Gallimore wants back Duncans Division

Derrick Gallimore

A tug-o-war is brewing in PNP camp of the Duncans Division in North Trelawny.

Even as the People’s National Party (PNP) will be looking to wrest the division from the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) come the next Local Government Election, constitutionally due by March, this year, the ruling party is faced with the ticklish situation of who will be its standard bearer.

Chairman of the Duncans Division, Trevor Burnett, has been gearing up to be the flag-bearer and has been working it with that in mind. However, former chairman, Derrick Gallimore, wants back the seat. 

Phillip Service, secretary of the PNP’s North Trelawny Constituency, confirmed that he had received Gallimore’s application but he could not say who is likely to find favour with the party as the next candidate. .

Gallimore vacated the seat early last year citing personal reasons and Burnett later filled it. With that, Burnett, 26,  became one of the youngest divisional chairmen to take control of the division.

With local government elections now on the horizon, both men have indicated their intention to unseat the current, Councillor Donavan White.

Speaking on his decision to return, Gallimore noted that he was giving in to the cry of the people. He claimed that persons from both sides of the political divide had approached him about the state of the division and he wanted to help. 

He noted that he had been advocating since 2002 even though he had not won the seat, but believed that he could do it now if given the chance. Gallimore pointed out that on his first try at taking the seat, he lost by over 500 and the time around by a mere 36 votes. He has interpreted that to mean the people were ready for a change come the next election. 

Burnett too, said he was ready for the job at hand in contesting the elections. He noted that since his venture into the division he has worked hard and had received a lot of support from the constituents. 

Burnett added that he has begun to feel welcome and he believed that he could win the seat. 

The young politician explained that he had big plans for the division and expected to see development in Duncans, which has been lacking for some time.

But with each committing to support whoever is chosen by the party to it may boil down to whom the party feels is best equipped to win the parish council seat.