Smith backs out
Published:Wednesday | February 8, 2012 | 12:00 AM
Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
DEFEATED PARLIAMENTARY hopeful Ernest Smith has backed down from his bid to seek election to the St Ann Parish Council.
Smith, a member of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), had lost out to Keith Walford of the People's National Party (PNP) by 822 votes in his bid to be re-elected to Gordon House in the December 29 general election.
"Ninety per cent of the people want me to remain active; not just being caretaker but active. There are so many persons who are interested in the seat apart from the sitting councillor (Gilbert McLeod), so I will give one of them a chance to get to seek election while I concentrate on continuing my job of taking care of the people," Smith told The Gleaner on Monday.
Smith, who represented the constituency in Parliament between 2002 and 2011, had expressed an interest in representing the Alexandria Division at the council.
Warren Newby, a rising star in the JLP, who is a deputy general secretary in the party, also has his eyes on running to representing the division. Local government elections, which have been twice postponed, are due next month.
Smith, who is also chairman of the constituency, told The Gleaner that taking on the job of councillor could limit his scope in the constituency.
"The overall picture suggests that it is best that I remain chairman and caretaker rather than concentrating on one division," Smith said.
He added: "I don't want to be seen as concentrating on one division. I want to be seen as taking care of the entire constituency, particularly new areas where we went down."
South West St Ann was affected by boundary changes in the last election. Calderwood, which was part of the solid PNP South East St Ann, was added to the constituency as were some areas which were part of North West St Ann.
Smith was outvoted by Walford in Calderwood, polling 796 votes to Walford's 1,489. Walford also won the traditional PNP division of Borobridge, securing 2,311 votes to Smith's 1,326.
In Alexandria, the JLP's majority was reduced from 471 in 2007 to 280 votes, while in Gibraltar, his majority fell from 1,296 votes in 2007 to 576 in 2011.
The South West St Ann constituency was created in 1959 as one of 13 new seats that moved the total number of constituencies in Jamaica from 32 to 45. The JLP has won the seat on every occasion except in 1997 and 2011.