The 2014 Toyota Prado that infamously, without interference, rolled out of the Mayor’s garage at the Portland Council building, Port Antonio still will be in that parking spot but the privilege of travelling in it with a driver paid by the tax payer is now that of Wayne McKenzie, not Benny White.The other privileges of the mayor, including domestic staff and secretary go to McKenzie after Benny White was pulled down by a no confidence vote last week. A secretary will have to be appointed as the last one migrated.Last week’s removal of White as head of the political body, came as a shock to him and he called it deception. The person who voted against him first called it a mistake. But the deed was done.With five PNP members and four JLP in the Portland Parish Council, White knew that unless one of his own voted against him he wouldn’t lose. Moreover, at a meeting in Kingston, Wednesday night before the crucial Council vote, the PNP hierarchy instructed the PNP councillors not to vote against Benny White. North Coast Times sources say the meeting was stormy with the councillors detailing several issues and incidents with then Mayor White. However, the instructions were clear.
POWERFUL ROWLAND
On Thursday, the vote was by secret ballot and a shout went up in the meeting from longstanding member Dexter Rowland, PNP Port Antonio, that he had made an error on the ballot. Observers of Portland politics say there was no mistake and that the only man on the PNP side who could vote against White and not face party sanctions is Rowland, said to be the longest serving councillor in Jamaica, with 27 years as such and who some say should be mayor.In fact, Rowalnd could have stuck the knife in further had he taken the nomination as deputy mayor after Benny White had been pulled down but he declined allowing White to save some face.Nonetheless, Benny White took it hard. He said: “I am not a person who cannot stand defeat but deception by my own member…”He suggested his move from the JLP to PNP in the previous Council, influencing the removal of a previous mayor, was not deception. “The first thing is going to come to the news is that a few years ago I cross the floor and join the PNP but I resigned from the JLP. The situation is something that the party has to look into seriously because we had two meetings at the highest level of the party and the decision was that no member of the PNP should support a JLP motion.”
One of them did.
