CONSTITUENCY PROFILE: CLARENDON SOUTH WESTERN

A safe PNP seat
Anthony Myers
Contributor

IT SEEMS nigh impossible for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) to win the Clarendon South Western seat in the upcoming general election, as it is a safe People's National Party (PNP) constituency.

In 1959, as a result of an advancement in the Constitution, 45 constituencies were provided for Jamaica, an increase of 13 constituencies over the 32 which had been fixed in 1944.

Clarendon South Western was among the 13 newly-created constituencies for the July 28, 1959 General Election. The parish was divided into four constituencies namely - North Western, North Eastern, South Eastern and South Western.

Of the seven contested general elections, 1959-1997, the JLP won three times to the PNP's four. The JLP's Rupert O. Terrier defeated T.G. Mignott (PNP), by 1,020 votes in 1959. In the 1962 general election, Rupert Terrier was in a no- nonsense mood as he devastated his three opponents, Mervyn Harris (PNP), Artis Chambers (PPP), and Colin McIvor Campbell, Independent.

The JLP incumbent polled 8,346 votes to 4,069 for the PNP candidate Mervyn Harris; the Independent and the PPP candidates polled 70 and 339 votes respectively.

In 1967 the number of constituencies in the parish was increased from four to five. The boundaries were redrawn with new constituencies created. Clarendon South Western was not included among the five constituencies. It was not until the 1976 Boundaries adjustments when the number of constituencies was increased from five to six that Clarendon South Western was once again on the map.

In the 1976 general election, Hugh Small (PNP), defeated Lloyd Mears (JLP), by 1,421 votes. In 1980 Dudley McKinley won the seat for the JLP by defeating Rowan Skyers (PNP), in a close contest. The JLP got 6,717 votes and the PNP got 5,999 - a majority of 718 for the JLP. In the 1989 and 1993 general elections O.D. Ramtallie (PNP), defeated Arthur Williams, Jr.,. by 3,519 and 3,118 votes respectively.

PNP dominance in Clarendon South Western was underlined in the 1997 general election by the then new kid on the block Charles Learmond who polled 7,737 votes to defeat Joel Williams (JLP) 4,535 - a majority of 3,202. NDM candidate Veronica Bailey-Coke lost her deposit as she polled a mere 315 votes.

With a slight increase in the current voters' list over the 1997 list and the extremely high level of support for the incumbent it seems nigh impossible for the JLP to win Clarendon South Western.

GENERAL ELECTION (PARLIAMENTARY) PROJECTION 2002

2002
E/L	18,439
A/B	13,312 (72.2%)
PNP	7,785 (58.5%)
JLP	5,527 (41.5%)
Majority (PNP)	2,258

1959
E/L	20,573
B/C	13,185
A/B	13,012
R/B	173
T.G. Mignott, PNP	5,996
Rupert O. Terrier, JLP	7,016

1962
E/L	19,797
B/C	12,943
A/B	12,824
R/B	119
Colin McIvor Campbell, IND	70
Artis Z. Chambers, PPP	339
Mervyn R. Harris, PNP	4,069
Rupert O. Terrier, JLP	8,346

1976
E/L	13,395
B/C	11,566
A/B	11,483
R/B	83
Lloyd Mears, JLP	5,031
Hugh Small, PNP	6,452

1980
E/L	14,357
B/C	12,806
A/B	12,716
R/B	90
Dudley McKinley, JLP	6,717
Rowan Skyers, PNP	5,999

1983
E/L	14,357
Dudley R. McKinley, JLP	(elected unopposed by acclamation)

1989
E/L	16,441
B/C	13,169
A/B	13,095
R/B	74
O.D. Ramtallie, PNP	8,307
Arthur H. Williams,Jr., JLP	4,788

1993
E/L	14,294
B/C	10,159
A/B	10,112
R/B	47
O.D. Ramtallie, PNP	6,615
Arthur H. Williams,Jr., JLP	3,497

1997
E/L	17,341
B/C	(73.0%)
A/B	12,587 (99.4%)
R/B	77 ( 0.6%)
Charles A. Larmond, PNP	7,737 (61.5%)
Joel L. Williams, JLP	4,535 (36.0%)
Veronica Bailey-Coke, NDM	315 ( 2.5%)

NOTE:
E/L:	Electors on List
B/C:	Ballots Cast
A/B:	Accepted Ballots
R/B:	Rejected Ballots