‘I’ve seen the neglect’
Independent candidate wants to make a difference in Cambridge
MONTPELIER, St James — A lack of what he considers adequate representation for residents of the Cambridge Division has prompted Sanjay Paragon-singh to throw his hat in the ring as an independent candidate in Monday’s local government elections.
The businessman said he has a clear understanding of what residents need.
“The community is lacking development, in particular for the youths, and also the infrastructure is not in place for comfortable living. Being here and constantly hearing the complaints, I would just like to put myself in the position where I can help,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
“I’ve seen the neglect, lived the neglect, and so I’m just here with the people giving them another option,” he added.
The division was previously represented by Homer Davis, who was elevated to the post of Member of Parliament for St James Southern following the last general election in 2020. Davis is a member of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
Since then the seat has remained vacant and, as protocol dictates, the mayor of Montego Bay has had oversight over the division.
Paragon-singh will now compete against JLP’S Javin Baker and the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Reddington Mcintyre.
He is confident of his chances.
“It’s victory man, 100 per cent. I’ve been here in this area for quite some time, very popular face; been here from about 1999,” he shared proudly.
When asked why he had not aligned himself with either of the two major political parties, Paragon-singh said he has never been a fan of either.
“I’ve seen a lot of people not benefiting from it — what we see is them being tricked,” he told the Observer.
He believes he can do better for the people in the division.
“I’ve always wanted to represent my community, always passionate about it,” Paragonsingh added.
He said residents have welcomed his entry into the race, and some have even asked what took him so long to throw his hat in the ring.
“The people have been reacting positively, asking me why not before, why I did not make them aware of my intentions before,” he stated.
“Some people are saying I came up late but coming up late is because of it being politics. If a man see you a come up strong you know him might try stop you, so it was a surprise element when they saw that somebody else got nominated,” added Paragon-singh.
He is now looking forward to election day, and he expects to win. Despite wanting the best for everyone in the division, he said that the youth will be a major area of focus.
“I spoke to a lady [Wednesday] and she was like, ‘I just dismissed my homework class.’ She allows kids to come over and do homework under her supervision. Communities need something like that for mindful development of the youth,” he argued.
“I would want them to learn to play an instrument, learn a skill, do a little art and craft — we need a lot of that,” he said.
Paragon-singh also wants the community to be able to handle small emergencies itself, instead of waiting until support comes from Montego Bay.
“I would want a response centre up here, it’s needed. It doesn’t have to be Montpelier, it can be Cambridge, it can be Anchovy, somewhere over Long Hill, where a fire truck can respond a little faster to the people that live up here,” he said.
“[I’m] not saying a fire station [is the aim], because maybe we can’t fund it, but what I’m trying to get support from are some non-profit organisations. That is better for communities, and I have connections with a lot of them,” he explained.
This, he said, could be supported through the work of trained volunteers and would provide opportunities for the youth as well.
“Some of the youths in the division could volunteer to be a fireman or do some community service. That would look good on any resume,” he opined.
For Paragon-singh, it is important to move away from the run-of-the-mill ideas so that the community can grow and develop.
“We can’t say road, light, and water because that is what everybody should have by now — that should be part of the comfortable living,” he insisted.