Labourites welcome ‘Mama D’ back to party’s helm in South Trelawny

It was a party atmosphere on Wednesday as Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters jam-packed  Albert Town Square in Trelawny in support of Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, popularly called 'Mama D',  who was nominated to contest the November 22 by-election for the Trelawny Southern seat on the JLP ticket.

Lloyd Gillings also nominated as an Independent candidate to contest the by-election. Gillings is a former JLP councillor in the Albert Town Division, who switched allegiance to the People’s National Party, which he unsuccessfully represented in two local government polls and also twice at the general election level.

Independent candidate Lloyd Gillings going through the nomination process in South Trelawny on Wednesday, Nomination Day for the November 22 by-election in the constituency.

A large number of labourites, clad the green party colours, cheered for their representative as she entered the area.

Dalrymple-Philibert resigned last September as Member of Parliament (MP) for South Trelawny and Speaker of the House of Representatives after the Integrity Commission (IC) recommended that she be charged relative to allegations of having made false statements in the filing of her statutory declarations between 2015 and 2021.

A judge in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court is to rule in December whether Dalrymple-Philibert is to stand trial in the matter.

Dalrymple-Philibert said she was encouraged by the overwhelming reception she received from the large number of labourites who turned out to support her.

"The hardest decision I ever made was to resign as Member of Parliament for South Trelawny. It was difficult to resign as Speaker of the House, but more so the decision to resign as the Member of Parliament for South Trelawny was the most difficult," Dalrymple-Philibert said.

Labourites out in their numbers in support of Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, popularly called 'Mama D', in Albert Town, South Trelawny on Nomination Day on Wednesday for the November 22 by-election in the constituency. 

She expressed confidence that she will be successful in the November 22 by-election.

"The same conscience that took me and brought me to a point where I resigned is the same conscience now that tells me I must return to my family in South Trelawny and serve them," Dalrymple-Philibert told members of the media.

The labourites ended the day with a public meeting in Albert Town Square.