‘Not even eat mi nuh eat’ - Residents depressed after MP loses election

Some residents of Kingston Central are taking Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate Donovan Williams' loss in Wednesday's general election hard.

"Everybody just deh inside since last night (Wednesday). Nobody nuh deh pon the road because everybody feel down say him lose. You nuh see how the place look?" questioned 73-year-old Maxine Shepherd, the lone figure spotted looking out on Lad Lane on Thursday.

"Mi sit dung yah so a wait pon the excitement fi start cheer fi him. When mi hear say dem done count box mi ask if them mad because mi can't believe. All now mi nuh believe. People just disappointed like myself," she said, her voice breaking as her eyes welled up. A furious Michelle Larmond said that in her nearly 53 years on Earth, she has never seen a member of parliament (MP) implement so many changes.

"Last night (Wednesday) the way mi sit down before the TV, not even eat mi nuh eat. If mi neva did bathe last night mi wouldn't bathe again the way dem [news] lick me," she admitted.

"We a stand up fi wi rights because we want justice fi wi MP."

Allegations have circulated that a ballot box was found in a bathroom and that someone was arrested on Wednesday night in relation to it. But Director of Elections Glasspole Brown said he has not heard of such an incident.

"My returning officers nor the police have reported that to me and up to last night (Wednesday), based on the count, all the ballot boxes have been accounted for," Brown told THE WEEKEND STAR.

What cannot be dismissed, however, is the razor-thin margin of victory. After the preliminary count, the People's National Party's (PNP) Steve McGregor secured the Kingston Central seat with 4,739 votes, while Williams tallied 4,727 - a difference of merely 12 votes. Chairman of the JLP's Manifesto and Achievements Committee, Kamina Johnson Smith, said the party will be closely monitoring the official count of votes in the constituency and others. Meanwhile, residents said that Williams understands them, and has become like family.

"All my big son nuh go a nuh work the way him disappointed. It was a big disappointment [because] mi can't believe somebody weh do so much fi the community and people see him do the work and vote fi somebody else," one resident said.

On Fleet Street, some residents were also moved to tears while defending Williams. Among them was 79-year-old Dorothy Ranger.

"Donovan is so nice, mi not even live here but what him do fi this community him is a good MP. Mi really disappointed say him did lose. From morning I don't eat, only likkle tea," she said.

Another supporter suggested that Williams' win in 2020, in what has been considered a 'PNP seat' over the years, was proof of his worth.

"The people dem see say Donovan come and mek prosperity and it's not just about JLP or PNP, him give everybody. Look how the place look, the only zinc fence round here now is this old building and it's a project him ago start soon."