Daraine Luton, Sunday Gleaner Reporter

Homer White, PNP candidate for St. Catherine West Central. - Photo courtesy of the People's National Party

HOMER WHITE has identified the suit he plans to wear down Duke Street, Kingston, after the August 27 general election.

He says he will be elected toParliament to represent West Central St. Catherine even though the results of the last general election there would suggest that he is an underdog.

"I am going to beat him [Ken Baugh] come August 27, and I am confident of that," Mr. White tells The Sunday Gleaner.

White is no stranger to politics, but he cannot truly call himself a winner. In the 2002 General Election, he ran, unsuccessfully, against Olivia 'Babsy' Grange in Central St. Catherine. White picked up 2,965 votes to Mrs. Grange's 9,307.

This time around, he is in West Central St. Catherine, a seat that Dr. Baugh won from Alethia Barker by 2,704 votes in 2002.

Barker had won the seat in 1997 by 526 votes. In the 1993 General Election, Enid Bennett won the seat for the JLP by a margin of 85 votes over the PNP's Trevor Duhaney.

White said that since he has been thrust into the constituency 10 months ago he has sliced into Dr. Baugh's majority and he knows that he will see the results in the ballot box.

"I am almost sure that I am ahead of him. I am from the constituency and I have been campaigning for the past 10 months and things are looking very good," he reports. "One month ago, we were in a dead-heat situation, but I know I have gone ahead of him now," White said of his canvas in the constituency.

In a swipe at the JLP chairman, White said that Dr. Baugh's "non-performance as MP gives me a 50 per cent chance".

"He is my greatest asset. The Portia factor is giving me a 35 per cent push and myself the other 15 per cent," White said.

He adds: "Based on the work that I am doing, I would be surprised if I am not the winner, but I don't want to celebrate until the last ballot has been counted."