Vaz retains Central Westmoreland seat – Malahoo-Forte expresses disappointment with voters
Central Westmoreland yesterday held its first by-election due to the untimely passing of Government minister Roger Clarke in August.
While it was a less than stellar voter turnout of only 38.2 per cent according to the Electoral Office of Jamaica, Dwayne Vaz managed to amass a respectable 8,720 votes allowing him to retain the Central Westmoreland seat for the People’s National Party (PNP).
His two opponents Faye Reid-Jacobs (representing the JLP) raked in 6,268 votes while Independent Astor Black earned a slender 58 votes.
The by-election also saw the lowest voter turnout ever in a contest for the parliamentary seat which was created in 1959.
Opposition Senator Marlene Malahoo-Forte wasted no time to express her disappointment with the results.
According to the Observer, following the defeat of JLP candidate Faye Jacobs-Reid to the PNP’s Dwayne Vaz’s in yesterday’s constituency by-election, Malahoo-Forte took to social media network Twitter to voice her disappointment.
Using the handle @oohalam, she tweeted:
“Majority of #WestmorelandCentral voters continue to put themselves in position to be taken for granted by voting as they have. #disappointed”.
Malahoo-Forte, who contested the seat in the December 2011 polls, lost to Roger Clarke by 3,042 votes, polling 8,522 to Clarke’s 11,564.
Source: Jamaica Observer