TODAY IS Nomination Day for the Local Government election in the Braeton division of the St. Catherine Parish Council.
The election, to be held on July 17, was postponed from June 19 because Winsome 'Myrna' Kidd, the Jamaica Labour Party candidate, died on June 12, nearly two weeks after she was nominated. She was buried yesterday. She has been replaced by Vivien Reeves, businesswoman. The People's National Party candidate is Owen Saunderson, National Workers' Union officer, who won the seat in that St. Catherine South division by more than 200 votes in 1998.
Edward Seaga, JLP leader, says the JLP expects to win the Braeton division and to have one of its councillors appointed Deputy Mayor of the Portmore municipality.
DEPUTY MAYORSHIP FOR JLP?
Speaking to councillors yesterday at a retreat at the Portmore HEART Academy in Portmore, south west St. Catherine, he said that a win for the JLP in Braeton would tie the votes at 6-6 because, although there was now a 5-5 tie between the parties in terms of council divisions, Mayor George Lee of the PNP has a deciding vote.
Mr. Seaga said that if the JLP won Braeton, the party would expect a similar resolution as that which resulted from the 11-11 tie in Clarendon, in which the JLP named the Mayor, based on its winning the popular vote, and the PNP named the Deputy Mayor.
Also, he said that the party's campaign in Braeton will be structured in the same way the party structured the successful March 2001 by-election campaign in St. Ann North East. The party would be putting in its best organisers to overcome the 200-vote majority, he said.
