‘No politics can divide us’
Supporters of rival parties share laughs in Clarendon South Western on election day
Published:Friday | September 5, 2025 | 12:13 AMOlivia Brown/Gleaner Writer
The atmosphere outside Osbourne Store Primary in Clarendon South Western on Wednesday was lighthearted as friends from opposing political camps bantered in good spirits, despite the high-stakes general election under way.
“No politics can divide us,” declared Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporter John Watson, laughing alongside his People’s National Party (PNP) friends, Asford Brown and Nicholas Bailey. “Politics should never divide anyone in this country, because tomorrow morning we all have to live as one Jamaica.”
Watson admitted, however, that the JLP faced an uphill task in the constituency, which had long been regarded as a PNP stronghold. Still, he suggested there may be room for surprises at the polls.
Not everyone on the ground shared Watson’s optimism. Nicholas Bailey, a staunch PNP supporter, insisted that the JLP had little to no chance of wresting control from incumbent Lothan Cousins, who is seeking a second term.
“Wi nuh know weh Mr Chin come from, but, anyweh him come back, him a fi go guh back deh. One Cousins, we say,” Bailey declared, dismissing JLP candidate Robert Chin, who has faced questions about why he was transferred to Clarendon South Western after being dropped from the Manchester Southern seat.
The Jamaica Progressive Party’s (JPP) Dewayne Thomas was also contending the seat.
Bailey was quick to praise Cousins, describing him as a “good man” while also criticising the Andrew Holness-led government for what he called non-performance. “Wi ready for change,” he added firmly.
At the end of the day, Cousins polled 7,238 votes to Chin’s 5,016. Thomas got 16 votes.
In the 2020 general election, Cousins secured victory in Clarendon South Western with 6,709 votes, or just over 52 per cent of the ballots cast, defeating the JLP’s Kent Gammon, who polled 4,614.
That result was no anomaly. Since the creation of Clarendon South Western, the seat has been largely painted in PNP orange, with only brief interruptions by the JLP in its long history. Heavyweights such as Noel Arscott cemented its status as one of the party’s safest bastions, making Cousins’ stewardship part of a broader legacy of PNP dominance in the region.
Still, among some JLP loyalists, the sentiment remains one of steadfast commitment to party and leader. “We are dedicated to the JLP and to Prime Minister Holness,” one supporter said, brushing aside criticisms and pledging support despite the challenges.