Eighty-seven-year-old farmer Charles Smith, otherwise called ‘Water Boot’ of Bath, said he would rather go to his grave than mark a ballot in support of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
“I would prefer to die than vote for them (JLP)”, the People’s National Party (PNP) diehard told the
Jamaica Observer yesterday.
“I Would never vote for them because they fight against everything the party and [Michael] Manley do,” he added shortly after casting his ballot at Bath Community Centre.
Smith, who was born in Portland before moving to the St Thomas Western community, said the first time he voted for his beloved party was “in the 1950s”.
“I love the PNP from when Norman Manley was in charge… I love him because he was the one who mek wi get more money for our bananas as farmers,” Smith said.
He said his love for Norman Manley carried over to the late premier’s son Michael “for the lot of good him try to do for poor people”.
“That’s why I don’t like Labourite because everything Michael do dem fight against it… him bring in Home Guards, Gun Court and JAMAL, which good fi people, and dem fight it dung,” said the ex-Home Guard, who had an old identification card to prove that he served in the citizen security service introduced in the 1970s.
Having voted in every general election since his first in the 1950s, Smith is hoping he’ll be around for another five years to mark his ‘X’ you know where.
“I would love to be around for another one (election),” he said.
He said although he has met Dr Fenton Ferguson only once, he had high marks for the man who won the St Thomas Eastern seat five times leading up to yesterday’s election.
“He’s a good MP, and it’s because of him I have water in my yard… he has a good relationship with the citizens,” Smith said.
Well know I hope uno realize that’s why this election made history! Close down to the wire, the PNP may be fed up, but they’re not going to vote JLP, they rather not to, than vote against them, I am sorry, I can’t forget when I was younger and campaigning for Pain p according to them, mi see some Jail hell p bed deh pan drug, and them still a seh showa, them guh check dem mp fi a tin a baby feeding fi dem 8 pickney, big woman fi me in them times deh, them always been the one begging, when we a get contract, get house, every pain p youth a ride S 90 bikes so I remembered these things, so does a lot of other people, we were the ones sharing what we get from our party, with them , facts, so Jail hell p have to convince the people that them change, and is willing to help grass roots people that got what they have through Manley regime.
What you get from your party never belong to your party. It belonged to every single person living in Jamaica.Even when people don’t “X” at the head or the bell the resources should be INCLUSIVE of ALL the citizens. Granted one may benefit a little more.
I hope this will be the end of what you embrace as good politics, SkettelBam.
No matter who in power u suppose to have water in a ur yaadd! Basic human rights
Me cannot understand dem mindset at all.
JLP dont need ur old vote..u old and licky licky a suh PNP stay dem love sweets JLP win wid out ur old vote a young ppl time old stay bad man
:ngakak bush politics.
All when him donkey a rotten dis man still want it fi get up and climb.
Good riddance when dem breed yah dead out. Cause me no see hiw him miss ferguson failures on behalf of the entire nation and not a district.
Morning Met.
Thank God this breed a die out. Jamaica first always. Ferguson believe premature babies are not babies in the real sense. He should never be able to represent any jcans again in life.
Amen.
What’s historical about this election is that people are waking up from the mental enslavement that dis ole man has spent his life locked into.
Long live free will, free thinkers and utilitarianism.
Cooyah! Before dis ole man ya go tell de people dem someting more constructive (like how God spare him life fe him live fe see 87), him a talk bullshit. Mr ole man, yu cannot shake hand with a clenched fist! The people dem have spoken sir, because dem fed up a de hogwash, and really really need a change of de same old, same old. Go find a nearby hammock somewhere in a tree, and go rest yu old and tyad body inna it.
God bless Jamaica and the new mindset of the Jamaican people. Inclusiveness we seh, no more tribalistic politics. I’m so happy the politicians can no longer control the young minds and influence them to go kill off dem one a neda.