Clarendon conundrum
Henry wants meeting with Holness to prevent explosive clash over decision on successor in constituency
Published:Monday | February 3, 2025 | 4:36 PMKimone Francis/Senior Staff Reporter
Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), is expected to meet with Lester Mike Henry, the outgoing member of parliament for Clarendon Central, amid escalating tension over who should replace him as the party’s standard-bearer in the constituency.
A senior JLP representative, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Gleaner that Henry, the parliamentary representative for the constituency since 1980, requested a meeting wiith Holness to settle the potentially explosive clash, which involves former Mayor of Kingston Delroy Williams and Mayor of May Pen Joel Williams.
Delroy Williams is the councillor for the Seivwright Gardens division in Holness’ St Andrew West Central constituency, and Joel Williams is the councillor for the Denbigh division in Henry’s Clarendon Central seat.
Henry has publicly endorsed the May Pen mayor to replace him, and up to three weeks ago, said that the endorsement was still valid. The Gleaner was unable to reach the outgoing member of parliament for comment on Sunday.
“A meeting is to be held between the incumbent member of parliament and the leadership of the party regarding his succession as there is a divide among the constituency’s executive,” the Gleaner source said.
The meeting is expected to take place “soon from now”, with Holness said to be “personally” handling the remaining outstanding seats ahead of the general election due by September.
“The secretariat has done its job. The PM is handling the rest. The idea was for the older ones like Mike and Karl [Samuda] to go at midterm, but they decided to stay on for their own interests, so the PM said, ‘OK, I can wait you out’. Now that age is a factor and they have to go, they want to decide who should replace them,” the source said.
‘Tension’ & ‘confusion’
On Saturday, The Gleaner reported that Samuda might remain the JLP’s representative in the upcoming general election despite previous indications that he would retire.
JLP General Secretary Dr Horace Chang told The Gleaner on Friday that Samuda is reconsidering his exit, given the lack of a clear successor and the party’s desire to maintain stability in the constituency.
The Holness-Henry meeting is expected to put a lid on boiling “tension” and “confusion” in the constituency, much of which was expressed in a January 5, 2025, letter addressed to Chang.
The letter, which carried the signature of constituency secretary Sharon Morgan and the letterhead of the May Pen mayor, followed a meeting of the JLP’s Clarendon Central constituency executive concerning the matter.
It served as a request for an official response from the party regarding what the executives said were recent developments within the constituency.
“Specifically, we seek clarity on the recent activities of former Kingston Mayor, Mr Delroy Williams, within our constituency. While Mr Williams’ presence in Central Clarendon is not unprecedented, his recent and persistent activities have caused significant unease among members of the executive body and residents alike,” the letter stated in reference to the native of Four Paths in the parish.
“To date, there has been no prior communication, information, or directive issued by the party to justify these actions, leaving both the executive body and the wider community in a state of confusion,” the group said.
The executives stated that the situation “has created growing tensions within the constituency” and that members and residents are deeply concerned about the potential impact these developments could have on the constituency’s unity and stability.
They warned that if left unaddressed, the matter might harm what has otherwise been a stronghold for the JLP.
Further, they noted that the current development appears to be at odds with previous discussions with the party’s leadership.
“During those discussions, the party leadership affirmed its support for our member of parliament’s recommendation of councillor Joel Williams as the candidate for the constituency.
“In light of the above, we respectfully call on the party to urgently intervene and provide the necessary clarity regarding this matter. Doing so will help to ease tensions, reassure residents, and restore confidence among the members of the executive body,” the group said.
The executives ended by calling for guidance and transparency to address the concerns they said have arisen from the former mayor’s activities in the constituency.