North East St. Ann MP's resignation a sign of trouble within JLP?

 

Political commentator Lloyd B. Smith says the sudden resignation of Member of Parliament for St. Ann North Eastern Marsha Smith could be a sign of trouble within the JLP camp.

 

Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Tuesday announced that Ms. Smith has resigned with immediate effect.

 

In a statement, Mr. Holness thanked Ms. Smith for her service in representational politics.

 

Matthew Samuda, the minister with responsibility for water, environment, climate change, and the blue & green economies, is the party's likely candidate to contest the next general election.

 

There has been speculation for months that the leadership of the Jamaica Labour Party wanted Mr. Samuda to contest the seat.

  

According to Mr. Smith, the sudden resignation could be a sign of discord within the JLP.

 

"As far as I'm concerned, for her to have resigned at this point clearly suggests that she was put under tremendous pressure, notwithstanding that from all indications, she had been a failed MP based on her constituents' reactions to her. However, it would suggest to me that when a general election is so imminent, why not let her finish her term? What would be the indecent haste for?"

 

"So all of this, I think, spells a lot of trouble for the JLP in terms of optics, in terms of what is going to happen to the party. Is there a gradual falling out? Are the cards beginning to unravel in terms of the house of cards? We don't know. But clearly it is something that leaves much to be desired," Mr. Smith contended. 

 

The commentator believes a by-election could be held to replace Ms. Smith, since the JLP would consider the constituency a "safe seat". 

 

Still, he argued that this would make a "very untidy affair" if a by-election were to be called for that constituency but not for others, including Trelawny Southern which has been vacant since the resignation of Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert in 2023 and North West St. Andrew which will become vacant with the impending departure of Dr. Nigel Clarke.  

 

Ms. Smith was elected to represent the St. Ann North Eastern constituency in September 2020.