By Cedric Johnson, Gleaner WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
IF SOME councillors and party delegates have their way, JC Hutchinson, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parliament for north-west St. Elizabeth will be sidelined come the next General Elections, which is constitutionally due in 2007.
A 'dump Hutchinson' campaign is reportedly gathering momentum in the constituency as two of the three parish councillors and 10 of the 200 party delegates are reportedly seeking wider support in a bold bid to have Mr. Hutchinson replaced as early as possible.
DETRACTORS
The campaign against Mr. Hutchinson, reportedly started immediately after he narrowly won the seat, long considered a safe JLP seat, in the 2002 General Election. Indications are that his detractors believe he is not doing enough to preserve the party base in the parish. The campaign has picked up momentum within recent weeks as Peter Sangster, who contested and lost the east Kings-ton and Port Royal seat in 2002, is reportedly making frequent visits to the constituency.
"Ninety per cent of the Labour Party supporters here have lost respect for the MP because he doesn't respect us," said Broderick Wright, the councillor for the Lacovia division. "The quality of the representation he has been offering is poor and it is the general view among most of the delegates and the people, that he should go now."
LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
"They (the party's leadership) have been telling us to wait while they deal with the matter but we are in no mood to wait," said Councillor Wright, who told The Gleaner that a strong petition with hundreds of signatures was delivered to party headquarters two weeks ago demanding Mr. Hutchinson's removal. "There is lack of transparency in the way he is dealing with the people's business. None of his councillors know how he is using the monies allocated to him."
While Mr. Hutchinson was not available for comment on the situation, a source close to him told The Gleaner that he has no intention of stepping down. "It is the delegates that matter, not the councillors and he has the overwhelming support of the delegates," the source said.
However, while Evan Chen-Lyn, the councillor for the New Market division, has made it clear that she still supports Mr. Hutchinson, some of her constituents have seemingly joined the 'dump Hutchinson' campaign.
"Yes, he must go now, we have no use for a MP who has no interest in the people he is supposed to be representing," said Duke Williams, a resident of New Market.
In addition to Mr. Sangster, who has strong family ties in the constituency, Basil Perriel, former councillors Winston Lewis and Harry Murrell are said to be among those interested in replacing Mr. Hutchinson.
