Recount stalls St Ann swearing-in
OCHO RIOS, St Ann – People’s National Party’s (PNP) councillor for the Brown’s Town division, Ivan Anderson, has been selected to be the new Mayor of St Ann’s Bay.
However, he will have to wait until next week Thursday before he is sworn in, following an injunction filed for a magisterial recount for the Dry Harbour division in North West St Ann, which the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) won by 1,288 to 1,268 votes. The recount will take place next Tuesday, December 18.
If the JLP retains the division, that party’s representative will be the deputy mayor. However, should the recount give the division to the PNP, the PNP would have a nine-to-seven majority, and thus control both mayor and deputy mayor positions.
Both parties won eight seats each in the December 5 local government elections. But the PNP was given the go-ahead to name a mayor from its side after winning the popular vote.
Yesterday’s stalled swearing-in ceremony was met with disappointment by several PNP supporters who had turned up in party colours to celebrate with the new mayor.