‘No room for rent here’

Declaring that the pending general election is one of the most crucial in Jamaica’s history, Cabinet Minister Desmond McKenzie has reiterated his stance that the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) will never surrender the government to the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP).

McKenzie, who was speaking in Craighead following a tour of the Manchester North Eastern constituency on Saturday, also asserted that there is no vacancy in the seat the PNP believes is now vulnerable.

While acknowledging the loss of the Christiana Division, a bastion of the JLP, in the February 2024 local government election, McKenzie, the minister of local government, said Ambassador Audrey Marks, who recently served as Jamaica’s chief diplomat in the United States, will hold the seat.

“There is no room for rent here,” said McKenzie.

Audley Shaw exit

The declaration comes amid the departure of Audley Shaw, who has represented the constituency in Parliament for 32 years, and concerns that the party’s grip is slipping.

The PNP, which has not won the constituency since the 1989 general election, for the first time since 1986 won the Walderston and Christiana divisions together in Manchester North Eastern. The JLP now controls only the Craighead Division.

“Those other people say the seat gone. They using the results of the local government election. Alright, them win a critical division. We don’t roll over and play dead. We recognise that there is work to be done and the party pulled itself together,” said McKenzie, suggesting that cracks in the JLP’s fort has been sealed.

He pointed to the soured relations between councillor for the Craighead Division, Omar Miller, and Hidran McKulsky, the principal of Holmwood Technical High.

The two were vying to succeed Shaw, but it was Miller who received his blessing.

McKenzie said the two men have put their political ambitions aside, have now mended fences, and are unified for the sake of the JLP.

“So now we have to rally, and I want to tell you something. What I saw today on the tour is telling me that North East is okay,” he said.

Still, he said feelings don’t win elections, urging party workers and supporters in the constituency to canvass and to commit to taking along at least one other voter to the polling station on election day.

He stressed that politics is a numbers game, more than it is the love for representatives and the parading of party colours.

McKenzie urged Labourites to absorb his message, arguing that the Opposition party is seeking to replace Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness with PNP President Mark Golding but has not given any credible reason or plan.

Further, he said the PNP is also seeking to replace hard-working ministers who have been delivering for Jamaicans.

“How can you want to kick out a government who, under Audley Shaw to Nigel Clarke to Fayval Williams, imposed no new taxes on the people of Jamaica? Instead of taxing you, the Government give it back to you,” said McKenzie.

Touting the lowest unemployment rate in the history of the country and the significant decline in the poverty and crime rates, he said the JLP administration has presided over a thriving economy that has caused it to be able to spend on infrastructural development.

‘No vacancy’

He rubbished the plans announced by the Opposition party, pointing to the proposal to build 500 houses “on swamp land” in Portland Eastern. He said the PNP did the same in Westmoreland.

McKenzie said, on the contrary, Holness has built houses on “solid rock” to give the poor.

“…And so Labourites, what is important? Manchester has been used by the PNP for decades. They use the people here in Manchester. They offer nothing to the people of Manchester, and now they feel as if them stand a chance to come here. No vacancy nuh deh here suh,” he said.

He urged supporters to spread the message of what he said Holness has been doing for Jamaica, at the same time insisting that the PNP is “void of anything sensible”.

He said making the mistake of voting for the PNP will reverse the nation’s gains.

“And so Labourites, this election is one of the most crucial elections in the history of Jamaica. If you think 1976 and 1980 were crucial, at least them had some people in the party who say them think ‘bout Jamaica. It wasn’t as bad as these are…,” the JLP deputy leader said.

He challenged to the PNP to tell the country how it can better what is being done by the JLP.

“All they talk about is corruption, date this, date that, six a that. Everybody, how much bankbook man have and all them things, like them love man,” he said, following up with an endorsement of Marks as the JLP’s prospective candidate.

“…Where there is no vision, the people will perish; and they lack vision over there. They lack leadership. They have no moral authority to speak to the people of Jamaica. They have none whatsoever. I urge you to choose wisely. Choose Audrey Marks. Choose the Jamaica Labour Party, and choose Dr Andrew Michael Holness to lead Jamaica…,” he said, repeating that the JLP “will never surrender Jamaica to the PNP again”.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com