ST MARY, Jamaica — Swatting away critics’ claims that he has been playing catch-up with road repairs ahead of Wednesday’s vote, incumbent candidate for St Mary Western, Robert Montague, says that is a cross every elected official has to bear.

“Every Member of Parliament (MP) in Jamaica, since a Member of Parliament has been elected, has to be playing catch-up with the roads. We have a lot of roads in Western St Mary, which is a huge constituency, and there is never enough funds to do all the roads so we are all playing catch-up,” Montague, who is also chairman of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), told Observer Online during a recent interview.

He is convinced that he has done more than enough when it comes to making previously shoddy roads usable for residents. He cited roads in the communities of Eden Hill, Tower Isle and Hunts Town among those rehabilitated. Montague also stressed that there is a clearly outlined approach to road repairs and reminded residents that it takes time.

“What we have been doing with this Government is a structured programme. There is the REACH [Relief Emergency Assistance and Community Help] programme, there is the SPARK [Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network] programme, and there is the quarterly maintenance programme. We have been treating the roads, as you know a lot of roads are in western St Mary, and we are strategically taking care of the roads for the residents,” he said.

With more than 30 years in politics, the veteran has earned a reputation of being hard to beat. On September 3, he faces off against a first-time candidate, the People’s National Party’s Orville Woodbine.

Starting out as a councillor for Carron Hall Division in 1990, Montague became mayor of Port Maria two years later. After losing to the PNP’s Joylan Silvera in his first shot at being MP for St Mary Western, he was made a senator in 2012. Montague rebounded in 2016, taking the seat back from Silvera. That was followed by a victory in 2002, with an even more decisive win over the PNP’s Dr Jason Stanford.

In assessing his performance during the last term, Montague pointed to what he considers some of his best work.

“Investment in training is one where we have partnered with HEART Trust across the constituency to train persons. The other one which is notable is our college and university educational programme where we assist over 100 college and university students with tuition every year, and the other programme is providing primary and secondary students with book vouchers,” he said.

“We have repaired all clinics in western St Mary except for two and the two that have not been repaired yet are under contract. The Fellowship Hall Clinic in the Boscobel Division where we are going to expand the facility, where we are going to expand the waiting room by putting it on the outside and putting in two offices — one for a social worker and one for a public health inspector. The other clinic is the Wood Park Clinic which is under contract to repair and expand and to make it the first telemedicine clinic in Jamaica,” added Montague.

He said a new clinic was recently constructed in the Oxford Free Hill community and also pointed to work he has done in providing access to potable water.

“We have brought water to Mason Hall in phase one and are now moving into phase two to bring water to Kingland, Brooklyn Road, Look Out, and Grants Town. Western St Mary was the first constituency to deploy solar water pumps in deep rural communities — the first one was at Carron Hall spring and the other in Oxford. We have one in Comma, we have one in Montreal and one is being installed in Springfield at Fallen Spring,” he noted.

He said if re-elected, he will continue with the work.

“In the Top Pen area we got some land and we will build a brand new clinic. We are going to complete the water programme where we have already dug the two wells on the New Pen property, where we would provide irrigation water for farmers in the Lucky Hill, New Pen, Labyrinth, Gayle, Jeffery Town areas,” Montague promised.

Confident that his supporters are rallying behind him and vowing to keep working tirelessly on their behalf, the seasoned politician opted not to comment on his opponent.

“I am out there doing my campaigning and he’s out there doing his. I wish him well. The third of September will tell. I know what I know,” said Montague.