As was widely expected, another father and son team will sit in the Lower House when Speaker Pearnel Charles Sr swears in his son, Charles Jr, who clobbered his opponent Dereck Lambert in the Clarendon South Eastern parliamentary by-election yesterday by more than 6,000 votes.
They will join Peter and Mikael Phillips, as well as the husband and wife teams of Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Juliet Holness, and Daryl and Ann-Marie Vaz as immediate family members in Parliament.
Charles Jr earned the right to replace Rudyard “Ruddy” Spencer as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency with a comfortable win over Lambert, who scored zero votes in several polling stations.
The preliminary count after all 135 boxes were counted last evening showed the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP’s) Charles Jr polling 6,845 to independent candidate Lambert’s 738, with an 18.3 per cent turnout of the just over 41,000 people on the voters’ list.
“Give thanks to the Almighty for the strength to go through the last few weeks. Give thanks to the team members on the ground, the former member of parliament, the prime minister, all of the individuals from the various area councils who have come to give their support,” Charles Jr said as it became clear the votes had gone in his favour.
“Thanks to my family members, my friends, my colleagues who saw it fit to lend a helping hand,” he added.
Responding to questions about the hard work he will have to do in a constituency where the demands of residents are many, Charles Jr said the hard work had already started.
“And it will continue now. It continues now with specific authority. That authority must be seen in the context of enormous responsibility and so I am humbled by the turnout,” he said.
“When I was asked what the projection was, I didn’t give any number, but I did give an indication that because of the circumstances of this election people would not be inclined to extend themselves and vote. So, to see that more than 6,000 persons extended themselves, despite the circumstances to give their support, is something that I do not take lightly,” added Charles Jr.
Lambert, who was missing from the streets for much of yesterday, grabbed his votes from Comrades who were disappointed with the Opposition People’s National Party’s decision not to contest the by-election, as well as friends and neighbours.
In the period leading up to the counting of votes yesterday, Charles Jr accepted that the turnout was lower than anticipated but argued that his victory would show that Clarendon South Eastern supports the message he presented and residents are ready to move forward as one team.
“I am more focused on building a base in this constituency from this by-election,” Charles Jr told the Jamaica Observer as he downplayed the low voter turnout.
He said there were many people who were not known JLP supporters who had indicated that they would be voting for him.
“And if that turns out to be true it would mean that moving forward I would be able to establish a base in south east Clarendon that would not be just a political base,” he said.
“It would be a base that involves the community and persons who have accepted and understand my message of inclusiveness. That as a member of parliament my goal would be to serve everyone and get everyone involved in the process,” added Charles Jr.
“I don’t expect everyone to agree or even support, but whether you agree, you support, whether you are kind or unkind, you are my responsibility as MP,” Charles Jr said before moving to Mineral Heights for a victory session with senior party members and supporters.
Last night Holness, who is also the JLP leader, hit out at what he described as underhand tactics of the PNP during the election.
According to Holness, while the PNP said it would not contest the by-election it used measures to depress the voter turn out .
People claiming to be representing the PNP turned up at some polling stations and at the counting centre in Vere wearing shirts marked “Observer” in a move that was condemned by the election centre which was set up to monitor the by-election.