Dawes to boycott Portmore boundary talks as Vaz quits opposition post

St. Catherine South East MP Dr. Alfred Dawes has vowed to stay away from Portmore electoral boundary review meetings, branding the process a “kangaroo committee” and accusing the Government of gerrymandering as Jamaica’s newest parish takes shape.

Dawes told a weekend interview with The Gleaner that elected officials were being asked to rubber-stamp lines already drawn, with little real power to change them. On CVM’s Lead Story, he argued the parish was carved to carve eight People’s National Party strongholds out of East Central St. Catherine, splitting communities such as Phoenix Park and removing areas including Lime Tree, Lily Hut and Lakespen that have long voted there. He said Portmore’s tradition of consulting residents before boundary changes had been discarded, weakening the municipality’s directly elected mayor and citizens’ representation.

Director of Elections Glasspole Brown said the Electoral Commission of Jamaica and Electoral Office of Jamaica were acting on instructions from Parliament’s boundaries committee after Portmore’s designation and related court orders. He noted Section 67 of the Constitution bars constituency lines from crossing parish boundaries, and said parish boundary forums and advisory committees—members nominated by both major parties—have begun consultations. Brown stressed the electoral authorities’ remit covers constituency boundaries, not how the parish line itself was fixed, and that public submissions remain open.

Separately, Central Westmoreland MP Dwayne Vaz confirmed he has stepped down as opposition deputy spokesperson on roads and works after talks last Tuesday with the party leader. He said the move was driven by constituency organising—including new divisional chairs in Savanna-la-Mar and Petersfield—and his bid to become PNP Region Six chair to press for hurricane recovery resources in Westmoreland, Hanover and St. James. Vaz denied the decision related to sexual harassment claims by former councillor Julian Chang, and said he was never under police investigation over the matter.

Meanwhile, the Court Administration Division’s traffic-ticket drive to clear Kingston and St. Andrew Traffic Court backlogs drew criticism after motorists with warrants said they were held in a bathroom at the National Arena. One Voice Taxi Association head Lorraine Finikin called the conditions unacceptable and said letters of protest were being sent to the transport and justice ministers and the CAD. CAD chief executive Tracey Cameron-Anglin was quoted saying people on warrants needed a contained space and would otherwise go to Elleston Road lockup; CAD figures cited about 4,280 tickets and some $30 million in fines processed on one Wednesday. Finikin said no court action was planned yet.

The programme also marked the death of former cabinet minister and PNP stalwart Dean Peart. Commentator Lloyd B. Smith recalled Peart’s five consecutive terms in northwestern Manchester, his record of more than 14 community centres, and a legacy grounded in constituent representation.