forms of consultation were had with residents of the Sunshine City.

“It was from 2016 that the Bill [to make Portmore a parish] was first tabled and on request then we pulled back and since 2016 we have been having ongoing discussions. The question about consultation is foolishness. We have had more than enough consultations. Several meetings have been held right across Portmore using all the mechanisms that are available to address the concerns that have been raised as it relates to Portmore. The municipal corporation had even made in writing their submission as to how they feel that it ought to operate,” said the minister.

He added that meetings were also held with citizens’ associations and interest groups, where concerns were raised and promises made to have them addressed.

Member of Parliament for St Catherine South Eastern Robert Miller also countered the lack of consultation claim. “Submissions were asked from persons of Portmore. It was extended and also myself and MP [Alando] Terrelonge, we had consultations in our constituencies and with the majority of the citizens’ associations. Even after the local government elections, the prime minister came to Portmore and had consultations — around three different consultations — and one was had at the Portmore HEART Academy,” said Miller.

He further noted that a joint select committee comprising members of the Opposition was created to hear and address concerns.

The local government minister further noted that only a parish court is required to create a parish, a requirement which, he said, has already been met. The need for other amenities, such as a hospital, will be addressed during the upcoming sectoral debates, said the minister.

McKenzie said the Opposition has no justification for why Portmore cannot be the 15th parish and was using the reopening of Parliament to protest the decision to distract citizens from the policies and programmes announced in the Throne Speech.