Sharon's challenge
Published:Thursday | November 3, 2011 | 12:00 AM
BY Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
- Voting history spells danger for Hay-Webster
IF CURRENT voting patterns hold in South Central St Catherine - soon to become East St Catherine - Sharon Hay-Webster will be in for a massive beating at the polls come the next general election.
Based on the 2007 election results, as well as the realignment of electoral boundaries, the People's National Party (PNP) could record a victory in excess of 2,000 votes in the constituency.
However, Hay-Webster, who this week switched allegiance to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), had indicated she intends to remain member of parliament after the next election.
Hay-Webster won the seat for the PNP in the 2007 general election, polling 1,017 votes more than the JLP's Devon McDaniel.
With the reconfiguration of constituencies, the new East St Catherine will be without Gregory Park, one of the strongest JLP divisions in the original constituency.
McDaniel polled 2,455 votes to Hay-Webster's 1,564 in the division during the 2007 general election. That Gregory Park effect might be no more.
To compound problems for the JLP in the constituency, the Lauriston division has been cut for the old East Central seat and added to the new Eastern St Catherine.
The PNP's Natalie Neita Headley carried that division by 162 votes in the 2007 general election.
Despite the loss of Gregory Park, which has been sliced to form the new East Central St Catherine seat, the JLP still has a stronghold in Twickenham Park. In that division, the party polled 2,797 votes to the PNP's 904 in 2007.
However, it will have to deal with an expected orange flood from De La Vega City and Greendale, both of which were carried 2-1 by the PNP in the 2007 general election.
Despite the numbers suggesting an immense task for Hay-Webster, one JLP supporter in the constituency feels the new recruit can win the seat for the party.
"She know the strategy dat always gwaan inna the seat and she goin' put a stoppage to it. A pure robbery gwaan 'round here mek Labourite lose dah seat yah. She know the background a it and can counteract that," the supporter said.
A woman, who also identified herself as a JLP supporter, told The Gleaner she was happy Hay-Webster has joined the party.
"Is my party mi a vote fah and Andrew Holness," she said.
"If is even Portia Simpson Miller cross, wi tek har," said the woman, who accused Hay-Webster of alienating her community while she was a member of the PNP.
Hay-Webster on Tuesday crossed the floor of the House of Representatives to join the governing JLP. The move has been frowned on by her former Comrades in the constituency.
In the New Nursery section of Twickenham Park, residents plastered yellow paint over a fading portrait of Hay-Webster that is painted on a community centre wall.
"Wi nuh want har picture pon yah. Wi nuh want har round yah," said one man who claimed to be a PNP supporter.
Anti-Hay-Webster sentiment was high throughout sections of the constituency.
"Sharon seh she nah give in har US citizenship fi PNP, suh how she a give it in to join JLP? A long time we know she a fifth columnist," a woman named Audrey said.
She added: "Sharon shoulda given in her dual citizenship and stay wid di PNP 'cause is the PNP put har weh si deh."