THE JLP is comfortably ahead in the up-coming contest for the St. Andrew North Central seat.
The candidates are Karl Samuda for the JLP, Barbara Clarke for the PNP, and Garnett White for the United People's Party.
By the Constituencies (Boundaries) Order 1976, made by the Governor-General under Section 67 of the Constitution of Jamaica and which came into operation on November 24, 1976, the number of constituencies was increased from 53 to 60. St. Andrew North Central was created in 1976 with the boundary almost twice the present size.
The constituency of St. Andrew North Central is bounded from the intersection of Dunrobin Avenue and Dukharan Avenue, westerly along the northern side of Washington Boulevard to Rochester Gully. It then goes northerly along the eastern and southern sides of the gully to Red Hills Road, northerly along the eastern side of Red Hills Road to Constant Spring Gully, easterly along the southern side of the gully to Mannings Hill Road. From there it goes northerly along the eastern side of Mannings Hill Road to the quarry at a point opposite to the end of Innswood Drive, and from that point north easterly in a straight imaginary line to the end of Innswood Drive. Then it goes easterly along the southern side of Innswood Drive so as to include both sides of Innswood Drive to Old Stony Hill Road, northerly along the eastern side of the Old Stony Hill Road to a point opposite Casa Monte Gate, thence easterly in a straight imaginary line to the eight-mile post on Stony Hill Road at Red Gal Ring. It then goes southerly along the western side of Stony Hill Road to the southern boundary of the Constant Spring filter plant at the urban and suburban boundary line, easterly along the southern side of this boundary line to the foothills, along the foothills to a point four chains above the reservoir at the old Cherry Gardens Works. From this point it goes in a straight line to the Sandy Gully, south westerly along the western side of the gully to Shortwood Road to Grants Pen Road, westerly along the northern side of Grants Pen Road to Constant Spring Road, north westerly along the northern side of Constant Spring Road to West Avenue, southerly along the western side of West Avenue to Dukharan Avenue, continuing westerly along Dukharan Avenue to the starting point.
Douglas Vaz (JLP), polled 8,723 votes in 1976 to defeat by a 763 majority, Louis A. Phillips (PNP), who polled 7,962 votes. In 1980, Douglas Vaz polled 16,629 votes to trounce by a majority of 10,478, Douglas Graham (PNP), who polled 6,151.
In 1989, Karl Samuda (JLP) who had a massive 5,646 majority over Carlyle Dunkley (PNP), in St. Andrew North Western (1980) shifted to the newly- created St. Andrew North Central (1986 constituencies (boundaries) alignment). Karl Samuda (JLP), polled 7,017 votes to 5,144 for Shirley-Ann Eaton of the PNP, winning by 1,873. Karl Samuda left the JLP within two years of his 1989 victory and eventually crossed the floor to join the PNP. In 1993 he ran on the PNP ticket and had a very narrow victory 171 votes over Thomas Tavares-Finson of the JLP. In 1997, Karl Samuda created history by returning to his first love, the JLP, and successfully defended the St. Andrew North Central seat on the JLP ticket. He polled 4,558 votes to defeat by a majority of 949 votes, Sonia Rickards (PNP), who polled 3,609 votes. By virtue of this victory, Karl Samuda has secured for himself a unique place in the political history of Jamaica. He is the only Jamaican parliamentarian who has successfully represented a constituency (North Central St. Andrew) on the JLP ticket (1989), as a PNP candidate in 1993 and the JLP again in 1997. A remarkable feat indeed. All available data put Karl Samuda comfortably ahead in the up-coming contest for the St. Andrew North Central seat. Rise "Sir Karl" enter thou into the political "Hall of Fame".
Anthony Myers is a statistician and political analyst who has done work for the Electoral Office of Jamaica and for the People's National Party.
