Warmington submits ‘official retirement’ letter

The 71-year-old politician is the current Member of Parliament of St Catherine South Western since 2002 having also served the constituency between 1980 and 1983.

At a JLP conference last year the firebrand politician informed that he will not be seeking re-election at the next general elections constitutionally due in 2025.

Since then constituents, particularly those on the opposite side of the political fence, have expressed doubts about the sincerity of Warmington’s pronouncement on retiring.

Those doubts are seemingly now being put to bed with JLP General Secretary Dr Horace Chang disclosing in a Jamaica Gleaner report that Warmington has formally written to the party reiterating his desire to retire.

Based on Dr Chang’s comments the party has no intention of asking Warmington, a state minister with oversight responsibility for the works portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation headed by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, to rethink his position.

In fact via said Sunday Gleaner, Dr Chang also disclosed that the party has found a suitable replacement for Warmington and that the prospective candidate is already working the ground in the constituency.

Dr Chang did not name the candidate, however.

“Everald has written indicating his desire to retire and there is a young man there working the seat who should be confirmed,” Chang told the Gleaner.

Since his debut into representational politics at age 28, Warmington has been a sure bet for the JLP in terms of his winability, losing only once in 1997 upon his return from the United States.

He has evolved into a master politician who is extremely savvy in understanding the various nuances of representational politics.

However, is political career will forever be marred by his penchant to stoke controversy and off-the cuff responses which has seen him clashed many a times with the members and the leadership of his own party, the media, civic groups, and members of the public.

Notwithstanding his often unbecoming behaviour as a Member of Parliament and Minister, he retains strong support from within his constituency, evidenced by convincing wins in the last two general elections.