POTENTIAL candidates for colonel of the Accompong Maroons in St Elizabeth appear to be teaming up against Richard Currie, who remains leader of the community although his five-year tenure officially ended on February 18.

The Jamaica Observer has learnt that once Currie announces the date of the next election he should have at least six challengers for leadership, including a few returning residents.

Not pleased with the way things are being run by Currie, former Colonel Ferron Williams, citing disunity among Maroons, on Tuesday said that a mass rally is set to take place next week and is expected to be well attended, based on feedback received so far.

Williams told the Observer recently that he will be going against the will of his immediate family to run again for colonel, as the people deserve real leadership.

He reiterated that the election is now overdue and that Currie needs to announce the date.

“As you all know, the election to elect a colonel is overdue. The process should have begun six months ago. The present colonel knows that he will not be successful and as such he is using a delay tactic. On the 14th of this month, myself and other prospective candidates will be hosting a mass meeting in Accompong. We are clamouring to have unity back in Accompong. Please come out on the 14th for this mass meeting,” Williams said.

“Accompong Maroons from all over will be there — even from the United States and England — to have this meeting which will take place in the square in Accompong,” Williams added.

He encouraged Accompong Maroons living in and outside the community to make every effort to attend the meeting.

“People should turn out for more than one reason — to hear what prospective candidates have to offer, and also we will be meeting with the electoral office for them to come and run our election as usual. This time we will have a transparent, fair, and equal process,” Williams said, suggesting that a previous election was not conducted fairly.

Arguing that Currie’s “time has expired” Williams said, “I am certain the people would want to see Accompong come back to its heyday where you could sleep with your doors open at nights. Accompong was once a beautiful garden, however it is now a garden with bitter weed.”

Although Currie has not indicated when the next election will be, he appears to be in campaign mode. Over the weekend he hosted a meeting in the town attended by scores of residents who listened to his pleas for their support. On his Instagram page the colonel posted a video of the meeting in which he appealed to the residents to support him in having a 2022 version of the Constitution of the Accompong Maroons ratified.

“External parties are speaking on behalf of us, so the true power isn’t here. Certain decisions that are being made aren’t being held in honour because it is not coming through the pipeline that it should. People a go round wi based on how wi structure our document right now — and that we have to fix,” he said.

He argued that certain important parts were not included in the previous constitution, which led to a problem with the election system.

“Fixing this document now gives me the ability to represent you legally, whether living in Timbuktu or living in Accompong. Housing and all types of different initiatives are coming through the pipeline; Food For the Poor houses, and all these things. A lot of problems we have had in the past with lands and titles, I can fix that — but only through this document being ratified,” he said.

“We are going to go through the document so you can have an understanding of what it seeks to achieve at the end of the day. I want your no objection, meaning that we are for this constitution. We need your signature because we have to move forward in settling a lot of outstanding issues,” Currie said.

WILLIAMS… Accompong was once a beautiful garden, however it is now a garden with bitter weed