ISLINGTON, St Mary — Dennis Lecky is on a mission to end the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) drought in the Islington Division in St Mary Central.

The seat was held, until he passed away last year, by Lincoln Dixon who ran on a People’s National Party (PNP) ticket in 2012 to defeat Dave Morris. On Monday, Dixon’s childhood friend Everton Garvey will do his best to beat back the challenge from Lecky and retain the seat in honour of his late Comrade.

Interestingly, Lecky’s lineage also traces back to the PNP. His grandfather, T P Lecky, a renowned agricultural scientist, was a strong supporter. Thirty-seven-year-old Lecky explained why he broke from family tradition.

“It’s not the same party it was that had real gentlemen who had nation-building in mind. Now what you see is the remnants of that,” the young farmer said in an interview with the
Jamaica Observer.

He said his decision to enter representational politics was driven by the need to foster development in Islington. That is something which he believes the division now lacks.

“The division itself is in need of change in terms of leadership and a new vision to bring about development that is needed. Based on what I see, the division is probably 25 years behind, which should not be. A lot of the districts, instead of going forward, remain the same,” he said.

Lecky believes that his youthful vibrancy and forward thinking will give him an advantage and that he will be elected.

“I believe my candidacy will bring about changes. I will focus on the youth — getting them trained by various agencies such as HEART and get them working,” he promised.

“We know the bread and butter is the road, water and street lights. My leadership will help the people to move forward through development,” he added.

Voters will decide, on Monday, if Lecky will be the one to take the division back for the JLP after 17 years of representation by the PNP.

In 2007 the PNP’s Cecil Palmer lost the Islington Division to the JLP’s Dave Morris 1,374 to 1,347. The PNP reclaimed it in 2012 when Lincoln Dixon defeated Morris 1,789 to 1,106. Dixon retained the seat in 2016, defeating businesswoman Terry Ann Davidson 1,492 to 1,438.