THE Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) incumbent for St Catherine East Central Alando Terrelonge is confident that gains made during his tenure will propel him to a third term in that constituency.

But his challenger, the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Raymond Pryce, is adamant that his 2020 loss to Terrelonge was an anomaly which will be reversed this time around.

“There is no competition. Since 2016 the numbers have been increasing, giving a bigger margin each time. We are one of the few constituencies that actually increased our margins,” Terrelonge told journalists following his nomination at Cedar Manor Community Centre in Gregory Park on Monday.

In 2020, Terrelonge polled 6,374 votes to Pryce’s 4,358, winning by a margin of 2,016.

In 2016, the JLP standard-bearer won the seat for the first time with 6,215 votes to the PNP’s Arnaldo Brown’s 5,721 votes.

St Catherine East Central was one of the three new constituencies established ahead of the 2011 General Election and is considered a marginal seat.

Brandishing his report card, Terrelonge, an attorney, said his constituents can only expect more.

“For me, it is an honour to be nominated to represent them for a third time, for a third term starting in September. We are focused on the work. My education programme sent 3,500 students back to school; we have done extensive road repairs in Cedar Grove, South Borough, Hamilton Gardens[ and] we are in Caymanas Gardens now. We are doing road repairs right now in Newlands; in Gregory Park we have done this extensive highway along Grange Lane; we are doing the Resilient Park — something that was a dust bowl for some 13 years. The Jamaica Labour Party is the party of choice,” declared Terrelonge.

Addressing complaints that he had closed down a community centre in the constituency, Terrelonge took aim at Pryce.

“We are sick and tired of this political reject who comes across with the propaganda and the tricks and the gimmicks. We are about serious work, and these are the same reasons this political refugee was kicked out of St Elizabeth and is now here in Portmore,” he said dismissively.

“We are not into blood and war, we are not into blood and fire, and we are not vampires over here. We are peace-loving Jamaicans; you will never see Alando Terrelonge sending any young men to paint up any community anywhere…we are more than a community, we are family,” added the two-term Member of Parliament.

“What did they do for the 36 years when they controlled Portmore? They did absolutely nothing,” he said of the PNP. “That’s why East Central St Catherine remains strong with Terrelonge; there is no competition there,” he stated.

But Pryce had few words to spare when asked about his showing in the 2020 General Election and his prospects in the September 3 polls.

“You know what happened — COVID and theft and all sorts of manipulation. Based on the knowledge and the relationship with the people over the last five years, we are good to go. Confident of victory,” Pryce told the
Jamaica Observer briskly.

“Proper, decent representation. I…can truthfully declare that I am not the subject of an investigation for illicit enrichment by Parliament’s Integrity Commission,” Pryce said in a parting shot.

Raymond Pryce, the People’s National Party candidate for St Catherine East Central, gives the party’s clenched fist salute on Monday during nomination day activities. (Photo: Aston Spaulding)