Growing frustration with Charles in St Thomas Eastern

With the general election looming, growing discontent is simmering across several communities in St Thomas Eastern, where residents are voicing strong criticisms of their Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Michelle Charles.

Once seen as a fresh face in a historically People’s National Party (PNP) stronghold, Charles is now being accused of absentee leadership, a lack of accessibility, and failure to deliver on promises made during her 2020 campaign.

According to one seasoned Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) insider, who has been working with the party for over two decades, Charles’ campaign in the Dalvey division, one of the JLP’s strong areas, is in serious trouble ahead of the upcoming election.

“Honestly, we affi go hard. Based pon wa wi see, wi affi go work very hard.”

The party worker said a growing disconnect with the youth and increasing frustrations within the constituency were among the hurdles that the incumbent needs to overcome.

Additionally, she said many of the youth in the division have been gravitating towards the PNP councillor caretaker, who is from the division.

From Brownman Hill and Brenton Hill to Bath and Airy Castle, many residents say they feel neglected and ignored by the woman they elected to represent them in Parliament. The sentiment is echoed across political lines – even among traditional Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters – with increasing calls for more responsive and visible representation.

“I don’t know her, period. Mi nuh see har. Mi only see Ms Shaw and di councillor, Micheal McLeod,” said Keisha Needham, an unemployed resident of Brownman Hill, referencing PNP candidate Rosemarie Shaw and the sitting JLP councillor. “If she comes, maybe a di first time mi a go see har.”

Her neighbour, Karisa Chambers, a self-styled Labourite, was equally critical.

“Mi house need fix, and mi hear mi a go get help, and then mi hear say a she stop it. Every time mi vote and mi nah get nutten, what mi a vote fa?”

When The Sunday Gleaner visited the area just over a week ago, Charles was slated to conduct a door-to-door visit in the area and was later seen making her way into the community with a mini parade in tow, music blasting. But several residents have expressed no interest in meeting with her, citing years of unresponsiveness.

“When she drive up here, only har neck up we can see,” Chambers scoffed. “She no come outta di vehicle. Mi daughter graduate and she promise mi help, but you affi a walk back a har and me caa bada wid dat.”

Nearby, shopkeeper Shelly said she, too, was not pleased with Charles’ representation, although her family are strong supporters of the JLP. She questioned the MP’s commitment to the people.

“I’ve never seen dat woman,” she recalled.

“Yuh ever see har? Yuh a Labourite?” she asked Chambers. “Mi and yuh live up yah and only on TikTok mi see har.

“Mi believe say when you a councillor and MP, yuh mus come a every district mek people know yuh and talk to people.”

Though some roads have been repaired and larger projects like the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project, the Morant Bay Urban Centre development, and the promised rural bus initiative are acknowledged, residents say such improvements feel politically timed and disconnected from their daily realities.

Many residents in the Cheswick community say water has only become consistent in recent weeks, coinciding with ramped-up election activities.

“Mi say from wa day yah mi jus a bathe suh, just ‘cause election near. Wi deh yah how long and water nah come. All yesiday, mi just a bathe all day and a wash.

“When dem turn it on, it barely a reach. It [usually] just a drip, but from wa day, it just a flow. All of a sudden, the water just a flourish,” Shelly shared.

They also complained about the state of the road, noting that the roads in Brownman and Brenton hills were only fixed recently because of the pending election and were not properly done. Additionally, they say the lack of jobs is a sticking point, as is the need for a fire station in Morant Bay.

But will they be voting?

“Of course mi a vote. Mi always vote. Mi waa see a change,” Needham said, while acknowledging she will be voting for the PNP candidate.

But when pressed further as to her reasons, she said, “Because mi just love PNP and mi always a vote and who in deh nah do nothing so mi a give har a chance.”

In another section of the community, a young entrepreneur, who did not want to be named, explained the water situation. He shared that the tank which supplies the community is not big enough. The Sunday Gleaner was shown a very small water tank, which looks big enough to serve a single family.

“Water comes in once a week and right now no water no deh yah,” he said. “A two years now we a have water problem.”

