FOUR hundred and ninety candidates were yesterday nominated to contest the 228 parish council divisions and the mayorship for the Portmore Municipal Council for the November 28 local government elections.

Both the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), as expected, nominated the full slate of 229 candidates for the elections, while 32 independents will also be contesting the polls.

Unlike nomination earlier this year for the February 25 general elections, activities were low-keyed at nomination centres across the island. With schools in session, businesses open, heavy traffic in urban areas, and people going about their business, it would be difficult for some to tell there were nominations for elections if some supporters had not been so noisy, unruly and showed disregard for the rules of the road.

The people who matter — political leaders, supporters and candidates — however, ensured that all nominations were done, with the next few weeks dedicated to canvassing and hoping they will get the votes out on November 28.

Apart from an unrelated shooting incident in which the son of former Tivoli Gardens community leader Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke and another relative were shot in Kingston West, the day’s activities went incident-free. The shooting, which involved rival gangs, reportedly took place just after the nomination of candidates.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who accompanied his three candidates to the nomination centre in his West Central St Andrew constituency, said he is totally committed to changing Jamaicans’ lack of interest in local elections.

“It is a statement of a lack of trust, most of all, but also a lack of belief that government can actually do something different. I am totally committed to changing that, to show the Jamaican people that we have political leaders, within both political parties, who can make a change in Jamaica,” he told reporters covering the nominations for the November 28 local government elections in his constituency.

Holness said that he was trying to create an atmosphere in which Jamaican political leaders can flourish, and good policies can come to the fore and produce results, so that Jamaicans can “start believing in their democracy, again”.

He said that when the people withdraw from the democratic process and allow government to do whatever it likes, things often shift away from what is right.

“However, I am very optimistic and confident that this will change,” he said.

At the same time, Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller said that although the PNP lost power to the JLP in the general election on February 25 this year, she does not believe that the majority of the people will let her party down a second straight time.

Responding to journalists at yesterday’s Nomination Day at the Greenwich All-Age School in her St Andrew South Western constituency, Simpson Miller said she is optimistic of a victory by her party in the local polls.

The PNP holds power in all 14 municipalities, but based upon the results of the last general election, it is widely felt that the JLP will gnaw away at some of that achievement and take some councils.

Overall, there are 228 divisions across Jamaica.

“We have high hopes. The candidates are on the ground and working very hard. I hope that we can continue to lead local government in the country,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Portmore mayoral candidates Leon Thomas (PNP) and Keith Blake (JLP) will have to convince residents of the municipalityin coming days that they are capable of finding a solution to the mosquito nuisance affecting the more than 30 communities.

Thomas, the former councillor for the Hellshire Division and acting mayor of the Portmore Municipal Council, and Blake, the former councillor for the Independence City Division, will face the electorate on November 28 in what is expected to be a hotly contested election.

Yesterday, residents of several communities insisted that their greatest concern in the municipality is nagging mosquitoes.

“As five o’clock come yuh affi lock up, don’t make a minute after five catch yuh or a it dat,” Desmond Wallace, a resident of Greater Portmore told the Jamaica Observer.

“Some a dem big like crab!” another resident said.

Both argued that it was uncleaned drains that have worsened over the years why the problem now persists.

“We have a plan; I’m not going to share that plan with you right now, but we have a plan to deal with mosquito infestation and we’re going to roll out because it is going to be very effective,” Blake told journalists when asked about the issue.

At the same time, Thomas said the ruling partying was play politics with the issue, as he failed to answer the question.

“I can tell the residents of Portmore that it is clear sabotage because the election is coming up. Seven days make one week and what they should be doing is rotate the spraying in Portmore and they are not doing so. They want to play on the people’s mind to vote against us as the People’s National Party candidates. So I’m just saying to them make certain that you come out and vote,” said Thomas, who was appointed acting mayor after the death of George Lee in 2013.

— Balford Henry, Horace Helps and Kimone Francis contributed to this report