ST THOMAS, Jamaica— Despite the imminent threat of COVID-19 and the parish-wide curfew that takes effect today, supporters of both major political parties in the St Thomas Western constituency are out in their numbers for Nomination Day.

As at 12:30 pm, the People’s National Party (PNP) candidate, Marsha Francis, was nominated, and her scores of supporters moved the day rave back to a section of the constituency called ‘Baptist’.

Despite it being 23 years since the PNP held this seat, Francis is confident that she will walk away as the Member of Parliament come September 3.

“I am confident because I have the support of the people,” she told OBSERVER ONLINE as she exited the Yallahs Primary School nomination centre. “The people have been giving a resounding sound that they’re tired of the underdevelopment. As a daughter of the soil, they believe that I can help, and I can pull everyone together to move forward in a positive way.”

Meanwhile, incumbent James Robertson, who represents the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), is comfortable that the recent improvements in the parish will secure him a fifth consecutive term, despite only winning by less than 500 votes in the 2016 general elections.

Robertson rode up to the nomination station on his BMW motorbike shortly after 12:30 pm. After being nominated, he laughed that his seat was “almost uncontested”.

“For the first time West St Thomas is getting its fair share of the pie,” he said. “We are getting a two-way four-lane highway from the Harbour View four lane bridge, built by [JLP] all the way to Yallahs bridge. We are getting new roads from Yallahs bridge, and new water lines. So this time when the road is dug up, and we have put in a new road with sidewalks and drainage, nobody is coming behind to lay pipes again as long as I’m alive.”

Robertson’s supporters could be seen and heard from as early as 9:00 am warming up in Yallahs Square.

Some 50.3 per cent of voters in this constituency voted for Robertson in the 2016 elections, while Francis secured just over 48 per cent of the votes.

The Marcus Garvey People’s Political Party’s (MGPPP) candidate Robert Cover received less than one per cent last election, having received 52 votes. He has so far not showed up for nomination

Candiece Knight