St. Catherine MPs clash over Portmore parish plans

 

Less than 24 hours after the government tabled a Bill to establish Portmore as a parish, two St. Catherine Members of Parliament from both sides of the political aisle traded barbs about whether the proposed law will result in residents no longer being able to directly vote for their mayor.

 

Speaking Wednesday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106, MP for St. Catherine South Central, Dr. Andrew Wheatley, asserted that the residents will still be able to directly elect their mayor, but MP for St. Catherine Southern Fitz Jackson claimed that this right will be taken away once Portmore receives parish status.

 

During the heated exchange, both men argued about whether residents were adequately consulted about the proposed plan to establish Portmore as a parish, prior to the tabling of legislation to this effect.

 

At times, both men talked over each, forcing Morning Agenda host, Kemoy McEkron, to intervene.

 

"We are not removing the directly elected mayor for the parish of Portmore. We are not proposing that," said Dr. Wheatley as Mr. Jackson interjected, telling him and Jamaicans to "read the bill".

 

Dr. Wheatley then conceded that this was, in fact, in the bill, but said "it will be presented that the directly elected status of the Mayor of Portmore will be the status quo for Portmore".

 

Mr. Jackson accused him of not being truthful. 

 

Dr. Wheatley rebuffed assertions by Mr. Jackson that the government is seeking to elevate Portmore to parish status to manipulate the electoral boundaries in favour of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party.

 

Dr. Wheatley, who chaired the Joint Select committee of Parliament that established the framework for Jamaica's first post-colonial parish, said Mr. Jackson's constituency will also stand to benefit from the changes in the political boundaries.

 

He insisted the government carried out widespread consultation, and further suggested that Mr. Jackson and the PNP's challenge was the result of "badmind" since the PNP had also previously committed to making Portmore Jamaica's 15th parish. 

 

Still, Mr. Jackson remained adamant that the government is engaging in gerrymandering for its own political advantage.