HAVING edged out sitting Member of Parliament Morland Wilson for a chance to represent the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in the next general election, Councillor Dr Garfield James is preaching unity.

But a handful of Wilson’s supporters in Westmoreland Western will have none of it and on Tuesday they took to the streets in protest.

It is unclear if their demonstration was sanctioned by Wilson as his promise to return a call from the Jamaica Observer was not kept and subsequent calls to his cellphone went unanswered.

Efforts to get a comment from JLP General Secretary Dr Horace Chang were also unsuccessful as his cellphone rang without answer. On Monday, the JLP issued a media release to announce that James had bested Wilson in a run-off held a day earlier. There was no breakdown of the votes but Observer sources indicate that the vote was close.

When contacted Tuesday morning, James said he plans to work with Wilson to strengthen the JLP’s position within the constituency.

“My first order of business is to ensure that I continue to work with Member of Parliament Morland Wilson to build the capacity and the programmes and projects that he already started, ensuring that the party’s interest comes and remains first, and ensure that we work in a united way, demonstrating the type of politics that the party principles speak of, and ensure that the ultimate winners are the constituents,” the new standard-bearer told the Observer during a telephone interview.

“The fact is that there is a lot of work to be done, and the votes are here within the constituency. Once individuals within the space are able to buy into the direction that we intend to go, I am sure that the support will be evident in the votes, or the turnout in the next general election when it’s called. So for the time being, it’s about doing the work that is necessary and ensuring that we deliver in all the areas that we are able to do so,” he added.

James expressed confidence that Wilson will act in the best interest of the JLP.

“The Member of Parliament is a responsible, experienced, dedicated individual, and will lead a process that will ensure that, at all times, the party’s interest comes first. And we are in line to work with him to continue building that type of support,” he asserted.

His comments were in stark contrast to those made as scores of Wilson’s supporters, clad in green shirts bearing his picture, staged a demonstration in Mango Hall, Negril. They have vowed to make their voices heard at the poll.

“In Western Westmoreland we don’t want Mr Garfield James. If it’s not Mr Morland Wilson we are not voting, we are not working. This seat is going to go Independent or we will take our vote to the other side!” exclaimed one irate woman who claimed that James lost his own Sheffield division in Sunday’s run-off.

“We have told Dr Chang this before, we have told the prime minister [and leader of the JLP Dr Andrew Holness] and we are very serious about it. I want Dr Chang to come and explain to us what is happening. Why is it one vote is in favour of the crossover. Too much of the foolishness! We are saying one Morland Wilson!” she added.

Another woman who chimed in complained that Wilson had been “treated unfairly” and had received little support from the party.

“For 32 years nobody could fight Mr Wykeham McNeill [of the People’s National Party]. Nobody could stand up and everybody run and lose — dem run gone lef we. Morland is the only one who stand up. For 32 long years we in the wilderness and he is the one to take us out of the woods. He is working but he is not getting enough resources so he has to do little here and little there to make everyone feel good. We are in limbo now because the party split in two,” she argued.

A male supporter mirrored the views of his fellow Labourites.

“With all fairness, and without bias, Mr Wilson work very hard to win this seat to become Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Western. Mr McNeill was there for five terms and this young man come with a small amount of resources from his own pocket and kick weh the five-star foot and Mr McNeill run weh gone a Trelawny,” he said.

He, too, said Wilson had been treated shoddily.

“This is not a slap in the face, this is a kick in the mouth and we don’t like that. Without no Morland Wilson in Western Westmoreland, no vote,” the man vowed.

The completion of Sunday’s run-off now paves the way for a showdown between James and the PNP’s Ian Hayles in the upcoming general election, constitutionally due September this year. It will be one to watch as James is one of three councillors who resigned from the PNP in protest after party bigwigs failed to entertain their objections to Hayles being parachuted into the constituency.

In addition to James, who is currently councillor for the Sheffield division, the others are Ian Myles from the Little London Division and Lawton McKenzie from Grange Hill.

James and Myles went on to win their respective seats in the 2024 local government elections on the JLP ticket, but McKenzie — who ran as an Independent — failed in his bid.