Newsmaker: By-election ‘blues’ for JLP heading into 81st conference

This week's featured overall development as Newsmaker of the Week is the thrilling conclusion to Friday's four by-elections, with the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) emerging victorious in the two parochial by-elections, while the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) secured wins in the two parliamentary by-elections as was expected, given that the PNP did not contest those constituency polls.

It is not the overall result the JLP would have been looking for entering into its 81st annual conference this Sunday, as they had hoped to sweep all four by-elections to signal to their naysayers that their political machinery is well-oiled ahead of the looming general elections.

The party has faced mounting criticisms over its treatment of its own supporters, evidenced by the release of a viral voice note on Thursday featuring Councillor for the Rae Town Division in Central Kingston, Rosalie Hamilton, who accused some JLP parliamentarians of being disrespectful to those who elected them.

Hamilton said the level of neglect across some constituencies is ruining the party's chances at the next general elections.

"The MPs have no respect for the people who elected them, and they (have) become gods unto themselves, and dem deal with people anyhow," the councillor stated.

Rosalie Hamilton (file photo)

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has repeatedly told labourites at several JLP constituency meetings recently, that he is taking action "internally" after an internal party survey showed that there is "a gap in representation", as well as "some of the MPs and caretakers are falling short" in that regard, which requires conversations being held with such politicians about "improving their services".

Amid those internal developments in the JLP, a seemingly confident Holness told reporters early on Friday as voting was on in earnest, that he expected the JLP to win all four by-elections.

"My expectations is that we'll win everything... I expect that will be the case, but you know elections are very much still a game of chance; there's still a certain variability, randomness, some uncertainty in the outcome, but you mitigate against that by, first of all, selecting good candidates," Holness told reporters at a polling station in Sherlock, St Andrew.

While on a visit to St Thomas later in the day, Holness also expressed the expectation that the JLP would secure victory in the long-held PNP parochial division of Morant Bay.

But the script did not eventually go in his favour.

The PNP's Delroy Dawson won the Aenon Town Division with 1,646 votes after the conclusion of the preliminary count, narrowly edging out the JLP's Suzette Barton, who garnered 1,592 votes.

Delroy Dawson

The late Marjorie McLeod-McFarlane had won the seat for the JLP in February's Local Government Elections by 92 votes in a sensational turn of fortune for the party in the division.

In the Morant Bay Division in St Thomas, veteran parochial politician Rosemarie Shaw of the PNP won by a margin of 118 votes, polling 2,096 votes to the JLP's Winston Downie's 1,978.

On the parliamentary front, the JLP's Duane Smith was elected as the next Member of Parliament (MP) for North West St Andrew, replacing former Finance Minister and MP, Dr Nigel Clarke. Smith secured a paltry 1,863 votes, while his competitor, former House Speaker and current PNP member, Carl Marshall, who ran as an independent candidate, received 111 votes.

Duane Smith and Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert on the road to victory as expected for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in Friday's by-elections in North West St Andrew and South Trelawny, respectively.   

In the South Trelawny seat, former House Speaker Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert of the JLP emerged victorious with 4,146 votes, defeating independent challenger Lloyd Gillings, who polled 1,434 votes.

Notably, voter turnout was relatively low in the parliamentary by-elections, with the municipal by-elections having significantly higher voter turnouts in the two division.

Aenon Town had a voter turnout of 46.7 per cent, which was more than the 37 per cent voter turnout in the Morant Bay Division.

Notwithstanding Friday's results, some JLP supporters are celebrating the victories in the parliamentary by-elections, and have pointed out that the party has been making headway into turning PNP bastions into highly competitive divisions, as shown in the case with the two parochial divisions that were up for grabs, that were once regarded as PNP domains.

For the parliamentary Opposition, however, they feel that the proverbial wind is beneath their sails, as they view the two parochial victories as an indication that the PNP will win the next general elections, which is due by September of 2025.

Furthermore, Opposition Leader and PNP President, Mark Golding, wants Holness to call the general elections now, citing that the party is now "energised" by the victories.

Mark Golding (file photo)

"I think that the writing is on the wall for this Jamaica Labour Party Government," Golding declared to reporters in Clarendon on Friday night.

"Time come for change, and we want elections now," he added.

