AS he criticised hopefuls for their approach to representational politics, independent candidate for St Thomas Eastern Claudius Wong vowed to not be drawn into the gimmicks and electioneering tactics that often dominate campaigns.

According to the candidate for Member of Parliament (MP), these practices undermine Jamaica’s democratic process and, whether he wins or loses at the close of polls on September 3, he’s focused on continuing the work in St Thomas to provide genuine representation for the people.

“I have no control over the votes. I have control over what
[I] do…if you’re going to be doing the work, don’t you think that the votes will come? The vote will come, so the focus is not on getting a vote at all costs…it is to do what you have to do,” Wong told the Jamaica Observer.

“Even when a person says, ‘Mr Wong, I’m going to be voting for you’; until they actually do that, I can’t write down and say, ‘I have two [people] or four.’ I can’t focus on things that I cannot control. I cannot control somebody’s vote, but I can control the work that I do, so that’s what I’m really talking about…

“If you’re focusing on votes, you don’t have control over that; and if you try to have control over that then you’re going against everything that we call democracy — we’re going against everything that we talk about [in relation to] the freedom to vote,” he said.

With another two days to go before Jamaicans head to the polls, 189 representatives from the country’s two major political parties — the People’s National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) — minor parties Jamaica Progressive Party and United Independents’ Congress (UIC), as well as independent candidates have put their hats in the ring to contest the 19th general election.

Representatives from the main political parties have been out in the field hosting rallies, trying to drum up support while issuing promises and touring constituencies.

However, Wong — a Christian and minister of religion — believes in free will and said he will not copying the practices of other MP aspirants.

St Thomas Eastern has been listed by political pundits as one of the constituencies to watch as the PNP and JLP fight for dominance. The incumbent MP, Michelle Charles of the JLP, polled 6,124 votes to win the seat in 2020, defeating ‘six-star general’ Fenton Ferguson of the PNP, who’d amassed 5,393 votes and had to relinquish power after holding the post for six terms.

For the upcoming general election, the PNP has put forward former Morant Bay Mayor Yvonne Shaw as its candidate for St Thomas Eastern, a constituency that has four divisions, namely Bath, Port Morant, Morant Bay, and Dalvey.

Wong told the Sunday Observer that he is not intimidated by the strong support for the two major political parties, noting that, as a St Thomas native, he has, for years, worked silently to improve the lives of residents — never thinking to politicise his work.

After what, he said, was a divine calling from God for him to stand up and represent the people of St Thomas, he presented himself as a servant and has amassed the support of many who believe he is the man for the job.

Also an educator, Wong shared that for more than 15 years he has worked with youth in the parish, through intervention programmes, to boost literacy and numeracy. His Behaviour, Attitude and Greatness (BAG) social intervention programme promotes positive values while the Community United Team Effort (CUTE) programme — a partnership with the police and justices of the peace — addresses community issues and advances restorative justice.

While he refused to name the political party, he told the Sunday Observer that his representation has caught the attention of one of Jamaica’s major parties, which reportedly asked if he would join their team. However, Wong said he declined because he does not subscribe to their narrative.

“I don’t see whereby both political parties are really doing what they’re supposed to do. I don’t like their style of campaigning. They disrespect people, and once you have individuals speaking about people politics, they want you to go back to the party politics; that’s their campaign strategy.

“They bypass the Member of Parliament candidates [who are the local individuals representing constituents] and go to Andrew [Holness] and go to Mark [Golding as the pull factor], that’s how they viewed the whole thing, but we don’t have representation [in St Thomas] from these individuals [who are at the national level],” said Wong.

He noted that in St Thomas, there exists a massive water issue that has plagued the area since he was a child, and little has been done to resolve the problem despite the availability of multiple water sources in the parish. He further noted that politicians seek to politicise private investment in the parish and take credit for basic needs such as improved road infrastructure.

The independent candidate said that, if elected, he would be a true representative for the people of St Thomas. He shared that he would focus on improving education and job opportunities for residents, as well as expand his existing programmes to reach more people.

Wong said that St Thomas also has budding student athletes who have represented Jamaica on the international stage, pointing out a need for better investment in the parish. According to the political neophyte, Jamaican athletes like Olympic gold and bronze medallist Hansle Parchment are from St Thomas, and if a mini stadium were to be built in the south-eastern parish, it would help to harness the potential of other budding athletes.

Football and netball programmes are other areas that Wong believes can be examined.

Since he’s been on the campaign trail, the reception has been good, with many residents offering words of encouragement, Wong said.

“It started from Willowfield, because I was called to meet some people, but because they had the match there, I ended up in Bath, and the people there were encouraging me, saying, ‘Keep on fighting.’ One of the things that somebody used [in reference to me] was that when you plant certain crops, like jelly [coconut] tree, it takes three years, [at] minimum, [to fruit],” he recalled.

“One young miss called me this morning and said, ‘It’s not the same day when leaves drop to the bottom of the water it rotten,’ and they’re saying they want representation and that is what they don’t have, and so they’re telling me that regardless of the result, some say, ‘You’re not going to win, but don’t focus on that, just keep it going because we want someone like you,’” Wong told the Sunday Observer.

A resident of the Dalvey Division, he’s anticipating that most of his support on election day will come that division as well as Bath. He said residents in the other divisions, though confident he is the man for the job, believe that their vote will be cast in vain.

He urged St Thomas residents who believe he is the right candidate to give him their vote on September 3, stressing that faith without works is dead.

“If those persons who don’t have any reason to vote for JLP and PNP should come out and vote for me, I don’t need one person who said JLP or PNP to vote for me to win. I would win by a landslide,” said Wong.

“I would say to those individuals that we have more people out there that are undecided or not voting, than those who are deciding and voting. So I am saying, ‘Just go there and just cast your vote,’ and then we would say, ‘Look what the Lord has done.’ Just go out there and vote by faith, because they know that that’s the best choice, so just cast your vote, and then it will all add up. And yes, we’ll be surprised what the Lord has done,” he reasoned.