By Balford Henry and Devon Evans, Gleaner Writers 
The PNP's Arnold Bertram, who lost his seat in the final count by 169 votes and right is the eventual winner, Verna Parchment. - File
THE JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) has increased its tally of seats in last Wednesday's general election to 26, by reversing the close decision in the North West St. Ann constituency.
The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) said last night that the final count in the constituency, which had to be concluded at its Kingston office yesterday because of the violence which marked counting in Brown's Town, showed that the JLP's newcomer Verna Parchment had polled 7,507 votes to incumbent Arnold Bertram's 7,338, a victory margin of 169.
Mr. Bertram was Minister of Local Government and Community Development in the previous PNP administration. Mrs. Parchment, in sending Mr. Bertram packing, duplicated what Princess Lawes did to him in the 1980 October general election by winning the seat for the JLP.
Michael Asher of the National Democratic Movement (NDM)/National Jamaica Alliance (NJA) scored 75 votes and independent Toussaint Lewin polled 45 votes. Sixty-five ballots were rejected. There was a total of 118 ballot boxes.
The only other detailed final result made available by the EOJ yesterday was for North West St. Catherine, where the PNP's Robert Pickersgill scored 6,886 votes to the JLP's Dr. Sandra Nesbeth's 4,589. Mr. Pickersgill was Minister of Transport and Works in the last administration.
EoJ information officer, Neville Graham, said, however, that the final or official counts in all 60 constituencies were now completed, although not all the details were available. He said that the details should be available by weekend.
Mr. Graham said that with the completion of the official count, the EoJ's final party standing is 34 seats for the PNP and 26 for the JLP.
"That's the final situation. The only other count you are looking at is a magisterial recount, which is outside of our jurisdiction," he added.
As the result of the turn around in North West St. Ann result reached the parish, JLP supporters began celebrating. Mrs. Parchment, 39, is a registered nurse who worked for many years overseas. She was brought into the constituency as a caretaker for the JLP only 17 weeks before the October 16 general election, as a replacement for then caretaker Rick Thompson. However, from the outset she was beaming with confidence that with a good campaign she would win the seat.
With her victory confirmed by the EoJ, an elated Mrs. Parchment went on a tour of sections of her constituency yesterday and was met by hundreds of cheering residents at each stop.
One of the biggest gathering was in the district of Lewis, a known JLP stronghold, where hundreds of people came out to greet her. In other districts, people also came out in large numbers celebrating in the street and shouting "Away with Bertram".
At the end of the preliminary count, Mr. Bertram was declared the winner by 26 votes. The recount, which followed at the Brown's Town courthouse, was marred by frequent clashes between JLP and PNP supporters, who gathered in large numbers outside the precincts of the counting centre.
Tempers flared at the courthouse on Saturday. An enraged Bruce Golding had to be physically restrained by JLP Deputy General Secretary Pat Stephens to avoid exchanging blows with an equally defiant K.D. Knight who represented Mr. Bertram.
This forced Director of Elections, Danville Walker, on Saturday to shift the counting from Brown's Town to his office in Kingston.
An obviously delighted Mrs. Parchment told The Gleaner yesterday that she was happy for the people of North West St. Ann. "They needed representation for many years and I intend to offer them good representation," she said.
For the new MP, her number one priority is job creation for the many unemployed youths living in the constituency. She also want to see them become more skill-oriented. Number two on her priority list is the rehabilitation of roads.
"In my constituency, the roads are extremely terrible we also need a reliable water system," she noted.
Mrs. Parchment said that other areas of concern will be addressed in due course as she become settled in her new position.
The celebration which began in the morning is not yet over as the new MP said she will be organising a major victory party for her constituents, as soon as her management committee, headed by Thelma Gray, can come together and decide on a date.
"I want to say thanks to my management team and I also want to say special thanks to the people in the various districts who supported me throughout my campaign," she said.
