JLP turns up political heat in Kingston
Vernon Daley, Staff Reporter

Junior Dowie/ Staff Photographer Opposition Leader, Edward Seaga and supporters on tour of Central Kingston yesterday.

The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) yesterday turned up the political temperature in Kingston and St. Andrew with a campaign tour that wound its way through several communities in the capital city and its surrounding suburbs.

Bus and car loads of party supporters clothed in green, tailed JLP Leader Edward Seaga, as the convoy of horn-tooting vehicles, worked its way through various communities starting in Central Kingston and ending in West Central St. Andrew.

Streets were lined with JLP supporters, many of whom danced to blaring music and shouted "shower, shower" as they got swept up in the party-like atmosphere.

At a brief stop on Tower Street in Central Kingston, Mr. Seaga addressed a gathering of party supporters. He pointed to the derelict houses and poor sanitation in the constituency, accusing the governing People's National Party of neglecting the area over the last 13 years.

"Until you deal with housing, then you're not dealing with anything," he said to loud cheers from the spirited throng.

Mr. Seaga said a future JLP Government would focus on tearing down the shacks and building decent homes for people in inner-city communities. Dr. Charlton Collie, the JLP's candidate for the area, told supporters that his plans include a focus on education, better housing and improved healthcare for residents.

The campaign tour next moved up to Barbican Square in North East St. Andrew, where Mr. Seaga ridiculed the leaders of the governing party as "a bunch of failures".

He said the Government had failed to bring crime under control, spur the creation of jobs and keep corruption in check. "They have failed at everything they tried," he added.

Mr. Seaga urged party supporters to turn out in huge numbers in Half-Way Tree tonight, for the JLP's long-awaited mass rally, which has been put off several times because of unpredictable weather over the last two weeks.

Among those scheduled to speak tonight are Bruce Golding, who recently returned to the party; Deputy Leaders, Audley Shaw, Derrick Smith, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange and Ed Bartlett. Andre Franklin of the party's youth arm will give an address, so too will Dr. David Panton, chairman of the young professionals group, G2K.

Mr. Seaga will deliver the main address starting at about 8:15.