MONTEGO BAY, St James — MEMBER of Parliament for East Central St James, Edmund Bartlett, has announced the staging of a pageant as part of a series of events planned to mark the nation’s golden jubilee in his constituency.

According to Bartlett, the pageant which will form a part of the Jamaica 50 Legacy programme, will be held on August 4 at the Success John Rollins All-Age School, Rose Hall, in the East Central St James constituency.

The 12 girls who were drawn from a dozen communities across the constituency, will be judged on their knowledge of community activities and development.

“The pageant is aimed at selecting girls with inner beauty, character, talent, community involvement and leadership qualities,” Bartlett told the Observer West.

“The girls should symbolise the true beauty of the Jamaican woman going into the next 50 years”.

Another event, the grand gala celebrations, which will unfold on August 5 at the Aqueduct in Rose Hall, is also among the three main items of the Jamaica 50 Legacy programme, the MP has planned for his constituency.

“This is a grand gala which we usually have but this one will take on a special flavour this year,” Bartlett noted.

He further revealed plans to provide 50 special bursaries for secondary and tertiary students and teachers in East central St James, to mark the golden jubilee celebrations as well.

The special grants, he disclosed, will be an addition to the scholarship programme already in place for students and teachers under the East Central St James Education and Welfare Council, that also provides nutrition, clothing and other support for students.

Last year, Bartlett announced that a total of $10million would be spent this year under the education and welfare council, up from last year’s $7 million. He said that each million would represent one of the 10 years he has been the member of parliament for the constituency.

Bartlett was elected Member of Parliament for East Central St James on the Jamaica Labour Party’s ticket in the 2002 general elections, when he beat the People’s National Party’s Donald Colomathi by 1,224 votes.