ALBERT TOWN, Trelawny — Exuding great confidence, People’s National Party (PNP) caretaker candidate for Trelawny Southern, 53-year-old businessman Paul Patmore, has dared Prime Minister Andrew Holness to pull seasoned politician Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert out of retirement to contest the seat on a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) ticket in the next general election.
Dalrymple-Philibert stepped aside last year after a ruling by the Integrity Commission’s Director of Corruption Prosecution Keisha Prince-Kameka that she be charged for allegedly running afoul of the Parliament (Integrity of Members) Act, 1973 in filing her statutory declarations.
Following Dalrymple-Philibert’s resignation, JLP supporters in the constituency staged a boisterous march in Albert Town demanding that she reconsider her decision. The four-term MP has not given any indication that she will be returning to representational politics.
However, speaking during the PNP’s Trelawny Southern constituency conference last Thursday night, where he was presented as the party’s caretaker candidate, Patmore implored the media to send a message to Holness.
“Tell him that the people of South Trelawny realise that he can’t find a representative. But we are going to help him to find one. And we are saying Mister Holness, we know it is rough but send us Marisa Dalrymple. That is the one that we in South Trelawny want to give a [political] beating. We want to give her a beating,” a pumped up Patmore said.
He argued that the former MP should be held accountable for what he described as the poor state of roads, non-functional fire hydrants, police stations in need of repair and dams that have not been maintained.
“We can’t mek she get weh from we so,” Patmore told party faithfuls.
He theorised that she may be intimidated by the PNP’s strong showing at the conference.
“The only thing that I am sorry for tonight is that when she see this crowd yah she might change her mind and say she no bother want run. That is the only thing me sorry for. The time has come for Southern Trelawny to have better representation,” he added.
When he took the stage chairman of the PNP’s Trelawny Northern constituency Dennis Meadows bemoaned the length of time that the people of Trelawny Southern have been without parliamentary representation.
“Come September next month it will be a year since the former Member of Parliament resigned from this constituency. Almost a year you have been without a voice in Parliament. That to me is a demonstration of contempt by the Government for the people of south Trelawny,” Meadows argued.
“Whether you a PNP, whether you a JLP, you have the right to have a voice in Parliament. I guarantee you if this seat was in Kingston they would have called a by-election already,” he added.
For his part, PNP President Mark Golding commented on the throng that showed up to support Patmore.
“Workers and warriors and supporters when me come here enuh, to be really honest me never expect nothing like this. And when me see what a gwaan inna south Trelawny and how the ting tun up I say to myself, ‘Time come, time come’!” added Golding.
Patmore was also impressed by the massive turnout of supporters.
“Comrades, you make me feel proud tonight. Maybe some of the time I might have doubt you that you don’t love me. But right now I beg you to forgive me for thinking like that. You have proved me wrong once again,” he said.
A funeral director by profession, Patmore is a former independent councillor for the Lorrimers Division in Trelawny Southern.
PNP caretaker candidate for Trelawny Southern Paul Patmore (right) addressing party supporters in Albert Town Thursday evening. Looking on are PNP President Mark Golding (centre) and Lloyd Gillings who unsuccessfully represented the PNP in the Albert Town Division in the last local government election.
