BUSINESSMAN RICHARD Azan of the People's National Party (PNP) pulled off one of the biggest upsets yesterday when he defeated Cliff Stone of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) for the Clarendon North Western seat.
A newcomer to representational politics, Mr. Azan has turned back a seasoned campaigner as Mr. Stone had served as a Minister of Government in the JLP Government of the 1980s. He was the Minister in charge of the Public Service. His seat was seen as one of the safest for the JLP going into an election that was expected to be close. However, it has been said that he "did not work" the constituency as much as he should.
Mr. Stone, who was the JLP's spokesman on labour, was one of the most senior members of the party. His was the only seat the party lost as it picked up key seats in the western parishes of St. James and Hanover and the north eastern parish of St. Ann.
Dabdoub teaches Mitchell lesson
ABE DABDOUB, attorney-at-law and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate for North East St. Catherine, has for the second time defeated school teacher Phyllis Mitchell of the People's National Party (PNP) to retain his seat.
The attorney polled 5,278 votes to 4,605 votes for Mrs. Mitchell in what was described as a borderline constituency in the weeks leading up to the General Election.
Mrs. Mitchell was confident she would have regained the seat that she won in 1993 and again in 1997, before she was unseated by the Election Court in June 2001, three-and-a-half years into the life of the last Parliament. Justice Basil Reid, in handing down the decision, agreed with Mr. Dabdoub who had filed a complaint that voting in the constituency was marked by irregularities on December 18, 1997.
He found that Mr. Dabdoub had won the seat by 23 votes. The earlier result had Mrs. Mitchell winning by 30 votes. Mrs. Mitchell served as a junior minister at the Ministries of Housing and Environment and Education and Culture under the P.J. Patterson administration.
Colomathi loses out to veteran
DEPUTY LEADER of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Ed Bartlett is back in Gordon House.
Mr. Bartlett, a business executive, yesterday defeated the People's National Party's (PNP) candidate Donald Colomathi, to take the East Central St. James constituency.
Mr. Bartlett received 6,315 votes to the 5,117 votes polled by Mr. Colomathi who was selected as the PNP's candidate for the seat after Violet Neilson indicated last year that she would not be contesting because of ill health. One box was not counted last night because the key was not available.
The JLP's Deputy Leader was MP for Eastern St. Andrew from 1980 to 1993, when he lost the seat to the PNP's Colin Campbell who went on to retain the seat in 1997. Mr. Bartlett went on to challenge Mrs. Neilson for the East Central St. James seat in 1997 but was unsuccessful in his bid.
But his decision to stick to the task and work the constituency, yesterday paid off with his victory. Mr. Bartlett is the JLP's spokesman on tourism.
, is among the second-string leaders of the party who are seen as standing in line to assume leadership of the JLP when Edward Seaga departs.
Mr. Colomathi, a 47-year-old mechanical engineer, farmer and social worker, was born and bred in the constituency. He served 16 years as Councillor for the John's Hall Division and was an aide for several years to Mrs. Neilson.
