MANDEVILLE, Manchester — The candidates of the two main political parties here in Manchester Central say they are “looking to the hills” of Bellefield as the key for victory in the September 3 parliamentary elections.

Both the incumbent, Rhoda Moy Crawford of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), and the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Donovan Mitchell, the mayor of Mandeville, are counting on the ballots from Bellefield.

The area, located in hilly, rugged terrain has traditionally been a stronghold of the PNP and a major factor in determining the outcome of parliamentary elections in the constituency.

Mitchell expressed confidence that the party will get strong support from the area to secure victory.

“That is where we are coming from; and no matter what they try this time, they can’t stop the hills from rolling down because we are coming down in our thousands from Bellefield,” he said, adding that he has family roots in the community.

“Bellefield is where I am from; that is where my paternal grandparents are from, that is where my father is from, so I have that relationship with the people of Bellefield and in the divisions that are in central Manchester,” said Mitchell.

Manchester Central comprises the Bellefield, Mandeville, Royal Flat, and Knockpatrick divisions.

However, Crawford believes she has done enough work to close the gap in Bellefield.

“Like in 2020 when the boxes were being counted and they were saying ‘Don’t worry, the Bellefield boxes have not yet come,’ and they were so disappointed. In the last election I was able to significantly close the gap from 800 plus to 300,” she said.

“We are very comfortable with the performance of our candidate last year, and I know I am the one that can look to the hills of Bellefield,” she said in reference to JLP candidate for the division Shaneil Dixon in the February 26, 2024 Local Government Elections.

Mitchell was nominated at 11:07 am and paid the $15,000 fee with 15 $1,000 notes bearing images of cousins Sir Alexander Bustamante and Norman Manley, both national heroes who were the first leaders of the JLP and PNP, respectively.

Crawford said she has included a director of security in her campaign “to look at some polling stations that could be problematic”.

Crawford was nominated at 1:06 pm and paid the fee with three $5,000 notes bearing the images of former prime ministers and JLP leaders Sir Donald Sangster and Hugh Shearer.

Mitchell replaced Senator Peter Bunting who, after losing to Crawford in the September 3, 2020 General Election, is now vying to contest the Manchester Southern seat.

Crawford had polled 8,139 votes to Bunting’s 6,989.

Mitchell pointed out that Crawford’s polling was low compared to other elections.

“My opponent got the least number of votes that any JLP representative has ever gotten in Central Manchester, so it is from both sides. So I can assure you when this election is over, Central Manchester will go back to the place that it used to be,” he said.

However, Crawford said she is comfortable with the margin from the last parliamentary election and is optimistic that she can increase it to 2,000.

“Over the last four elections I am the only Member of Parliament who won by seven per cent. I beat Peter Bunting by 1,000 plus [votes] so our margin is comfortable and we are going to be increasing that,” she said.

Among the supporters of the PNP who marched up Main Street in Mandeville in support of Mitchell was prominent businessman and influential political activist Kenneth “Skeng Don” Black.

Crawford said she is not daunted by Black’s support of Mitchell.

“No concern. Zero,” she told journalists.

When asked about plans to address water supply challenges in Manchester Central, including Mandeville, both candidates agreed that access to the precious commodity has been difficult.

“Every knows that Manchester and Manchester Central have always suffered from lack of adequate water supply. I am very satisfied with the level of representation I have been able to bring to the constituency and the parish,” said Crawford.

“We are almost at the end of the Greater Mandeville Water [Supply] Improvement system — a multi-billion-dollar system. We have never seen anything like that in recent history so I am very satisfied with the strides that we have made in the area of water. And what I love about the system — even as we continue to build it out — [is that] constituents who didn’t have water before are already benefiting,” she added, while pointing to pipe-laying works in communities, the distribution of 500 tanks across the constituency, and over $30 million spent on education.

Mitchell said he intends to improve water supply if successful at the polls.

“My plans will align with that of the party itself. I can’t have a plan without their [input], because to get water into Mandeville it has to come from either St Elizabeth or the Porus area. We have looked at some things which I am not ready yet to expose,” he said.

He also reiterated his intentions to renovate the Mandeville Market.

“New brand market [will be in place] when I win. As a matter of a fact, I had discussions yesterday with a group of investors, because we really want to spend some money in Manchester,” said Mitchell.

Incumbent and Jamaica Labour Party candidate for Manchester Central Rhoda Crawford speaking with journalists after she was nominated on Monday.

PNP supporters flank the party’s candidate for Manchester Central Donovan Mitchell (third left) on Monday.

Prominent businessman and influential political activist Kenneth “Skeng Don” Black is pictured among PNP supporters marching with the party’s candidate Donovan Mitchell on Monday.

Incumbent and Jamaica Labour Party candidate for Manchester Central Rhoda Crawford (front, third right) and her campaign team pose for a photo on Monday.

Jamaica Labour Party supporters hoist incumbent for Manchester Central Rhoda Crawford on Monday.