Tension brewing between JLP and PNP councillors in St. Catherine

By Lorraine Walker    

 

Tension appears to be brewing between Jamaica Labour Party and People's National Party councillors in the St. Catherine Municipal Corporation, stemming from the abrupt end of the general meeting of the corporation last Thursday.

 

The general meeting was brought to a premature end after the PNP councillors, led by Spanish Town Mayor Norman Scott, left to protest outside Gordon House, downtown Kingston during the ceremonial opening of Parliament.

 

The PNP councillors protested against the government's process to make Portmore a parish and reiterated the call for further consultation with the people of Portmore.

 

On Monday, Jamaica Labour Party councillors staged a walkout of a meeting of the disaster committee.

 

Speaking with members of the media, minority leader in the St. Catherine Municipal Corporation, Theresa Turner Flynn, said the JLP caucus is contending that the abrupt end to last Thursday's meeting has affected the ability to properly constitute subsequent committee meetings. 

 

"The general council meeting is the meeting that should ratify all committee meetings, however, that was not done. So this disaster committee meeting this morning, it should be null and void also because no ratification of those committee meetings [was] done Thursday," she complained.

 

Mrs. Turner Flynn also expressed displeasure with the actions of the PNP councillors in bringing last Thursday's meeting to an early end. 

 

"The business of the people of St. Catherine, you put it aside, just to stage a protest - a protest just to say you are not satisfied with boundaries, and you are not satisfied...as it relates to Portmore more becoming a parish. But you leave the people's business hanging in the winds and fancy. We don't treat people like that, we don't treat the business of St. Catherine that way. We were elected to represent the people of St. Catherine other than our divisions. So since we are elected, we should treat the people business with the utmost respect," she contended. 

 

She said the JLP caucus of councillors will meet to discuss the way forward in relation to their participation in other committee meetings. 

 

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Corporation and Mayor of Spanish Town, Norman Scott, has insisted that the committee meetings can proceed as previously planned. 

 

"The meetings are scheduled, there needs to be no ratification, they were scheduled. And it is one of the scheduled meetings. Well, what happens, you know, is if there, for whatever reasons, the committee meetings or the general council meeting was not held or ended before time, then all of those minutes carry forward until the next meeting is held. So whenever we have the other meeting, these, all the minutes relating to the January meeting and the February meeting will be dealt with," he said, accusing the JLP councillors of "grabbing after straws".