‘The LGE delay has been good for me’
JESSE JAMES CLARKE – PNP, TRAFALGAR DIVISION, ST ANDREW SOUTH EAST
UNIVERSITY LECTURER Jesse James Clarke is the man carrying the People’s National Party’s (PNP) flag in the Trafalgar division in St Andrew South East after Kari Douglas crossed the floor in the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) to join the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
A newcomer to the political scene, he was recently named a junior spokesperson in the Opposition’s Council of Spokespersons at the start of 2024.
“My entrance into politics came as a result of doing voluntary work. My mother was a midwife and I went on some home deliveries with her, even to hold the flashlight when the babies were being born, or to help pack the bag before going out on the road. So it all started with voluntarism,” Clarke told The Sunday Gleaner.
The COVID-19 pandemic took both of his parents in 2020, but he still carries the spirit of voluntarism instilled in him as a legacy from them on which he vows to build.
While accompanying his mother on visits, Clarke said he observed the living conditions of many of her clients, and it was there that he began to notice inequities in how people lived. He was so moved that he penned his first letter to the media, which was published when he was eight years old.
“I made my own political philosophy, which is to look out for those who can’t look out for themselves, and I realised that it aligned with the PNP, which is the party of empowerment. The party’s history is one of empowerment,” Clarke told The Sunday Gleaner recently.
“I started working with Damion Crawford’s campaign team in the Portland Eastern by-election [in 2019] and that’s where I came into contact with [St Andrew South Eastern] Member of Parliament Julian Robinson. He asked me if I would come and volunteer in the constituency. When I went in there, Kari was still [a member of the PNP], so he did not bring me there to replace her, but then, the opportunity came,” said Clarke.
For Clarke, the delays in calling the elections have helped his chances.
“The multiple delays that we have in the elections have been good to me. This has given me more time since 2020, when Kari left. Had the elections been held when they were due, I would say that I would have been at a disadvantage. But the delays have definitely given me more time to settle with the people, get to know them better, and understand the cultures of the different communities,” said Clarke. “The delays worked in my favour.”
The added time has allowed Clarke to present his vision and development plans to the people living in the division.
SETTING A GOOD EXAMPLE
Clarke has been blossoming under the guidance of Robinson, who is the opposition spokesman on finance, and who established an accountability standard for his constituents.
Robinson was the first t o publish annual reports for his constituency, making them available online for all constituents and the public to scrutinise. Clarke believes it is a template for good representation.
“Comrade Julian Robinson is a very principled person and coming up under his tutelage, those are things he would have taught me. I plan to emulate, and even though it is not required, I intend to do that,” he said.
Clarke said many residents have expressed concerns over their apparent exclusion from the housing development process. He wants to be their eyes, ears and voice at the KSAMC so they can be informed about the proper process for orderly development.
Crime is a major challenge, with shootings, burglary, larceny, and car theft among the major pains.
“We want to push for greater security; regularising garbage collection; infrastructure development, especially to houses, some of which are badly in need of repairs. We have been going to some of these premises, especially on lots with more than one house, to look at bathroom facilities, for example. We have built some new ones and repaired old ones to avoid health hazards,” he told The Sunday Gleaner.
In 2016, Douglas received 1,381 (50.7 per cent) of the votes, while the JLP’s Fabian Brown received 1,306 (48 per cent). There were 36 rejected ballots and 8,555 persons were eligible to vote.