Although the community is assisted with trucked water, he said the trucks are owned by the JLP councillor and, as a result, water distribution is politically motivated.

He said trucked water is sent to special people.

He also pointed out that a major problem for the community was the terrible road infrastructure. He said that although the roads have been recently fixed, the community is not pleased with how it was done.

“The road no fix good; it no have no drain. When water bolt after dat, the whole place flood out and bare garbage,” he said, noting that it’s the first time in 10 years that the roads are being fixed.

He, too, pointed to youth unemployment as a critical issue.

“Di youth dem just a mad out. If dem coulda even get some construction work or a youth club, something fi keep dem motivated.”

Like Shelly, he described Charles’ performance as poor while adding that he does not think she has done enough.

“From she win, nothing nuh fix,” he reiterated. “She deh fi four year and all now the project dem no complete. If a never election a come, our road wouldn’t fix and all now Golden Grove main road nuh fix.”

In Dalvey, Clement, a farmer, said he has already made up his mind.

“Mi don’t know Dr Charles. Mi nuh see her do nutten. Mi don’t know har. Mi nuh know wa dem politician yah a do. Me nuh see like she a do nothing bout yah.

“Right now, if mi see di odda lady and she do something fi mi, mi vote fi har because yuh affi moan fi who moan fi yuh,” he added.

Others like Owen, a former security supervisor, say they’ve stopped believing in the promise of “prosperity”.

“Mi did ask fi help after mi bike crash — just two bicycle tyre or a battery bike fi help mi move’‘round. Mi get the runaround. First from di councillor, then Charles tell mi fi go to di prime minister like mi a idiot.”

Over in Bath, a PNP stronghold, the disappointment is less about party and more about leadership.

They chorused that the river in the area was in dire need of attention to ensure that the community is not flooded when it rains, but despite their cries for help, nothing has been done. They also lamented the poor state of the roads and the lack of work, especially for young people.

“Mi last see har when she a pass by before election four years ago and she wave and say hi,” said Michelle, a mother of two. “A 20 a wi live inna one house and all a wi a vote Shaw.”

Her daughter, Shelly, was blunt: “Zero outta 10. She needs to communicate with people better, caa jus pass and say hi and like how she have so much land, build a factory or something and mek people get work.”

At the bus stop nearby, a Rastaman who said he still supports the JLP admitted: “Al[though] she naah do nutten, mi a stay loyal like a stupid ass.”

For Dionne, a street vendor, neither side has delivered.

“Di two a dem fi stay a dem yaad. A long time wi need attention to dis river. Every rain, wi live in fear. Dem cyaah just a talk. Dem fi act.”

Still, not all feedback is negative.

In Airy Castle, entrepreneur Natoya gave the MP eight out of 10, citing her role in refurbishing the local park, bringing Wi-Fi, and supporting small farmers. But even she admitted that Charles needs to “slow down” and be more approachable.

“Ninety-five per cent of the complaints about her are about attitude,” she said while adding that the MP needs to spend time listening to the needs of her constituents instead of always moving so quickly.

Taniesha, another resident in the area, said she has seen Charles behave “unprofessionally” towards residents more than once. She said if she votes, it will be in support of the prime minister, not the MP herself.

Meanwhile, the political insider agrees that Charles has not been very visible in some areas – for instance, Dalvey, where she believes “she has the Labourite dem lock” – and also in Bath.

“Sometimes it’s not all about the big thing, you know. Let them see you. Election not in, just let the people see you. Come boil a pot of soup with them, hang out with them, buy a bottle of rum, chat with them.

“Just motivate the thing. That means that when your time comes, you’re not having to go through that hardship,” the party worker reasoned.

At the same time, she said the MP has been working and has been fixing houses for a lot of people, but many are unhappy about the lack of jobs in the area.

Nonetheless, she said Charles deserves a second term and believes that their team can still successfully work to sway people’s minds in the MP’s favour, even with the very limited time left before the election.

For more than a week, The Sunday Gleaner had been trying to secure interviews with both Shaw and Charles, but neither committed to a time for an interview, though they were spoken to in person and several calls and messages sent to their phones.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerm.com