Stephenson vows to turn tables on rival
THE PEOPLE’S National Party’s (PNP) Ewan Stephenson believes that a wind a change is blowing through St Elizabeth South West, the constituency that has historically been viewed as the weathervane of Jamaican elections.
It is that gust, he believes, that will thrust him to victory come September 3 at the polls.
This will be Stephenson’s first time on the ballot, having gone through two rounds of internal battle, including one with the former member of parliament, Hugh Buchanan.
Having overcome one battle with cancer already, the St Elizabeth native is confident that he will give the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate Floyd Green a knockout punch at the polls.
On a recent visit to the constituency by The Gleaner, Stephenson touted that it will not be difficult to take home the seat for the PNP, and the turning of the seat to the symbolic PNP orange colour will be signalling that the PNP is winning the election.
In the February 2016 general election, Floyd Green, running on a JLP ticket, polled 10,152 votes,
defeating Hugh Buchanan, who could only amass 8,095 votes.
This time, however, Stephenson has vowed to turn the tables.
“Our people, they are riled up and they are ready to go,”Stephenson said, predicting that the poll results will be similar to what happened in 2011 when the PNP stunned Dr Christopher Tufton as the then incumbent to snatch the seat.
It was a crushing defeat for the Labourites, as the seat was lost by 13 votes.
“In the previous election, our numbers fell. Comparing the figures of 2011 and 2016, our margin was decreased by approximately 1,500 votes,” the PNP candidate said, while outlining the strategy to win the seat.
“There were Comrades that were dissatisfied, and now they are back, and everybody is ready to vote.”
Stephenson told The Gleaner that he has sought to motivate the base of the party since 2017 when he took control of organising the constituency, which is critical to the electoral success of both parties.