UNDAUNTED by the Herculean task of winning a seat that has been held by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Leader Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness since 1997, a confident Paul Buchanan completed the nomination process on Monday with a boast that he is soon to become the Member of Parliament for St Andrew West Central.

Buchanan, who is running on a People’s National Party (PNP) ticket, is seeking to do what his colleague Patrick Roberts failed to do in five attempts between 2002 and 2020.

Addressing journalists after being nominated at Waltham Educational Centre, Buchanan argued that the PNP’s base is naturally bigger than the JLP base in the constituency, and this should help push him to victory.

“What has happened over the years, they [PNP supporters] have become despondent with the losses,” said Buchanan.

He argued that the Molynes Division — which has long been represented by Roberts in the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation — has underperformed in general elections over the years.

According to Buchanan, the Molynes Division has the most voters with 13,400, while the Olympic Gardens Division has only 11,000 voters, and the Seiveright Gardens Division has 8,000.

“Theoretically, Molynes alone can win, but I am strong in every [division] and it will be a race to the finish line. And, there is no notion, no ‘duppy’ story about ‘prime minister can’t lose’. It is one man against another. I get more votes, he lose and goes, and I stay and build the economy and social ethos of this place.

“We have the numbers to win. We now must be vigilant, get out our voters. and win the election,” declared Buchanan.

He added that he is a different and qualitative candidate who is now embarking on two weeks of glory in the lead-up to the September 3 General Election.

“We are going to work and work, we are gonna energise the people, we gonna spread the hope, and we gonna show them the path to their dreams,” said Buchanan.

“There is a new world, a new technology unfolding, [and] we are not prepared in the country, much less West Central St Andrew. For all the schools in the area, I will tell them of my plans to upgrade all of them, to give them the infrastructure, to give them the equipment… to be successful,” added Buchanan as he listed the major educational institutions in the constituency.

He continued his frequent criticism of Holness with the allegation that a new police station in Olympic Gardens is the only tangible benefit of his 27 years as MP for the constituency.

Buchanan told journalists that one of his major plans is to put an artificial intelligence (AI) institute on West Bay Farm Road, “where the world can come and get a degree in the new technologies. It will transform the area in a very dramatic way”.

He said he will also work to change the reputation of the constituency which has long been known as a crime hot spot.

The PNP standard-bearer said he will point to his achievements in St Andrew West Rural where he served as MP from 2012 to 2016.

“In West Rural when I was the MP, I left five IT [information technology] training centres, we built the new Red Hills Primary School, we built the highway from Red Hills Police Station… we built three clinics. I will tell that story about the performance to come,” said Buchanan.

Patrick Roberts, who lost five-consecutive elections to Andrew Holness in St Andrew West Central, in a pensive mood as he watches Paul Buchanan being nominated on Monday.