CONSTITUENCY PROFILE: ST. ANDREW EASTERN

A swing to JLP but...
Anthony Myers
Contributor

THE POWER pendulum points to a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) victory but the choice of candidates will make a great difference in St. Andrew Eastern.

Colin Campbell, the incumbent, is the PNP's candidate and Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett is the JLP's candidate.

Thirty-two constituencies were fixed in the new Constitution granted to Jamaica in 1944. St. Andrew South Eastern was among them as the parish was divided into St. Andrew Eastern, Central and Western.

In 1944 in a close contest, Dr. Edward H. Fagan (JLP), defeated N.W. Manley (PNP), by 395 votes. N.W. Manley turned the tables on Edward Fagan when he defeated him by 1,055 votes and went on to trounce Wilton Hill by a 3,973 majority in the January 12, 1955 general election. In the 1959 boundaries adjustment, there was a name-change, as the old Eastern St. Andrew became part of East Urban and Suburban St. Andrew, and East Rural St. Andrew.

In the 1976 boundaries adjustment, a new St. Andrew Eastern constituency was created. It was won by Keble Munn (PNP), polling 6,266 votes to 4,658 for the JLP's Don Wilson. In the 1980 general election, Edmund Bartlett (JLP) defeated Roy Barrett (PNP) by a massive 5,150 majority. With a reduced majority (1,203), Edmund Bartlett retained the St. Andrew Eastern seat in 1989. His reduced majority was due largely to the boundaries adjustment in 1986, when Harbour View and Barbican Heights were shifted to East Rural and North Eastern St. Andrew respectively, in exchange for the PNP's stronghold of August Town, Elletson Flats, Angola and the university campus.

In 1993, Collington Campbell inflicted one of the most shocking defeats on Edmund Bartlett by polling 5,107 votes to Bartlett's 4,438 - a majority of 669. With the kitchen too hot, Edmund Bartlett fled the scene taking refuge in St. James East Central only to taste defeat once again. He was replaced by Dr. Percy Broderick who, until then, had never tasted defeat, having had four terms of unbroken support 1972-1983 in Clarendon North Central (the uncontested election inclusive). The incumbent Colin Campbell faced with such a formidable challenge, wasted no time in sending Dr. Percy Broderick into the political wilderness. The results were: PNP 5,112, JLP 4,626 - a majority of 486. The NDM candidate Wenworth Charles polled 1,293 votes thus losing his deposit. Colin Campbell has had the distinction of defeating a former general secretary and former chairman of the JLP in two consecutive general elections. The question is: Who will be next? Can the incumbent defy the odds and retain the seat for the PNP? Only time will tell. Although the power pendulum points to a JLP victory, the choice of candidates will make a great difference in the minds of the electorate on election day.

GENERAL ELECTION (PARLIAMENTARY) PROJECTION 2002

2002
E/L	19,245
A/B	11,986 (62.3%)
PNP	5,605 (46.8%)
JLP	6,381 (53.2%)
Majority (JLP)	776

GENERAL ELECTIONS (SUMMARY) 1944 - 1997

1944
E/L	23,900
B/C	14,075
A/B	13,515
R/B	560
Edward Fagan, JLP	5,253
M. Morris Knibb, IND.	269
Gerald A.L. Mair, JDP	3,135
N.W. Manley, PNP	4,858

1949
E/L	30,094
B/C	21,195
A/B	20,905
R/B	290
Edward Fagan, JLP	9,925
N.W. Manley, PNP	10,980

1955
E/L	30,720
B/C	20,384
A/B	19,735
R/B	646
Wilton O. Hill, JLP	7,881
N.W. Manley, PNP	11,854

1976
E/L	13,502
B/C	10,963
A/B	10,924
R/B	39
Keble Munn, PNP	6,266
Don Wilson, JLP	4,658

1980
E/L	15,947
B/C	13,518
A/B	13,312
R/B	206
Roy Barrett, PNP	4,081
Ed Bartlett, JLP	9,231

1983
E/L	15,947
Ed Bartlett, JLP	(elected unopposed by acclamation)

1989
E/L	16,742
B/C	12,465
A/B	12,401
R/B	64
Edmund C. Bartlett, JLP	6,802
Oswald S. Seymour, PNP	5,599

1993
E/L	15,038
B/C	9,644
A/B	9,545
R/B	99
Edmund C. Bartlett, JLP	4,438
Colin R. Campbell, PNP	5,107

1997
E/L	17,894
B/C	11,228 (62.7%)
A/B	11,031 (98.2%)
R/B	197 (1.8%)
Colin R. Campbell, PNP	5,112 (46.4%)
Percival A. Broderick, JLP	4,626 (41.9%)
Wentworth Charles, NDM	1,293 (11.7%)

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