St Ann battle ends 11-4 to JLP

DESPITE THE slow turnout of voters, the minority leader in the St Ann Municipal Corporation, Winston Brown, was optimistic that the People’s National Party (PNP) would wrest back seats it lost to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in 2016.

“I am expecting the reverse, where the PNP will be winning back most of the seats that were lost in 2016,” he told on Monday morning.

Brown, who served five straight terms as councillor of the Borobridge division in St Ann South Western, was defeated yesterday by the JLP’s Marline Thompson Kenyon.

JLP Mayor Sydney Stewart, who was re-elected councillor for the Bamboo division in St Ann North Western, insisted his party would not only maintain the majority, but increase the count by two, up to 13-3.

“We certainly are going to take all four (constituencies) back to the Labour Party,” Stewart said ahead of the closing of the polls. “We’re going to increase our numbers in the municipality. We’re now 11 and we’re going to move that up to 13.”

While that was not to be, the JLP again won the municipality with 11 seats to the PNP’s four.

Despite the blowout, the JLP got 21,534 votes in the parish, while the PNP managed to secure 20,422.

On Monday, PNP candidate for the Moneague division in SE St Ann, Lloyd Garrick, continued to express the party’s general high level of confidence, telling in mid-afternoon that he was on his way to a comfortable victory over his opponent, Delroy Kelly.

“There’s no independent [candidate] around. It’s a twohorse race so the result will be in our favour and very comfortably, too,” Garrick said. “I think we are well prepared, we have worked hard to date and as we speak we are confident that we will be the winner this evening.”

Garrick based his confidence on what he said was a strong PNP area in the past.

“And I have done work in this area over the last three terms and I believe the people have called back for me and I have responded to the call and that will be it.”

The preliminary count last night showed Garrick coming out on top with 1,555 votes to the JLP’s Kelly’s 841.

The police reported no major incident in the parish yesterday.

ASHLEY ANGUIN/ PHOTOGRAPHER There was a strong security presence on Codac Drive in Flankers, St James, after a man was allegedly shot dead by the police on election day. The man has been identified as Peter Johnson. The circumstances of the shooting remained unclear, but residents claimed he was shot after raising his hands and surrendering to the officers after a chase. The matter is being investigated.

GLADSTONE TAYLOR/MULTIMEDIA PHOTO EDITOR A Jamaica Labour Party supporter waves a flag in the St Andrew West Central constituency as he dances with fellow Jamaica Labour Party supporters in the vicinity of the Olympic Gardens Police Station.

GLADSTONE TAYLOR/MULTIMEDIA PHOTO EDITOR Police officers keep a watchful eye on movements on West Main Drive in Maverley, St Andrew North Western, on Monday.

RUDOLPH BROWN/PHOTOGRAPHER Residents of Kingston Central waiting at polling station at the First Missionary Church to cast their votes in the local government elections on Monday.

GLADSTONE TAYLOR/MULTIMEDIA PHOTO EDITOR Self-proclaimed emperor LA Lewis interacting with person on Olympic Way in St Andrew West Central in the vicinity of the Olympic Gardens Civic Centre on Monday.