Michael McLean, Gleaner Writer

BAD ROADS, water, unemployment and community development are the main issues of concern residents of North West St. Elizabeth want the next Member of Parliament to focus on in their constituency.

The constituency, the poorest of the four in the parish, borders Westmoreland to the west at the New Market end and St. James to the North at the Elderslie-Niagara end.

A predominantly farming community, the constituency was created in 1959, where Gilbert C. Chamberlain of the People's National Party (PNP) won the seat over Neville C. Lewis of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) by 15 votes (4,615 to 4,600).

The constituency, a traditional JLP seat, has been won by that party nine times with the incumbent William J.C Hutchinson winning the last two elections. The PNP has won the seat twice.

Farming a very important support

Ann-Marie Warburton, a 32-year-old teacher and newcomer to representational politics, will challenge Mr. Hutchinson in the August 27 general election.

The latest voters' list shows that 17,155 persons are eligible to vote and last time out, 62 per cent of the electorate turned out.

The constituency is divided into three parish council divisions: New Market, Lacovia and Ipswich.

The constituency's mainstay comes from farming, with the emphasis mostly on the pineapple industry. Areas like Ginger Hill and Pisgah are the major pineapple growing areas of not just the constituency, but of the country.

Interestingly, there are no major industries stemming from the growing of pineapples, which of course means employment opportunities outside of farming is hard to come by.

A skills training centre did exist at one stage; however, that had to be closed in the 1980s, which points to the argument many residents pose when they say for more than 40 years they have not seen any changes or improvement in the constituency.

In reversing the 40-year-long stagnation, they claim exists, roads and water are among the first of the many problems the new MP should tackle.

"Bad roads are hampering the transportation of farm produce from the community to the markets and there is no piped water to help farmers with the irrigation of their crops," said Kaidian Stone, a 21-year-old librarian and resident of Chamtinam, a small farming district four miles east of New Market.

He said farmers, who are involved in pineapple production in the hill side communities, are suffering because of a lack of assistance from the MP and other agencies such as the Rural Agricultural Development Authority and the Jamaica Agricultural Society.

A retired teacher from the Lacovia division said another pressing concern in the constituency is the issues of unemployment and a lack of development. "As far as I know, there has not been any development in the constituency for many years, no training centre for the youths and only one housing scheme has been built in the constituency," the resident said.

Left J.C. Hutchinson, Jamaica Labour Party candidate for St. Elizabeth North West. Right: Ann-Marie Warburton, PNP candidate for St. Elizabeth North West.