'The West will be Green'
published: Sunday | April 30, 2006

WESTERN BUREAU:

CONFIDENT OF making a clean sweep in Western parishes, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is predicting that not only will it retain its six seats but it will also capture the remaining nine currently occupied by the People's National Party (PNP).

"The region has benefited from quality representation at the local level and that is an indication of what we can deliver as a national government," said Andre Franklin deputy general secretary of the JLP, with responsibilities for administration yesterday.

With candidate selection complete, Mr. Franklin says the party will be undertaking an all- encompassing campaign that will see work being carried out across polling divisions, parish council divisions as well as on a constituency level.

"The campaign teams have been assembled and where the time allows we will be carrying the parish as one and campaign across the floor thus, creating a mega constituency structure."

In terms of St. James, which dealt a harsh blow to the PNP in the last elections, the deputy general secretary contended that the trend would continue.

Said Mr. Franklin: "They will continue to be disappointed with St. James. On the ground we are in control because not only do we have the Members of Parliaments, but we have a large cadre of councillors who have been delivering quality service in their respective divisions for the past three years."

"We will crack Westmoreland, sweep St. Elizabeth and finish off what we started in Trelawny and Hanover."

He said that the party's political machinery is "well oiled and is 90 per cent ready."

"Organisationally, we are better than before and campaigns will kick off as soon as the budget is out of the way."

JLP CANDIDATES FOR THE WEST

ST. JAMES

Edmond Bartlett

East Central St. James (MP)

Dr. Horace Chang North West St. James (MP)

Clive Mullings West Central St. James (MP)

Councillor Noel Donaldson South St. James (Mayor of Montego Bay)

ST. ELIZABETH

JC Hutchinson North West (MP)

Christopher Tufton South West

Corris Samuels North East

Franklyn Witter South East

HANOVER

Donovan Hamilton Western Hanover

Barrington Gray Eastern Hanover (MP)

TRELAWNY

Marissa Dalrymple South Trelawny

Dennis Meadows North Trelawny

WESTMORELAND

Don Foote Eastern Westmoreland

Russell Hammond Central Westmoreland

Earl Melhado Western Westmoreland