People's National Party (PNP) General Secretary, Dr Dayton Campbell, is warning of street protests if the Government continues with the present plans to establish Portmore as Jamaica's 15th parish.
Campbell also accused the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) of attempting to "steal the election" and undermine the voters' decision in last February's Local Government Elections in electing the Mayor of Portmore, Leon Thomas.
Campbell told a PNP meeting in Prime Minister Andrew Holness' West Central St Andrew constituency on Sunday night that the PNP will not let those attempts come to reality.
"To make a bad situation worse, they come now and want try steal the election! You can imagine dem jump up and dung and say dem ago beat wi, and wi guh inna Local Government Elections, and guh over Portmore, and wi beat dem street and lane, and now dem want come a Parliament fi seh di mayor weh just beat dem can't be mayor no more!" Campbell argued.
"If the labour party think it ago guh suh, wi ago block up di whole a Jamaica and tek it to the streets, because the wishes of the people must be observed!" the PNP general secretary thundered.
The Government utilised its parliamentary majority to pass legislation in the House of Representatives last week, amending the 1867 Counties and Parish Act to potentially establish Portmore as Jamaica's 15th parish - a development that would mark the country's first new parish in 150 years.
However, the Bill still requires Senate approval before it can become law.
The Government has rejected claims of gerrymandering, but Campbell insists that the move is aimed at securing Alando Terrelonge's hold on East Central St Catherine for the JLP.
"If it is not gerrymandering, why is the parish of Portmore smaller than the municipality of Portmore? Why not just use the same municipality to become the parish of Portmore?" Campbell asked.
The PNP official's response to his own question was emphatic.
"No, because yuh trying to cut a seat because you trying to save Terrelonge! Well, Terrelonge can run, but him can't hide, because when the next elections are called, we are going to send him home!" Campbell stated.
