By Robert Hart, Staff ReporterTHE PEOPLE'S National Party's (PNP) George Lee last night became the first Mayor of Portmore, despite a valiant effort by Keith Hinds, the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) candidate.
Mr. Lee, the self-proclaimed "Mr. Portmore", defeated Hinds by 1,054 votes in Jamaica's first independent mayoral election.
The new Portmore Mayor received a total of 8,428 votes to Hinds' 7,374. The other three candidates in the race were no threat, as together they amassed a paltry 310 votes.
Of the 11 divisions spanning three St. Catherine constituencies making up the municipality of
Portmore, Mr. Lee managed to take seven. They include Braeton, Greater Portmore North, Greater Portmore East, Hellshire, Edgewater, Waterford, and his home community of Bridgeport. He managed to hold Gregory Park, Independence City, Westchester and Naggo Head.
Speaking to The Gleaner last night, Mr. Lee expressed his appreciation to God for his victory and vowed to work towards making Portmore the greatest community in the country.
"This is the culmination of a lot of dreams for Portmore becoming a municipality," he said.
The independent candidates were Michael Barnett and Alton Duhaney. Denzil Taylor contested the race for the struggling National Democratic Movement (NDM). He failed to make an impression, receiving a mere 84 votes.
Earlier in the day, despite growing anticipation over the election of the first mayor, voting in the country's new municipality was slow.
Mr. Lee was long hailed as the most likely winner of the mayoral race, particularly because of his deep involvement in ensuring Portmore gained municipality status.
