WESTMORELAND, Jamaica –The Jamaica Labour Party’s internal election process for a Westmoreland Western standard bearer to represent the party in the upcoming general election is progressing smoothly on Sunday.

The current sitting Member of Parliament (MP), Morland Wilson, is being challenged by the Councillor for the Sheffield Division, Dr Garfield James.

Voting commenced within two election centres – the Little London High and Grange Hill high schools –across the constituency at 12:30 and is expected to close at 4 PM.

The initial information is that the results will be announced at 5 PM. It is not clear if the winner will be declared by the general secretary of the party, Dr Horace Chang, in the parish. The margin of victory will be a simple majority.

Observer Online spoke with constituency workers at the Grange Hill High School who gave their views on the polls.

Alfonso Brown, who supported Wilson in the 2020 general election, is now supporting James as the individual he sees as best suited to take the party forward in the next election.

“We need to carry home the seat for Andrew (Holness), Morland cannot do it,” Brown said, accusing the MP of neglect. “Him neglect the people dem in the community… anywhere you go the people dem don’t want him… he failed us.”

He is particularly upset after learning that his name was recently removed from the voters’ list.
“I’m a delegate for the party from way back when… and now mi come to vote for James they take my name off the list,” Brown claimed.

Linley Grant hopes that James will be victorious at the end of the day. He sees James as the man to assist the party in securing a third term in the governance of the country.

“I am representing Mr Garfield James this afternoon because I want to ensure that the Jamaica Labour Party gets the third term of governance for the people of Jamaica, a party that does seven budgets without raising taxes on the people…. The current MP is not able to take us back to the Parliament,” Grant said.

Another individual from the constituency, Marvin Samuels, who is supporting Wilson, said he is in agreement with the runoff so that the party can move forward.

“I pray to God that it goes for Mr Wilson,” he said.
— Anthony Lewis