The People’s National Party (PNP) representatives in the three Portmore-based constituencies have declared a united push to reclaim full political control of the area which is the home of horse racing in Jamaica.

In play on the sporting term, the PNP standard-bearers have declared that Portmore “will be coming home” when the votes are counted in the the next general election.

The PNP standard-bearers — Fitz Jackson, St Catherine Southern; Dr Alfred Dawes, St Catherine South Eastern; and Raymond Pryce, St Catherine East Central — all declared a “Portmore trifecta” as they took the stage to address a charged crowd on Wednesday night during the party’s St Catherine parish meeting in Emancipation Square, Spanish Town.

“I have been lonely in Portmore since 2016 when we used to control the whole of Portmore up to then and now I am proud and happy that Comrade Dawes and Comrade Pryce will now return Portmore back to where it was, so I will be a happier man,” Jackson said.

“Comrades, in Portmore we are going to deliver a trifecta, all three of us will be walking up Duke Street with the next prime minister of Jamaica, Comrade Mark Jefferson Golding,” added Jackson, who has held the St Catherine Southern seat since 1994 when he won a by-election.

Jackson used the platform to highlight what he described as the PNP’s triumph over the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) gerrymandering efforts in Portmore — particularly in its push to designate the city a parish.

“Comrades, they tried to mash up Portmore with some gerrymandering tactics and we took them on, head on, and we defeated them. That is only round one, the next round is going to be the next election. Well that going to be round three, because last year Mayor [Leon] Thomas [won] in the local government election.

“For all the years I have been in Portmore I never see a prime minister visit Portmore as often as the present one, [Dr Andrew Holness], did last year, and him come up with zero. But he never knew that for us that was a dry run in Portmore, this next election is the real thing, because while we control the municipality, we don’t get to control all three parliamentary seats,” added Jackson.

He reiterated key policy proposals that the PNP says it intends to implement if elected, particularly those targeting youth and education in Portmore.

“In Portmore we have a lot of bright people, we encourage them to do well in school and them do well; them do well at the secondary level and them can’t go further at the tertiary level because them can’t afford it, and it’s for that reason a PNP policy will make sure that at least one in every family will have a university degree. I can tell you when you start with one, it breaks the cycle of poverty, then you have two, then you have three, then you have the whole family,” said Jackson.

In his address, Dawes sought to tie the current political moment to Jamaica’s broader history of liberation.

Standing in the symbolic Emancipation Square, Dawes dubbed the upcoming general election a modern-day emancipation moment for the people of Portmore.

“One hundred and ninety-one years since, on that step, we got the Emancipation Proclamation that set us free, and soon and very soon there is another August morning coming up when we shall be released from bondage. But we are not saying, ‘Call it’, we are saying, ‘Let my people go!’ ” declared Dawes.

“I promise you tonight, as I promise everyone in the People’s National Party, Portmore is coming home. Portmore is coming home to the People’s National Party. Because we have laboured too long, we have laboured in bondage, where we have some pretender MPs [Members of Parliament] over there, they blame all of the lack of work on the municipality,” added Dawes, who is expected to face-off with the JLP’s Robert Miller for the St Catherine South Eastern seat.

Dawes pointed to what he described as political neglect in public health and basic services in Portmore and the wider Jamaica, and promised a more efficient system of governance if the PNP gains full control of the municipality and the parliamentary seats.

“We will have, once again, PNP MPs, PNP councillors in a join-up Government where all the drains will be cleaned, all the roads will be fixed, the mosquitoes will be fogged, and we will have one local and national government for the people of Portmore,” he said.

PRYCE…we will read a new Emancipation Proclamation by simply putting an X beside the head

Meanwhile, Pryce, who is challenging the JLP’s Alando Terrelonge for the St Catherine East Central seat, continued the historical reflection as he linked the PNP’s push for political change with Jamaica’s emancipation and universal adult suffrage.

“It was in this square on August 1 — on those steps where those Comrades are standing — that the Emancipation Proclamation was first read in this country, and we are here today because not long from now a new emancipation proclamation shall be read,” said Pryce.

Drawing parallels between past and present, Pryce added: “Almost 110 years after Emancipation, the next great move to uplift black people in this country was the Universal Adult Suffrage Act brought in by [former Premier] Norman Washington Manley that ensured that all we can vote, and this year, in recognition of the great historic significance of us being in this square…we will read a new emancipation proclamation by simply putting an X beside the head.”

Pryce also criticised the sitting MP, accusing him of gross underperformance and failing to deliver meaningful development in the constituency.

He pointed to what he described as years of missed opportunities and unfulfilled promises and argued that residents of the St Catherine East Central constituency have little to show despite significant budget allocations.

“With more than $3 billion of taxpayers’ money allocated for zinc fence removal, sidewalk construction, road rehabilitation, and concrete in the drains — absolutely nothing has been done,” charged Pryce.

JACKSON…all three of us will be walking up to Duke Street with the next prime minister of Jamaica, Comrade Mark Jefferson Golding