Comrades have 31-year hold on Clarendon SW
ADING-DONG battle could be shaping up in Clarendon South Western, one of the strongest and most consistent seats for the People’s National Party (PNP) in the parish, as the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) looks to bag the seat being vacated by Noel Arscott.
Arscott, the PNP member of parliament (MP) who came out tops in the last three polls, will not be seeking re-election with newcomer Lothan Cousins to be nominated on the party’s ticket for the upcoming election.
The JLP’s Kent Gammon, who Arscott defeated in 2016, is more seasoned and could pose a bigger challenge to his new political rival as he seeks to break the PNP’s 31-year grip on the seat.
In 2007, Clarendon South Western was the only seat left in the PNP’s column in the parish as the JLP ended its 18-year drought being in charge of the Government.
In 1959, as a result of an advancement in the Constitution, 45 constituencies were provided for Jamaica, an increase of 13 constituencies over the 32 which had been fixed in 1944.
Clarendon South Western was among the 13 newly created constituencies for the July 28, 1959 general election. The parish was divided into four constituencies namely – North Western, North Eastern, South Eastern and South Western.
Of the 12 contested general elections since then, the JLP has won the seat five times to the PNP’s seven.
The constituency’s first MP was the JLP’s Rupert O. Terrier, who defeated the PNP’s T.G. Mignott 7,016 votes to 5,996.
He retained the seat in 1962, polling 8,346 to trounce his three opponents, Mervyn Harris (PNP) – 4,069, Artis Chambers (People’s Political Party) – 339, and Colin McIvor Campbell (Independent) – 70.
In 1967, the number of constituencies in
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