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By Kimone Witter
Political commentator Lloyd B. Smith says it is unlikely that by-elections will be held to fill the vacancies in the Morant Bay Division in St. Thomas and South Trelawny constituency, so close to a general election due September next year.
Councillor Rohan Bryan died in May, while Member of Parliament Marisa Dalrymple Philibert resigned in September last year.
Mr. Smith says it is not customary, as a loss in a by-election will be perceived as a referendum against the ruling party.
On Monday, residents of Top Hill to Needham Pen in the Morant Bay Division lamented the lack of political representation as they called for urgent work to be done on the main road leading into their communities.
But Mr. Smith believes despite the approaching of the three-month mark for the holding of a by-election in accordance with Section 4(5) of the 2016 Local Governance Act, it would be unlikely at this time.
"This, of course, is, again, one of the anomalies of our system of representational politics in Jamaica, where parties scuttle the democratic process and leave constituents without proper representation. A similar scenario has been playing out in South Trelawny after Dalrymple Philibert resigned from that seat, and it is yet to be filled. And it is not likely to be filled until the general elections are called," he reasoned.
Mr. Smith was a guest Monday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106.
Amendment?
But political commentator Damion Gordon has suggested that the government amend the Local Governance Act to allow the foregoing of a by-election in the Morant Bay Division.
Mr. Gordon, who was also speaking on the Morning Agenda on Monday, questioned the cost effectiveness of holding elections at this time, with concerns about low voter turnout and the country in the middle of the hurricane season.
"Despite what the law says, and I think even though there's a law that exists, we can go to the Parliament and...make a case that, you know, we can bypass the law in this instant due to a particular set of circumstances," the commentator proposed.
Mr. Gordon said while he understands what the law states and the importance of representation, he does not believe that having a councillor automatically solves some of the concerns.
"But I also believe that we have to think carefully about whether or not the exercise (by-election) at this point in time would be value added, all things being considered," he said.
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