Bobby’s battle

The idiom ‘out of sight out of mind’ and underperformance are what some constituents in St Mary Western are using as the basis to grade, as failing, sitting Member of Parliament Robert Montague, whose political fate lies in the balance.

Montague, a former government minister and high-profile member of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), if the word of some constituents is anything to go by, will have an uphill task when the next general election is called.

This, however, by no way rules out the man known to many as ‘Bobby’.

The next general election is expected by September and campaigning is in high gear.

The Gleaner visited sections of the constituency a few days ago and the consensus in the court of public opinion does not favour Montague, who has been in representational politics since 1990 when he became councillor for the Carron Hall Division.

Historically, Carron Hall has proven reliable and shown strong support for the JLP.

In swinging Oracabessa, residents say the telltale signs have been ever present and momentum for the People’s National Party (PNP) has swept across the constituency.

PNP supporter Wayne ‘Lun’ Smith said newcomer Orville Woodbine, the caretaker vying for a seat in Gordon House on the PNP ticket, will take down ‘Bobby’.

“Bobby seh him live inna the constituency and nobody can’t see him. Is just last week Wednesday I see him pass round here,” Smith told The Gleaner last Thursday.

“We a take it (the seat) from him and it show in the parish council (February 2024 local government elections). You have five divisions in the constituency. The PNP never have none in there and now we have three. Oracabessa win by 700 and odd, Boscobel win by 300 and odd and the one up by Gayle, weh never win by the PNP, we won,” Smith continued.

Smith, who some labourites refer to as ‘Portia’, said in the last general election the PNP base did not come out and vote.

“Through the [then] leader Peter Phillips, because dem say Peter Phillips fight against Portia Simpson Miller, so dem not going out. The party is unified now and you can see it (leadership) in Mark Golding,” he said.

Woodbine, who is from a family heavily into construction, did not answer calls to his phone for comment.

Smith’s belief that the largely unknown contender will give a good account of himself was shared by Kenneth Morgan, a farmer of Derri community.

“Road ... water ... bad bad for years now. We pay truck fi carry water and it tough. I think Woodbine will beat Bobby,” said Morgan.

“I am a banana farmer and mi use to export di fruit, but all a that mash up now so mi sell dem locally. What I want to see happening is for the roads to be fixed, we get water, and for the youths dem fi get work. Dis is a farming community and di farmer dem must be able to get dem produce to market. And therefore we need good driveable roads to transport out banana, plantain, pumpkin, and yam to market.”

While The Gleaner was able to make contact with Montague, he opted not to speak with the newspaper about his performance and campaign to retain the constituency.

However, a proud labourite, who goes by the name Susie said her party is always working.

“My party always a do something, nuh care how small. You see me hand (showing her green armband) ... I choose Jamaica,” Susie said, adding that she is ready to give Montague another term.

When asked about the challenge from Woodbine, Susie said in everything there is a challenge.

“But in a form of sense, it hard to put down a man weh a do something and tek up a man weh nah do nothing enuh. We know weh Bobby will do as long as we see him enuh,” she said.

Susie, however, told The Gleaner that there is a ‘whole heap’ a things there for ‘Bobby’ to do.

“But him a gwan. Maybe the die-hearted orange them, tru dem nuh inna the system weh a do it, dem won’t tell you all when dem see it, enuh,” Susie said, adding that the comrades are at the JLP constituency office more than labourites.

According to Susie, Montague shows up but it is possible that those saying he is not around and available did not catch him.

“If Bobby come right now, ah nuh we a swarm Bobby, a dem (comrades) swarm him ... the last time dem try wid [Jolyan] Silvera and tek him in and look weh Silvera deh now,” she said.

Oracabessa resident Keith McCray told The Gleaner that, with the prevalence of smart phones, constituents are more knowledgeable and cannot be fooled.

“Him (Bobby) waited until it’s election time before people see him again. Now him a work day and night. Mr Montague in trouble. In COVID, they weren’t there for the people ... . This little bottle a rum and Boom (energy drink) can’t work,” McCray said, sporting his PNP orange-coloured wrist band.

