Candidate's death reduces options for Braeton voters

WHILE ELECTORS in 14 of the 15 Portmore municipal divisions vote on Local Government election day, June 19, to pick the first Mayor of Portmore and the Parish Councillors for their divisions, those in Braeton will vote to select the Mayor only.

The reason for this change is the sudden death yesterday of the Jamaica Labour Party candidate for the Braeton division in St. Catherine South.

With the death of the candidate, Winsome 'Myrna' Kidd, which family members said occurred from natural causes, the Parish Council election for that division will have to be postponed.

MAYORAL PICK TO GO AHEAD

However, the election for Mayor of Portmore will go ahead as scheduled since each voter in the Portmore municipal divisions of St. Catherine South, South Eastern and South Central will have two ballots, one for Mayor and the other for Parish Councillor of the respective division.

Section 20 of the Parish Councils Act, which deals with the procedure on the death of a nominated candidate, states in part:

"Whenever, before the closing of the poll, the returning officer becomes aware that any candidate has died since the close of the nominations, he shall, after communicating with the chief electoral officer, adjourn the election to some day being not more than one month from the day originally fixed for the election."

Ms. Kidd was a businesswoman residing in Brae-ton and was 51 years old on February 20. She had been ailing for a while. She was pronounced dead on being taken to the Spanish Town Hospital after her condition deteriorated, her relatives said.

Known in the Braeton community as 'Labour Mumma', she was involved in civic and community activities there, had founded the Braeton Golden Age Club and was a member of the Braeton Community Citizens' Association.

In a statement last night JLP Deputy Leader in charge of St. Catherine, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, said that the party was "very saddened by the sudden death.

"I am personally saddened and the party is very saddened about her passing. We knew she was ill, but we felt she was strong enough to go through with the campaign. She was a very dedicated and committed person to community and party. She was a longstanding member of the JLP and a very outstanding person in the Braeton community and somebody who was really loved and appreciated," Ms. Grange said.