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Member of Parliament for St. Catherine East Central Alando Terrelonge is calling for Portmore Mayor Leon Thomas to immediately retract what he calls "baseless" and "deceptive" claims surrounding the fracas at the recent community meeting on Portmore's parish status.
In a statement Wednesday, Mr. Thomas said the important discussion at the Portmore City Municipality was derailed when a group of Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters, wearing green shirts bearing the names and images of MPs Alando Terrelonge and Robert Miller, stormed the meeting, aggressively brandishing placards, chanting "Showa Labourite" and attempting to hijack the proceedings.
But Mr. Terrelonge says the mayor's statement is not only riddled with inaccuracies but also represents a desperate attempt to mislead the public and sow division through blatant political propaganda.
"The mayor's allegations that Jamaica Labour Party supporters allegedly wearing shirts bearing my name and my image and somehow that they stormed the meeting, is outright false. Not a single individual was present at that meeting wearing any shirt with my name or my image, and that was seen clearly from the video. Neither was anybody seen barging into the meeting," he insisted.
Calling the mayor's claims "completely false", Mr. Terrelonge argued that it was supporters aligned with the People's National Party who disrupted the proceedings.
"They resorted to heckling and creating chaos and name calling, which is a clear act of political provocation aimed at derailing what was a meaningful dialogue throughout the meeting," he claimed.
He added that the mayor's labelling of anyone who supports Portmore becoming a parish as a troublemaker or political activist is a slap in the face of all hardworking taxpayers who want more for the growth and development of Portmore.
The stakeholder meeting concerning the plan to make Portmore Jamaica's 15th parish, held at the municipality's headquarters, descended into chaos as supporters from both political parties clashed verbally, prompting police intervention.
Mr. Terrelonge wants Mayor Thomas to issue a public apology to some residents who attended the ill-fated meeting.
During the disturbance, the mayor said he took immediate steps to restore order, including removing placards from the hands of those who were deliberately creating chaos.
But Mr. Terrelonge said the mayor should apologise to the women whom he says were exercising their democratic right to hold placards expressing their desire for Portmore to become a parish.
"Portmore deserves leaders who prioritise honesty, unity and development. Not those who thrive on division, propaganda and their own personal political agenda over the growth and development of the people of Portmore," the MP contended.
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