Political newcomer, People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for St Catherine South Eastern Dr Alfred Dawes, on Monday said the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) win in the 2020 General Election resulted from a health scare advantage from the COVID-19 pandemic, but that gain in the constituency will be eroded in the September 3, 2025 polls.

“We know that what happened is that the PNP never came out because of COVID and other reasons; there was a national decision to stay at home for many Comrades. Right now, the base is energised far beyond what anyone has seen in recent times and the momentum is just building. So if you are talking about base for base, we have far more PNP supporters. If you are talking about undecided they are swinging this way because they are fed up with what is happening nationally and they see in me a candidate who can represent them,” Dawes, a medical doctor, told journalists moments after his nomination for the election at Bridgeport High School in St Catherine.

Dawes, who was the first scheduled to be nominated ahead of his opponents, the JLP’s incumbent Robert Miller and the Jamaica Progressive Party’s Kaycian Radcliffe, said his campaign, premised on “love and caring”, will result in “happier and healthier” constituents.

“What I have brought to the table is that we are going to end the five years of a disjointed Government where residents are told that this project, this road, this drain, this gully, this park to be debushed is the business of the councillor and the parish council and not the Member of Parliament (MP), the Member of Parliament is only responsible for three roads. What I am saying to the people is that we will have a joined up Government so there will be no councillor road nor MP road, no MP drain or councillor drain… they will get that problem fixed and that is a pledge I can make because I am going to fight for South East the way I have been fighting for the unions when I was union president, for the rights of hospital patients and Jamaicans in general,” Dawes said.

Alleging that the JLP Government has been buying votes through various means, Dawes said his representation would focus on creating meaningful and sustainable change.

“We are going to take care of people. My outfit is that of my hobby, being a cyclist. I am promoting health and fitness, that is a big part of the overarching dream because health is not just about the absence of disease, it’s the absence of stress, whether it’s stress about mosquitoes, drainage, or your front end parts, financial stress, and it’s about having recreational areas where you can go and destress, so your parks are going to be better, you shouldn’t be worried about crime, mosquitoes or lighting, so we are going to fix all of that. This is what I want to symbolise in my outfit, those are the two pillars of my campaign — health and caring — and it encompasses everything people are having issues with,” he said.

However, the JLP incumbent Robert “Big Rob” Miller, on arriving at the nomination centre at 1:00 pm, scoffed at Dawes’ claims.

“He’s in fairy land, let him stay in fairy land. You will see on September 3rd and he will see on September 3rd ,” Miller, brimming with confidence, told this reporter.

“I am campaigning on my performance over the last five years, it’s a track record, it has been proven. I am not sleeping on the job, I am not on TikTok like my opponent, I am doing the work for the people of South East St Catherine and there is more to come,” he said.

Addressing journalists following his nomination, Miller said, “I am sure I have represented the people of South East St Catherine, they [PNP] can continue to use COVID-19 as an excuse for their poor performance, no solutions to satisfy the people. If you ask my opponent for one plan he is taking to the table he is continuously saying he is going to remodel community centres, but community centres are the jurisdiction of the local authority. Over the years the Resilience Park has been languishing. Since I became Member of Parliament the Resilience Park will open, I put my best foot forward and I will continue to be the Member of Parliament.”

Miller entered representational politics for the first time in 2020, going up against the PNP’s Colin Fagan. He polled 6,829 votes to Fagan’s 5,735, winning by a margin of 1,094. Fagan had held the seat since 2007.

Monday, at the 2:00 pm close of nominations, which opened at 10:00 am, the Electoral Office of Jamaica said a total 189 candidates were nominated to contest the general election.

It said the JLP and PNP each nominated 63 candidates to run in all the constituencies across the island while the Jamaica Progressive Party nominated 47 candidates and the United Independents’ Congress, seven. Nine individuals were nominated to run as independents.

Jamaica Labour Party candidate for St Catherine South Eastern Robert “Big Rob” Miller readies to pay his $15,000 fee ahead of being nominated on Monday at Bridgeport High School to contest the September 3 General Election. (Photo: Aston Spaulding)