CONSTITUENCY PROFILE: ST CATHERINE SOUTH EASTERN

Robertson expected to retain seat
By Anthony Myers, Contributor

Dr. Paul Robertson (PNP), is confidently expected to retain St. Catherine South Eastern in general election 2002.

Thirty-two constituencies were fixed in the new Constitution granted to Jamaica in 1944. St. Catherine South Eastern was among the 32 as the parish of St. Catherine was divided into three constituencies namely - St. Catherine North Eastern, South Eastern and Western.

During the period 1944-1997 there have been 10 contested parliamentary general elections in St. Catherine South Eastern. The JLP won five times to the PNP's five. In the 1967 Constituencies (Boundaries) adjustments, St. Catherine South Eastern had a name-change to St. Catherine Southern. The name St. Catherine South Eastern was restored in the 1976 boundaries adjustments.

In the 1944 and 1949 general elections, the JLP's Leslie Washington Rose had majorities of 4,678 and 1,676 over the PNP's C.D. (Bobby) Alexander and J.E. Grant respectively. In the 1955 general election, J.E. Grant (PNP), turned the tables on the incumbent Leslie Rose, sending him into political retirement with a massive 3,029 majority. The other three candidates - G. B. J. Brown (AIP), 437, James F. Gore (UPJ), 437, and Victory H. McKoy, (IND), 145 were soundly beaten by the eminent educator J.E. Grant.

In 1959 as a result of an advancement in the Constitution, the parish of St. Catherine was granted an additional seat. This newly-created constituency was named St. Catherine Central. J.E. Grant left his St. Catherine South Eastern seat to contest the St. Catherine Central seat. While the indomitable Johnathan E. Grant defeated Roy McNeill (JLP), in the Central St. Catherine constituency, his successor, Victor H. McKoy, in St. Catherine South Eastern was overwhelmed by J.F.C. Walters (JLP), who won with a 2,905 majority. In 1962 Oswald A. Douglas (JLP), who succeeded J.F.C. Walters in 1962 devastated his PNP opponent Winston B. Williams by a massive 5,245 majority. In 1976, with the constituency boundary having a reduction in its area, the number of electors on the list decreased by 32.1% (7,039) in comparison to the 1962 voters' list. Ripton MacPherson (PNP), defeated Harry Bent (JLP), by 1,271 votes (1976).

The highest majority for any candidate since 1944 was achieved by Kingsley Sangster (JLP), who massacred Leroy Cooke (PNP), in 1980, polling 17,597 votes to Cooke's 9,857, a majority of 7,741. R. Carl Rattray (PNP), had a comfortable majority over Jeannette Grant Woodham (JLP), in 1989 - the PNP getting 8,189 to 5,651 for the JLP, a majority of 2,538.

In the 1993 general election, Dr. Paul Robertson who represented the PNP in the realigned St. Catherine South Eastern constituency wreaked vengeance on Kingsley Sangster for his treatment of Leroy Cooke in 1980 by defeating him by a 7,390 majority, just 351 short of Kingsley Sangster's majority in 1980. In spite of the very strong support for the JLP 1944, 1949, 1959, 1962 and 1980, St. Catherine South Eastern with its existing boundaries is a safe PNP seat. Dr. Paul Robertson is therefore confidently expected to retain this seat for the PNP.

Anthony Myers is a statistician and political analyst who has done work for the Electoral Office of Jamaica and for the People's National Party.