CHRISTIANA, Manchester — A building contractor, who earlier this year switched allegiance to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) from the People’s National Party (PNP), says he feels victimised after stop orders were imposed by the PNP-controlled Manchester Municipal Corporation on a couple of his projects.

“I think this is the third attempt, so I feel victimised in some sort,” Adion Peart, a cousin of retired politician brothers Michael and Dean Peart, told journalists in Mandeville on Friday.

“It is the third attempt on some projects that I have been doing. I [also] do entertainment with the colour splash and we had some issues with the last one, which was resolved…I think, going forward, it is just [because] I made my political decision why it is affecting some of my projects and jobs that I have been doing,” he explained.

His comments follow the imposition of a stop order on the construction of a building in Christiana, which houses a new KFC restaurant.

On Thursday, mayor of Mandeville Donovan Mitchell told the Jamaica Observer that the stop order was imposed due to alleged building breaches.

“A stop order has been placed on the building until we get in the proper plans, until all of what should be done is done…everything has to be done in order,” he said.“We are not in the game of blaming people for not doing the right things. It is our responsibility to make sure approvals have been done for these buildings; and a stop order has been issued on that property and I am now awaiting the outcome — and I will be following up on it personally — to make sure all of this is done,” he added.

However, Peart believes he is being targeted due to his political switch.

“My political aspirations of moving from the PNP and joining the Jamaica Labour Party earlier this year, with the potential of becoming a candidate, is affecting some of what I see taking place here in Manchester,” he insisted.

News of his political switch was widespread in the lead-up to the local government election in February, as his brother Ryan Peart contested on a PNP ticket and won the Spur Tree Division in Manchester North Western. The constituency, now represented by the PNP’s Mikael Phillips, was Dean Peart’s former seat. Dean’s brother and former House Speaker Michael Peart previously served as Member of Parliament in the adjoining constituency of Manchester Southern.

The young Peart claimed that the building in Christiana was approved by the municipal corporation twice.

“Following up on the mayor’s comments and the stop order, I came in this [Friday] morning to find out the problem — which I notice that this building, I had completed the structure for it two years ago,” he said.

“We have a client that is to open next week and we got served a notice, to my acknowledgement, Thursday, November 14. Following up on the mayor’s report that it was served [last week], I just noticed it, so the problem that they have with the structure itself, we rectified that problem because it still is in the construction process,” he added.

He said the KFC outlet is scheduled to open within days.

“I am in dialogue with the council to rectify the issue that they have and I think I should, in short order, have that resolved so that the citizens of that area can have some fast food very soon… The younger set of people know how I operate and look after the community so I don’t think I will let this try to slow me down or stop me from doing the things I have been doing for this parish,” he added.