He said that among the problems in the constituency is that the young men are turning to crime and law abiding citizens need to take back their communities.

“Dem come tell us foolishness ‘bout dem a go do this and dem a go do that. Weh dem a get the money from, people know the state of the economy,” McCray said.

He pointed to a case recently where two teenage boys in the constituency were charged with gun-related offences.

Recent data shows that, across the entirety of St Mary, murders and shootings are down eight and 39 per cent, respectively.

Robberies on the other hand are up 67 per cent as at June 21.

The constituency also consists of the Retreat, Boscobel and Gayle divisions.

The Gleaner visited Gayle, which has predominantly favoured the JLP until the tide changed at the recent local government elections.

As one resident said, whenever the JLP win the constituency, they always celebrate in Gayle Square.

“Look at the condition in the town. It nuh look like no progress a gwaan in this town ya. Labourites a go lose. A which side yuh drive come up here? How it look to you? The biggest man weh have the most talk inna politics and look at the state of the road and constituency,” the PNP supporter said.

Another supporter of the PNP told The Gleaner that he is 54 years old and resides in Heartlands where he has to purchase water.

“Mi affi spend $10,000 and $15,000 put water inna truck and not one pipe deh deh fi turn on. We nah no running water and me a 54. A week ago dem come and tell the people dem ‘bout water, is just pure promises,” he said.

The group of men, who were seated in Gayle Square, told The Gleaner that they have formed an alliance which will not be voting for road, light and water.

“We great grand people and we grand people dem do that already. When we elect a man we give him a job so, if him nuh produce to show us him do a job, mi nuh want no man come tell we ‘bout road light and water because if we grand folks nuh get it already we nah get it,” the male resident said.

A resident among them said he once supported the JLP but the current MP made it an easy decision to withdraw allegiance.

“I was a JLP supporter and I don’t see what dem promise. Dem fi work for the rank and not the bank. You see the people dem weh a say dem nuh see Bobby ... we nuh want see him. We up a Gayle nuh want see him. This seat in big big trouble,” the resident said.

One man said the only way Montague can retain the seat is if he does one thing.

“Him did promise us a lot of things like community centre and fire station. Tell Mr Montague say, fi him win this constituency, you see the river stream from out a Town River, him a go build a sidewalk on the river from down a Rio Nuevo, a di only way him have a chance which is impossible,” the Gayle resident told The Gleaner.

The residents claimed they have found out that, since the 2020 general election, the majority of the people who used to support Montague no longer support him.

“Him turn labourite inna PNP. Him a waste of time, people dem nah see him. Bobby Montague fi come down now. Him time up,” a resident said.

Eighty-two-year-old Elias Campbell, a farmer of Carron Hall, told The Gleaner when the newspaper visited the constituency in May that while he has supported the two major political parties over the years, he does not consider the practice to be flip-flopping.

“Mi vote fi di two party dem when mi ready, but di last time mi vote fi Montague. But dis election mi might nuh vote, because mi a get old. But if mi haffi vote, Montague a di right man fi di job. Bad roads and no water is what a bother us for more than a year now, “said Campbell.

A look at the numbers over the last three general election cycles - 2011, 2016 and 2020 - shows that voter turnout has declined year after year.

The total votes were 19,233 (59.54%) on December 29, 2011 then 20,075 (56.59%) on February 25, 2016 and 16,280 (43.85%) on September 3, 2020, which was during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PNP’s Silvera won in 2011, defeating Montague by 227 votes.

Montague reclaimed the seat from Silvera in 2016, polling 11,710 or 58.3 per cent of the vote.

He again won the seat in 2020, defeating Jason Stanford of the PNP.

In that election Montague polled 9,631 or 59.16 per cent of the votes.

According to information taken from the Electoral Office of Jamaica website, the constituency has 120 polling division and approximately 40,403 electors.

editorial@gleanerjm.com