Paula, DK draw huge crowds

Western Bureau:

If one was to go by what was seen on the ground in Eastern Hanover on Monday, it would appear that the pundits are dead right in declaring the constituency a battleground seat going into the December 29 general election.

Both candidates, the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) Paula Kerr-Jarrett and the People's National Party's (PNP) Dr D.K. Duncan, were accompanied by huge crowds when they showed up at the nomination centre at the Sandy Bay courthouse to hand in their papers.

"I feeling like I am getting married to the people of Eastern Hanover and it is unconditional love," said a beaming Kerr-Jarrett, the first of the two candidates to be nominated. "This is the beginning of what I hope will be a successful reign."

After leaving the nomination centre, Kerr-Jarrett was hoisted on to the shoulders of several supporters, who carried her to her vehicle, which was the lead vehicle in a near one-mile caravan of green and white. It was all dancing and singing as the Labourites partied to songs such as the popular Vote for Labour.

When the JLP caravan left the Sandy Bay courthouse for a gathering at the nearby Sandy Bay playing field, the confidence among party supporters was overwhelming, as shouts of "Paula, Paula" echoed around the seaside town.

"You see the crowd ... we are sending back D.K. Duncan to Kingston for good," shouted one obviously impressed JLP activist. "D.K. has overstayed his welcome and it is now time for him to go back from whence he came."

When the noon hour arrived - the designated time for Duncan to be nominated - and there was no sign of him, there were clear signs of anxiety on the faces of the few Comrades who were milling around during the impressive JLP showing.

Blaring horns

However, about 12:55 p.m., the atmosphere changed at the snap of a finger, when the sound of pulsating reggae music and blaring horns began drifting in from the distance. Within minutes, it was all orange and a huge crowd of flag-waving PNP supporters descended on the Sandy Bay courthouse, jam-packing the roadway.

After extricating himself from the crowd, which rushed to him when he exited his vehicle, a smiling Duncan strolled purposefully into the nomination centre and, after handing in his papers, he jokingly handed out campaign shirts to the members of the electoral officer staff and the media.

"There won't be any recount this time around, I can promise you that," Duncan told returning officer Hermena Bucknor. "This time I am taking it home by 1,000 votes."

When he exited the nomination centre, the crowd outside again went wild as they danced to songs such as Tun Up Di Ting.

The excitement reached fever pitch when Duncan began jogging down the road towards a nearby playing field and the crowd joined in behind him.

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com