PNP Senator Damion Crawford, who was active on the campaign in the Aenon Town Division, addressed jubilant comrades on Friday night, thanking them for their effort, work and commitment to the PNP.

"I believe that Morant Bay, St Thomas and Aenon Town, Clarendon have just won the next (general) elections for the People's National Party," Crawford stated.

Damion Crawford (file photo)

"Can you imagine how depressed the JLP will be depressed at their conference on Sunday?" he asked the cheering comrades.

Earlier in the proceedings, the by-elections generated many relatively minor developments, including squabbles between supporters of both parties in Aenon Town and Morant Bay; accusations of vote buying, as well as voter intimidation from both sides; and even Golding being reportedly denied entry to the polling station at Morgan Forest Primary and Infant School in Clarendon, which caused another brawl between labourites and comrades.

Surprisingly, even Karen Cross, an ejected member of the PNP who has blogged negatively against the current leaders of the parliamentary Opposition, was out in Morant Bay, St Thomas "to help my friend" Rosemarie Shaw secure votes for the PNP.

Karen Cross (file photo)

"Rose(marie) Shaw has worked very hard in this seat (division). She was councillor before the JLP, councillor before for the PNP, and she has worked this seat... I think she is deserving of this chance to represent the people of Morant Bay," said Cross.

Despite her reservations about the party's leaders, Cross said she still supports the party itself.

Meanwhile, social media users have been assessing the preliminary results of the by-elections.

The JLP supporters, for the most part, were hoping to sweep all four by-elections just hours before their 81st annual conference this weekend, but ultimately had to settle for an uncomfortable split decision.

On the other hand, their political opponents' are overall jubilant at the victories they had in the two parochial divisions the PNP contest.

The Opposition party declined to contest the parliamentary by-elections on the basis that it was unrealistic to hold those by-elections when general elections are due in only months.

Political observers and others looking on generally seem to believe that the JLP has to focus even more on reorganising itself if it is to win the coming general elections.

However, some JLP members have countered that viewpoint.

Said ex-PNP councillor and now a JLP supporter, Venesha Phillips, on X (formerly Twitter): "Welllllll done team JLP!!! The PNP kept Morant Bay, but by a significantly reduced margin.

"They (PNP) won it handsomely in February, but we were able to close that gap in just a few months. This is a PNP strong division that is definitely not so strong anymore," she added.

Another JLP supporter on X wrote: "What the #s (numbers) are saying:

1. PNP is stupid to be celebrating

2. This by-e(lection) is the highest turnout for both since 2012

3. JLP has been steadily gaining ground in both STRONGHOLDS since 2016

"JLP needs to build on what they are doing... slow and steady wins the race my side," the user asserted.

Commented an upset JLP supporter: "If after all the improvements that this Government has done in St Thomas and the ppl (people) dem still vote fi the PNP, isn't if a sign that the JLP should just give back this country to them so them can finish wrecking it? Obviously people run from good, so why bother."

But a woman shared that, "The arrogance of the JLP leadership and their supporters is what is turning off the people to the JLP; win by even 10 is still a win! Get off unuh high horses!"

On Facebook, a man said it is the PNP that is in trouble, based on the by-election results in the parochial divisions.

"So it's the PNP in trouble then because these are traditional PNP seats (divisions) and they have to work hard to win them by so marginal votes. Next election Andrew (Holness) will win them. British Marky will have to leave Jamaica," the man stated.

Shared a woman: "If the JLP had won all four by-elections we wouldn't be hearing these excuses left, right, centre, north, south, east and west. The JLP wouldn’t even realise what is happening."

Posted another woman: "The intelligent, unbiased labourite supporters knows this was a blow to their PM (prime minister).

She added that, "Some of you are trying to save faces by stating that the margin that (the) PNP won by is a small one; ya'll are speaking that way out of shame... If they (the JLP) had regained (won) those seats (divisions), they wouldn't care about margins or if it was once a PNP stronghold."

However, a male Facebook user said the victory was "nothing for the PNP to celebrate", as the seats were always their stronghold areas and "Mark Golding should be worried badly"”

In response, a woman countered that view by suggesting that the JLP should have held on to Aenon Town Division in Clarendon, given that it won it in February's Local Government Elections.

"If these divisional victories mean that the PNP shouldn't celebrate, then why doesn't the PM (prime minister) call early (general) elections now and get it over with, since the third term is guaranteed?" she asked.