Of the 63 Members of Parliament (MP) who emerged from the December 29, 2011 General Elections, only one, in Roger Clarke, has passed away.
However, eight others will not be returning to contest the February 25 polls, either through resignations in four cases, or as a result of being fired by their own constituency delegates in five – oops, four cases, as one who was dramatically ‘fired’ and retired, managed to get the decision summarily overturned in the stewards’ room.
Michael Peart, the outgoing House Speaker on the incumbent People’s National Party (PNP) side, gracefully bowed out of politics after a long stretch as the representative for South Manchester, at the close of Friday’s parliamentary session.
Veteran – almost vintage – Dr DK Duncan, has also bowed out of Eastern Hanover, this after a few head-butting exchanges with Ian Hayles, his feisty, young colleague in Western Hanover, and claims of the latter’s disregard for party traditions in challenging Duncan for the chairmanship of the PNP’s Region Six.
Duncan, in bowing out, has ceremonially passed the baton to his daughters, Imani and Patricia, who are taking on big challenges in the East Rural St Andrew and South East Clarendon seats, respectively, against Juliet Holness, wife of JLP Leader, Andrew Holness; and trade union stalwart and former Health Minister, Ruddy Spence, respectively.
Adverse circumstances in the form of ill-health forced West Central St Catherine MP, the veteran Dr Ken Baugh, to announce last year, that he would be quitting representational politics at the end of his just-concluded term in Parliament. His announcement came shortly before Baugh, a former health and foreign affairs minister and deputy prime minister, underwent life-threatening brain surgery locally, from which he is still to fully recover.
Another set of circumstances, including sharp disagreements with the leadership of his own party, prompted JLP North East St Catherine MP, Gregory Mair, to quit last year, this after there were overt and covert challenges to his leadership of the constituency.
Among the MPs to have been sent packing – some kicking and screaming and even threatening in the process, all numbered on the PNP side – are Raymond Pryce from North East St Elizabeth; Junior Tourism Minister, Damion Crawford, from East Rural St Andrew; Attorney General Patrick Atkinson from North Trelawny, and outgoing Deputy House Speaker, Lloyd B Smith, from Central St James.
Officially, Pryce bowed out early in the face of a challenge from long-time party constituency figure, Evon Redman, but the latter had to overcome a series of evidently orchestrated attempts to derail his bid for Gordon House.
Crawford was thrashed by another long-time figure in his constituency, in businessman Peter Blake, whose impressive showing in a selection race between the two, however, counted for naught when he was hauled in the stewards’ room and summarily disqualified for a second general election.
Unfortunately though, for Crawford, his second past the post finish was not recognised, as, for whatever reason, after having engaged in a game of ‘trick or treat?’ with the constituents, he was given the boot.
This paved the way for Imani Duncan-Price’s grand entry and a presumed easy rider against Alexander (the not so Great one, politically, that is) Williams, only to have the declarations all changed, and her line-up being in the phenomenal Jamaica Oaks for top-level ‘fillies’.
In the case of Atkinson in Trelawny, the noted Queen’s Counsel gracefully sidestepped bowed out of any contest to represent the seat, which, no doubt, wouldn’t sit too well with ’royalty’, and was eventually replaced by businessman John-Paul White, this after Crawford had reportedly declared an interest in the seat in which Atkinson had gotten the nod over him for the 2011 polls.
White’s Northern Trelawny march, if any did take place, ended in controversy last Thursday, when he threw in the towel, or had it thrown in for him on Paul Burke’s ‘letter- ahead’, over White’s tax issues and other matters that had badly derailed his campaign.
In Lloyd B Smith’s case, he smelt a rat from fairly early, and sent political tongues wagging in the Opposition JLP, when he threatened to make bare, dirty party linen, which prompted a recall of the indicative poll which had so disturbed ‘The Governor’.
But having gotten another chance at a stretch run, Smith took the safest route at the track – through the exit gate – and headed, ‘Mirror’ in hand, to the twilight zone.
Among other notables to have vacated the candidates’ roster for this general elections, after venturing out last time, are three veteran trade unionists, namely Granville Valentine, whose saddle slipped badly against horseman Derrick Smith in North West St Andrew; Vincent Morrison, who was simply outclassed in the JLP’s South Central minefield; and former National Security Minister, Dwight Nelson, who perhaps still ‘can’t recall’ how young Julian Robinson of the PNP so soundly whipped him in South East St Andrew.
Valentine and Morrison were on the PNP ticket in 2011, while Nelson and a young union officer, Collin Virgo, were on the JLP’s ticket. Virgo fell a hapless victim to then House Speaker, Michael Peart, in South Manchester.
Interestingly, the 2011 polls had both the immediate past CEO of Caymanas Track Limited, Camille Buchanan astride a losing thoroughbred in East Central St Catherine, and the man who was to succeed her, current CEO, Cedric Stewart in East Central St James, in the line-up. But neither are taking bets on themselves this time around, having both lost and perhaps recognising that there are better ways to mount a good career than in representational politics.
Former Information Minister and PNP General Secretary, Colin Campbell, has likewise gone on to ‘yellower’ pastures as Managing Director of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), a safer zone, it seems, than tackling veteran campaigner, Pearnel Charles in his now hometown of North Central Clarendon.
Similarly, former Mining Minister, Clive Mullings, is back on the legal circuit in between stops calls on the ‘Hot Line’, after having felt the weight of a judgment slightly in favour of fellow attorney, Sharon FFolkes-Abrahams of the PNP in the West Central St James race last time around.
And Abe Dabdoub, the attorney who is noted for sometimes ‘courting’ drama in his campaigns, is no longer in the race to Gordon House, having been beaten by Gregory Mair in North East St Catherine in 2011.
Among the more notable new faces on the PNP’s slate for the 2016 polls are the Duncan sisters, former West Indies fast bowler, Darren Powell in North West St Elizabeth, and former MP for North East St Catherine, Phylis Mitchell, who is making another bid for the seat where she has had a roller coaster ride over the years.
On the JLP slate, the notable newcomers include top business executive, Fayval Williams, who is creating huge headaches for Andre Hylton in Eastern St Andrew; Juliet Holness; communication specialist, Delano Seivright, the ire of Dr Fenton Ferguson’s very existence in Eastern St Thomas since the advent of Chik-V in Jamaica; former Senior Superintendent of Police, Newton Amos, in North West St Catherine; Attorney Alando Terrelonge in East Central St Catherine; Former MP, Dr St Aubyn Bartlett, back on track, this time against the high-stakes Peter Bunting in Central Manchester; attorney Kent Gammon in South West Clarendon; Marlene Malahoo-Forte, changing lanes from Central Westmoreland to North Central St James; and former Jamaica middle order batsman, Dixeth Palmer, who is on a sticky wicket against Dr Wykham McNeill in Western Westmoreland.
