Dr Norman Dunn yesterday reversed his narrow five-vote loss in St Mary South Eastern 20 months ago, giving People’s National Party (PNP) political newcomer Dr Shane Alexis a sound beating by more than 900 votes in a parliamentary by-election.
“The work has just begun. We can celebrate tonight because we should, but tomorrow is a new day for South East St Mary,” Dunn, who polled 8,176 votes to Alexis’s 7,230, told jubilant party supporters at a victory rally in the Annotto Bay square bus park last night.
A similar message was delivered by Andrew Holness, the prime minister and JLP leader. “While we bask in the glory and victory of tonight, tomorrow we go back to our reality. And I want you to understand that I appreciate the reality that you have been living; that I come from that reality; and that I am committed with 100 percent of everything I have, and I know the same for my team, to [change] the condition of the life of the people. After this election I cannot forget the people of South East St Mary,” Holness told the horn-blowing supporters.
“As leader of the Jamaica Labour Party I have tasted the agony of defeat, and I have also tasted the thrill of victory. And Labourites, for a long time, yearned for the thrill of victory; and now we see our party emerging not only as victorious but a party that has substance behind it,” he said.
“We hear that this election would be a referendum on the Government and my leadership. The only referendum in this election is whether or not someone who is not a Jamaican should sit in our Parliament,” Holness added.
His reference was to Alexis who, it emerged, is a Canadian citizen and who also holds a Grenadian passport.
Alexis’s nationality was publicised a few weeks ago by the JLP which, after winning the 2007 General Election, was rattled by the PNP which filed dual citizenship challenges against Daryl Vaz, Shahine Robinson, Michael Stern, Gregory Mair, and Everald Warmington.
