PORTLAND, Jamaica -Eighteen-year-old Lomorra ‘Hope’ Dillon says she is confident of becoming Chieftainess of the Moore Town Maroons ahead of Sunday’s election.

Speaking with the OBSERVER ONLINE ahead of the polls, Dillon said she believes challenging incumbent Colonel Wallace Sterling is the ‘right thing to do’ as the Maroons in Moore Town are in “desperate need of upliftment.”

“I feel confident and I feel like this is the right thing to do. As you can see the community is in desperate need of upliftment and I am putting myself forward for a change,” she said.

The teenager who is said to have the support of Accompong Maroon Chief Colonel Richard Currie, dancehall artiste Mark “Buju Banton” Myrie and other influential individuals and groups within the Maroon community, is looking to dethrone Colonel Wallace who has been the chief for the Moore Town Maroons since 1995.

Sunday’s election has been marred by controversy as Colonel Sterling has continuously questioned the validity of individuals calling for a poll. Hoping to quell any flare -up of violence before they happen, the Portland police have committed to ensuring the safety of all parties involved in the elections.

In a statement last week, Superintendent Kenneth Chin, who is in charge of the Portland Division, said that based on his team’s assessment the police will be “applying the necessary resources to the Moore Town community before and after the event to ensure the safety of all persons.”