Portmore to the polls

Mayoral by-election to be set for May

Residents of Portmore in St Catherine may be asked to go to the polls in another six weeks to choose a new mayor, although the issue of two divisions in the municipality falling within the St Catherine Parish Council remains unresolved.

In February, Local Government Minister Noel Arscott indicated that it was unlikely that a by-election to replace Mayor George Lee, who died last September, would be held before June.

This would give the Govern-ment time to make the legislative changes to correct a boundary issue that resulted in two divisions, Greater Portmore North and Portmore Pines, falling within the St Catherine Parish Council.

But government sources now say with the Portia Simpson Miller-led administration under pressure from the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), which has charged that Arscott's position was a delay tactic, the by-election will take place next month.

"I hear the minister talking fluff about taking things for Cabinet to make a decision. The Cabinet of Jamaica don't need to interfere in this matter ... the Jamaica Labour Party is calling on Minister Arscott to announce the holding of polls for the Portmore municipal elections," declared JLP spokesman Desmond McKenzie three months ago.

"Desmond calls for elections, and we are going to give it to him, so listen out for the announcement from the prime minister," a government source told The Sunday Gleaner.

EOJ ready

In the meantime, the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) says it would be ready to hold the mayoral by-election whenever it is called.

"Absolutely," declared Director of Elections Orette Fisher in response to questions from The Sunday Gleaner about the readiness of his office to conduct the poll. "For an election like that, we would normally use staff from our offices who are already trained on the system, so only the poll clerks would come from Portmore."

He said money to finance the election would normally be requested by the EOJ after the election was announced.

Fisher further noted that if the issue of the two divisions is not settled, the by-election would be conducted using the original electoral boundaries.

Under boundary changes made before the 2011 general election, the Greater Portmore North and Portmore Pines divisions now fall within the St Catherine Parish Council.

But electoral officials have indicated that if the Government wants to hold mayoral by-election it can have a petition signed by at least seven per cent of the electors in the municipality and then have the new boundaries gazetted.

The Government could also hold the by-election using the existing boundaries, which would see the councillors for both divisions still unable to sit in the Portmore Municipal Council.

It is expected that the PNP will be nominating acting Mayor Leon Thomas as its candidate. The JLP is yet to sign off on its candidate.