St Catherine South West poll result makes interesting reading

Since taking over the reins in the first half of 2019 from the late Rudyard Mears, Waul has been undaunted working the nook and cranny of the constituency.  To his credit he works to his strength, providing free back-to-school medical to thousands of children in the constituency, while offering to assist the people whenever and in whatever way he can.

But in his opponent and incumbent lies a politician who knows all the tricks in the book. Over the years he has made the bread and butter issues of the people a priority, a strategy that even his staunchest critics have lauded him for.

The political atmosphere was already being charged up by the time the election date was made public as both major parties had boots on the ground canvasing.

So when Old Harbour News launched a Facebook poll on the night of August 11, minutes after Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared in the House of Representatives that Jamaicans will go to the polls on September 3, the immediate response from the constituents was expected.

Within hours of that late night, more than 100 persons had selected either Warmington or Waul.

For the first week both candidates exchange leads at various points. Both also led by as much as 20 votes at particular stages. However, generally speaking, Dr Waul stayed in front majority of the time.

But after two weeks of participating in our poll, the results make interesting reading with 792 votes cast.

Just like a classic Super Stakes Day at the races, Warmington ate away at the deficit to finish just in time and end the contest in a dead heat. Both candidates received 396 votes each in response to the poll question that asked ‘Who will you vote for to become your Member of Parliament for St Catherine South West?’

Whilst it cannot be established beyond a shadow of a doubt that all who participated in this poll resides in the constituency and will definitely be voting on Election Day, notwithstanding the negative impact the coronavirus could have on voter turnout, the findings provide plenty food for thought within both camps.

Given the underdog status being worn by Dr Waul, his supporters will be buoyed by their performance shown in this online poll, particularly when taken within the context of the thrashing Warmington gave Mears in the 2016 General Election as the JLP tightened their grip on the seat with a massive 2,816 margin of victory.

Warmington’s juggernaut will not be bothered though by the end result, but won’t be complacent either. The 68-year-old standard bearer has been in politics for half-a-century and will be concentrating on fine-tuning his political machinery that is very familiar with crevices and corners of terrain it has served for a total of 21 years. He has proven time and time again that he knows the game very well and doesn’t need the popularity of the party leader to secure victory for himself and the JLP.

In the last election 20,071 of the 36,778 eligible voters in the constituency took part in the democratic process. In a time of a global health pandemic fewer people may participate to determine which candidate they would want to represent them in Parliament. Therefore, and as is always the case, getting persons to leave their homes to vote on the day will be crucial, even moreso this time around.
Ultimately, it’s the votes that count.