Green chalks up achievements
TOUTING THAT he has worked hard in the just-concluded term as member of parliament for St Elizabeth South West, Floyd Green has made it clear that his campaign for re-election is based on a legacy of performance in the rural constituency.
The Gleaner news team caught up with Green while he campaigned in Bethany, and he said he could stand on his achievements for the almost five years he has represented the constituency.
Green said that the Holness administration has done sterling work in the past four years, focusing on infrastructure and education and the expansion of health services.
“We are really campaigning on the work that we have done,” said Green.
“We have given it our absolute best; I think we have exceeded expectation in a number of areas.”
Green defeated the then incumbent Hugh Buchanan in the 2016 election, tallying 10,152 votes to his opponent’s 8,095. He took three of the four divisions – Pedro Plains, Mountainside, and Brompton.
Buchanan took home Black River by 187 votes. Green said that he has one simple message for the voters in his constituency.
“Right now, what we are saying to the people is, thank you for your support thus far.
Respect, we honour your support and we want it again,” Green said.
COVID-19 has reset the campaign for the September 3 election. Soaring rates of infection have heightened concern among Jamaicans, with the hustings being forced to gear down several times, with both parties terminating full-fledged mass campaigning earlier this week.
But more than a week before those reversals, Green was already engaged in micro-campaigning, doing house-to-house visits with only one other person.
Green explained that it was strategic, to limit the risk of spread. He met with his work corps and settled on health protocols governing interaction with voters.
“I am walking around with a very small team because the health protocols indicate how many persons should accompany me, plus I much rather a quieter personal campaign,” he said.
Green said he has sought to reassure especially older voters that there are measures in place to safeguard their safety.
“We have already spoken to our drivers (about) how many voters they can bring on each trip to keep the health protocols, so we are putting things in place,” said Green, who has appointed a chief protocol officer to oversee his mobilisation.