By Denise Clarke, Staff Reporter 
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE JAMAICA Labour Party team in St. James is gearing up to take over the St. James Parish Council in the Local Government elections due by March next year.
Opposition Member of Parliament for North West St. James, Dr. Horace Chang, said the candidates contesting the six Parish Council divisions in his constituency have already been selected, and are part of a strong JLP Local Government team in the parish.
"At this time, we have a good chance to take over the Council. We have a good team that we are happy with. I hope to bring a set of councillors to Montego Bay so that the Council can be looked up to," Dr. Chang told The Gleaner on Tuesday.
The JLP at present holds two of the 17 seats in the St. James Parish Council. Dr. Chang is relying on what he described as strong party organisation in his constituency, and a team that is well known to the constituents. He explained that two key issues will be taken into account during the campaigning period. "One is that the history that people tend to vote for the governing party in a Local Government elections and swing voters tend not to vote. The second is that the governing party with more resources will certainly make a big difference in the campaign," he noted.
The candidates are Eric Charlie Brown, a custom broker; Leeroy Williams, acting principal at the St. James High School; Noel Donaldson, an attorney; Charles Sinclair, an attorney; Courtney Ellison and Heroy Clarke, incumbent Councillor for the Rose Heights division.
Dr. Chang said all the candidates are known in their divisions, and declared that the party would not be putting forward any new faces with which the voters are uncomfortable.
"All of them are on my management team and worked with me on the campaign. We are not bringing any new faces to the people," he said.
