PORT MARIA, St Mary — It was a carnival-like atmosphere outside the St Mary Municipal Corporation on Thursday as hundreds of orange-clad supporters of the People’s National Party (PNP) cheered on their representatives.

They alternated chants of their campaign slogan, “Time come” with shouts of, “New mayor in town” and “No more Creary”. Richard Creary, who is a member of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), was the mayor of Port Maria during the last administration.

One woman said they were celebrating as a PNP win means an end to the “victimisation” experienced in the past and the ushering in of an era of better management of the local authority.

“Better management now, tings a go run right!” she declared. Her frenzy intensified when the newly sworn mayor, Fitzroy Wilson (Boscobel Division), emerged from the council chambers.

In contrast to a sea of dancing orange-clad Comrades, a handful of JLP supporters sat quietly inside the Port Maria Civic Centre. As they left the ceremony, some were heard complaining bitterly that vote buying had played a role in the outcome of the February 26 local government election.

“Dem tief di election, buy whole heap of votes; a suh mek Smiley lose,” said one Labourite, referencing Jermaine Smiley who ran in Port Maria. It is an allegation that has dogged divisions in the rest of the country, and one which the PNP have staunchly denied.

In St Mary on Thursday, Corrine McDonald rubbished claims that her win was a result of anything except hard work. She defeated Smiley 1,651 votes to 1,540.

“I ran a bruk pocket campaign. Sometimes I didn’t have the money to give my workers to go home or buy water,” McDonald told the
Jamaica Observer.