MP WINSTON GREEN IS DEAD

Opposition parliamentarian, Dr Winston Green of South East St Mary, has died.

One of his House colleagues confirmed reports that Green died at home at about 4:00 am on Monday.

So far there has been no indication of the cause of his death, with the details anticipated later today.

He is being remembered for his dedication to his duties as a MP. As recently as Sunday, he held a free health clinic for his constituents.

Dr Green, a medical doctor, narrowly defeated another medical professional, pharmacist, Dr Norman Dunn, in the February 2016 General Elections.

In the battle of the medics, Green won by only five votes upon the conclusion of a magisterial recount in March 2016.

This was after the seat had been awarded, after the preliminary count on election night, to Dr Dunn of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) with a margin of 74 votes. At the final count, however, Dr Green of the then ruling People’s National Party (PNP) was given a nine-vote margin after the Electoral Office of Jamaica indicated that a ballot box, with more votes for Green than Dunn, had been mistakenly awarded to the latter.

The magisterial recount reduced Dr Green’s margin to five votes, following which a Supreme Court challenge for the seat was announced, but very little has been heard of that that move since then.

The overall outcome of the February 25, 2016 General Elections handed the JLP the slimmest of electoral victories – 32 seats to 31 for the PNP – in the country’s history, with the party governing on a virtual knife’s edge since then.

Of particular note in the South East St Mary contest between Green and Dunn, was the high level of civility that was demonstrated by the two candidates during the campaign, with both refusing to be dragged into the typical mudslinging that generally defines serious campaigns nationally, especially where there is such close competition.