A safe seat 'built by Uncle Eddie'
Anthony Myers
Contributor

KINGSTON WESTERN is a safe JLP seat built by "Uncle Eddie" (Edward Seaga), the JLP leader.

His opponents are Bunny Witter of the PNP and Allan Martin of the NJA-NDM.

Thirty-two constituencies were fixed in the new Constitution granted to Jamaica in 1944. Kingston Western was among the 32 as the parish was divided into Kingston Western, Eastern & Port Royal, and Central.

The constituency of Kingston Western is bounded by a point on the sea coast opposite East Street, northerly along the western side of East Street to its end at South National Heroes' Circle, westerly along the southern side of South National Heroes Circle to West National Heroes' Circle, along the western side of West National Heroes' Circle to the Kingston-St. Andrew parish boundary at Torrington Road, westerly and southerly along the parish boundary to where it meets Spanish Town Road, north westerly along the southern side of the parish boundary on the southern side of Spanish Town Road to the Theatre, thence southerly along the eastern side of the parish boundary to the seacoast, easterly along the seacoast to the starting point.

Of the 12 contested parliamentary general elections 1944-1997, the JLP won 10 times to the PNP's two. In 1944, William Alexander Busta-mante (JLP), polled 9,663 votes to defeat Kenneth George Hill (PNP), by a massive 6,113 majority. With the departure of William A. Bustamante to "greener pastures" in Clarendon Southern where his 10,570 record majority over S. Beresford (PNP), stood for 27 years, Hugh Shearer contested the seat for the JLP in 1949. Kenneth Hill (PNP), who polled 10,099 votes had a comfortable majority over Hugh Shearer who polled 8,478 votes. In the 1955 general election, Iris King (PNP), was defeated by Hugh Shearer who polled 6,383 votes to Iris King's 5,246. Kenneth Hill who ran on the National Labour Party (NLP) ticket polled 3,262 thus spoiling the chances of Iris King. In 1959, the incumbent Hugh Shearer was defeated by Hubert Wallace (PNP) in an extremely close context; the majority for Wallace was 99 votes.

During the period 1962 to 1997, the JLP under stewardship of Edward Seaga won all eight contested parliamentary general elections. In 1962, Edward Seaga defeated Dudley Thompson by 680 votes. In 1967 his majority was a convincing 2,772. His majority was 4,066 in 1972 and a massive 5,757 in 1976. Edward Seaga with majorities of 8,760 in 1980 and 9,129 in 1989, 11,295 in 1993 and 9,370 in 1997, holds the record of representing a constituency for nine consecutive terms (the 1983 election inclusive). He is the only parliamentarian to have increased his majority every term from 1962-1993, moving from a 680 majority (1962) to 11,295 (1993), a remarkable feat.

Having won the 1997 general election by a massive 9,370 majority, Edward Seaga has secured a unique place in Jamaica's political history, as the only parliamentarian to have contested and won eight parliamentary elections. It would take an "act of God" to defeat this giant of a politician in Kingston Western.

Kingston Western is a safe JLP seat built by "Uncle Eddie" as he is affectionately called.

GENERAL ELECTION (PARLIAMENTARY) ­ PROJECTION

2002
A/B	14,253 (89.0%)
JLP	12,828 (90.0%)
PNP	1,425 (10.0%)
Majority (JLP)	11,403

GENERAL ELECTIONS (SUMMARY) 1944 - 1997

1994
E/L	23,763
B/C	14,258
A/B	13,213
R/B	1,045
William Alexander Bustamante, JLP	9,663
Kenneth George Hill, PNP	3,550

1949
E/L	25,460
B/C	18,713
A/B	18,577
R/B	136
Kenneth George Hill, PNP	10,099
Hugh Shearer, JLP	8,478

1955
E/L	22,677
B/C	14,983
A/B	14,891
R/B	92
Kenneth Hill, NLP	3,262
Iris King, PNP	5,246
Hugh Shearer, JLP	6,383

1959
E/L	16,333
B/C	12,311
A/B	12,227
R/B	84
Hugh L. Shearer, JLP	6,064
Hubert R. Wallace, PNP	6,163

1962
E/L	14,023
B/C	11,451
A/B	11,349
R/B	102
Elisha S. Brown, IND	78
Byron S. Moore, PPP	249
Edward Seaga, JLP	5,851
Dudley J. Thompson, PNP	5,171

1967
E/L	8,036
B/C	6,897
A/B	6,686
R/B	211
Edward Seaga, JLP	4,729
Dudley Thompson, PNP	1,957

1972
E/L	8,581
B/C	7,027
A/B	6,966
R/B	61
Edward Seaga, JLP	5,516
John Maxwell, PNP	1,450

1976
E/L	11,104
B/C	10,414
A/B	10,393
R/B	21
Edward Seaga, JLP	8,075
Iran Wilkins, PNP	2,318

1980
E/L	10,618
B/C	9,945
A/B	9,910
R/B	35
Edward Seaga, JLP	9,335
Charleton Ward, PNP	575

1983
E/L	10,618
Edward Seaga, JLP	(elected unopposed by acclamation)

1989
E/L	15,971
B/C	14,659
A/B	14,359
R/B	300
Clinton Davy, PNP	2,615
Edward Seaga, JLP	11,744

1993
E/L	14,392
B/C	12,541
A/B	12,519
R/B	22
Edward Seaga, JLP	11,907
Earlston Spencer, PNP	612

1997
E/L	14,997
B/C	13,586 (90.6%)
A/B	13,547 (99.7%)
R/B	39 ( 0.3%)
Sydney C. Errar, PNP	2,072 (15.3%)
Edward P. G. Seaga, JLP	11,442 (84.5%)
Anthony Morgan, NDM	33 ( 0.2%)

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