Land, loss and loyalty

Raw emotions surged through Portland Eastern, days after the general election, with People’s National Party (PNP) supporters and some independents declaring emphatically that the rejection of Ann-Marie Vaz was in their best interest.

Attorney-at-law Isat Buchanan, the PNP candidate, narrowly unseated the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Vaz, the immediate former member of parliament, securing 8,316 votes in the preliminary count to Vaz’s 8,181, in an election marked by land tenure concerns and socio-economic challenges.

Despite its reputation for peaceful living, lush scenery, and vibrant green tourism, an undercurrent of tension gripped the area on Friday, rooted in longstanding local grievances and the narrow electoral result.

“Most people, you see, them say if Labourite win, them a go take we off the land. So that in them mind. Them have that inna them system seh Labourite always take people off of land,” JLP supporter Byron Flemmings told The Sunday Gleaner on Friday.

Seated on a chair on the soft shoulder of Long Road finishing up a meal, Flemmings revealed that he is a squatter, pointing to land directly across from him which he said he has occupied for more than two decades undisturbed.

He was struck by disbelief and disappointment, when the votes were tallied two days earlier on September 3 and Vaz fell short by 135 ballots.

“Action Ann work too hard fi them vote her out because most of the roads in we area fix. You see where me live, is a capture land. So we have issues ‘bout land. But nobody never come to me and say them a move me from there,” he said.

“PNP win in this area on the land issue because them say them a go give the land. But I’m saying Labourite nor PNP never trouble we for the land or run we, but because PNP know them can win with the land, them always come with that issue,” Flemmings said.

The PNP had promised in its manifesto to amend the Limitations of Actions Act, reducing the 60-year requirement for squatters to claim land to 25 years. Meanwhile, the JLP pledged to distribute 25,000 land titles annually through a new Systematic Land Registration programme.

At Buchanan’s campaign base in Port Antonio, several supporters expressed determination to remove Vaz, seeing Buchanan’s victory as a beacon of hope for resolving the persistent land issues.

“This is a PNP column for more than 30 years. So we couldn’t allow them (JLP) fi rule we. One of the biggest problem we have, them want to take away the whole a we seaside. Even right in front Gungo Lane. A man there for 60 years and me and him a talk yesterday and him a say it hard for him fi be there for 60 years and somebody a come get it because them give him notice fi move. Everybody pon the seaside get notice. Even the craft market they want to take away,” said Andrew Scott, a middle-aged man who was seated among the group of people.

For Okeino Passely, a young man seated among them who appeared to be no older than 30, a vote for Vaz would be a vote against his interest.

For him and others, they felt threatened and were unable to shake the feeling that they were losing their hometown to special interests in the shadows.

“People like fi have a sense of ownership. When you going to try and root up people from that type of feeling, people a go fight back and that is what reach them,” he said, with support from Scott and a middle-aged woman, who gave her name as Eleise Brown.

According to Scott, it is Buchanan’s defence of persons at the Boston Jerk Centre why operations continue at the popular food spot.

In October 2024, the Portland Health Services ordered the closure of the centre amid reported issues with some food vendors that required various interventions.

Dr Sharon Lewis, medical officer of health for Portland, said there were improvements after the interventions but noted that they were short-lived.

On September 6, last year, three of the four jerk stalls were closed due to breaches, while the other was closed a few weeks later.

“Them do everything fi run weh the people them. Them tell you say get this list, you get it; them come back with a next list the next day. Every time you meet up with them, them have a next thing for you. So that mean say them a get rid of you, enuh. Is Isat make the people them get back Boston,” Scott said.

They decried the absence of the long-established Boston Jerk and Music Festival – put on by businessman and former PNP caretaker for Portland Eastern Colin ‘Shakka Fame’ Bell – which is customarily held in July.

Brown, who chimed in as the group defended their decision to vote against Vaz, said for many, the festival served as a source of income, which funded back-to-school expenses for many families.

“It’s the first year in Port Antonio we don’t have Jerk Festival. We don’t get the permit for the festival. You know how much money East Portland lose? People would have money now circulating in East Portland to send their kids back to school. People borrowed money from the bank. Everybody depend pon this thing,” Brown explained.

“It’s the first no Jerk Festival because it’s not benefitting her? No, she doesn’t own East Portland. She had to come down,” she added.

She said Bell promotes the festival overseas, drawing tourists to the constituency to occupy small hotels, guest houses and Airbnbs, generating income.

“Nothing happened. The parish dry because of the member of parliament. No Jerk Festival. Every member of parliament have to give us road, water and light. That is a necessity. The road was here before her,” Brown said, rejecting the social media narrative that a hardworking Vaz was voted out of office by “ungrateful” constituents.

Further, the group said PNP supporters found it difficult to live under Vaz as the parliamentary representative, claiming that benefits only went to JLP supporters and loyalists.

“When it comes on to PNP, it hard fi get work under fi ar governing so she did affi come down. We did affi vote her out,” Passely said.

The Sunday Gleaner was unable to reach Vaz for comment. Persons seated just outside of her office said she was not on location. Calls to her cell phone went unanswered and a request for comment sent via WhatsApp went unanswered.

In Fellowship, three men who gave their names as Rocky, Garry McLeod and Lucky had differing views about Vaz’s stewardship. The latter two support the PNP.

Rocky said he voted to keep Vaz in office because of the work done. But according to Lucky, the work done by her could have been done by anyone else.

“She in there so long and me nuh really see she build nuh infrastructure. Because the patching of road is nothing. Anybody can patch road. Me nuh see she cut a road or build a health centre or even a school weh me can say, yes, she do this or she do that. She put up two light a park that a nuh nothing,” the man said, noting that the people around Vaz often steer her away from the houses of PNP supporters.

He also pointed to the main road leading to Berrydale where rafting on the Rio Grande takes place, noting that it is in need of repair, but said nothing has been done. According to him, the activity is a source of “foreign exchange” and an income-earner for several communities.

Joy turned into sorrow

In Blackrock, a group of Vaz’s supporters gathered in a bar off the main road, openly mourning her loss. Some admitted they hadn’t eaten since the results came in, noting that politics is a serious matter for them. They did not want to be identified.

They told The Sunday Gleaner that a football game organised by Vaz for today in Commodore will not be the same because the election result has turned their joy into sorrow.

But seated among them was one Buchanan supporter, who could not relate to the misery, though his celebration was muted.

A diver by profession, he said a vote for Vaz meant a vote against his livelihood.

“Ann-Marie want sell the beach them. No fisherman nuh vote fi her. None,” he declared boldly.

But JLP supporters in Manchioneal told a different tale of the kind of member of parliament Vaz was. The sentiments of disappointment were palpable.

They struggled to come up with reasons for the shift away from her, insisting that the constituency must “suffer” as a result.

“The PNP them nyam out the woman and gone to ray ray. The whole of them line up and collect the woman $5,000 voucher and go buy uniform fi them pickney and then turn them back,” said Stefanie Sharp, referring to the back-to-school assistance provided by Vaz.

She and neighbours Winsome Knowles and Ingrid Knowles said the election result angered them, while declaring that they were not beneficiaries of the back-to-school assistance but supported Vaz because of her work in the constituency.

“She is a good MP. Me see road. All up inna Millbank bush bush she cut road after how many years and give them and them vote out the woman. So me nuh know,” the elder of the two Knowleses, Winsome, said.

“She’s a very nice person. Jovial,” Sharp added.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com