THE ISSUES IT RAISES AS SAMUDA DIGS IN
IS THAT THE ‘SAFE SEAT’? IS THAT THE FINANCE MINISTER?
By Franklin McKnight
ST ANN’S BAY, St Ann, September 3, 2024
The announcement of the resignation of Marsha Smith as MP for North East St Ann didn’t surprise anyone in the Constituency or people in the region following the story. Well, why now, is the question to which intriguing political plots are the response.
Matthew Samuda has been doing all the politics as the JLP standard bearer for months. And after news of the announcement came and with it speculation about ‘safe seat’ for a replacement for the Finance Minister, Samuda’s support has coalesced. Said a member of his campaign team “Matthew is going nowhere “.
(Another presentation to Samuda who has been appearing at several functions across St Ann)
Then again, Samuda is now being mentioned as the likely replacement for Nigel Clarke. Add him to the list that includes David Panton (not in Parliament). But that casts a shadow toward a bye-election.
Marsha Smith had shown no appetite for representational politics after she was parachuted into the leadership of the Constituency by Andrew Holness, just before the 2020 elections. The threatened protests and cries of “unfair” by others considered as more likely candidates did not get in the way.
The JLP NE St Ann machinery supported the attorney and that was that.
Ms Smith is no Shahine Robinson. And the Constituency couldn’t top wanting the type of grounded Shahine-style in the business. They protested within a year, wanting Smith to go and said she wasn’t seen at funerals, wakes, and by the bars in St Ann’s Bay or Lime Hall. And she wasn’t using up the CDF to help the people in need.
She indicated more than two years ago she would not be running again. Meantime, she was shifted from the Ministry of Finance, where she was the state Minister of Education and Youth.
Enter Matthew Samuda, the Water Minister.
Mr Samuda has sunk his teeth into the work of representation and has been embraced by the four councillors and their divisional executives – Michael Belnavis, Ocho Rios; Genevor Gordon Bailey, Lime Hall; Ian Isaacs, Exchange and Dalas Dickenson, St Ann’s Bay.
Indeed, in all the run-up divisional conferences before the Local Government Elections in February, Samuda was the featured man. It was he who walked with them all to the EOJ office for nomination and supported them in the various events and sessions leading up to the February Polls.
(Samuda with his 4 councillor-candidates for NE at the Nomination Centre. They all won)
The JLP ran away with the four seats, one of only two Constituencies in St Ann to take home all the divisions for that Party. The other is NW St Ann, led by Krystal Lee. Samuda’s voice held sway in the appointment of Michael Belnavis to return as Mayor.
Since then Samuda has continued to organize the Divisions and respond to requests by Councillors, supporting programmes they have.
(Dr Ryan Simpson, PNP Caretaker Candidate NE St Ann, with his team on Nomination Day)
Then in the last week of August the river “come dung bank to bank” with what some call the Mother of all back to School treats. Said one Councillors “Is a whole heap of money spend. We never have it like that.”
(Back to School Treat flyer with Samuda the towering presence)
And then even at the Government function to announce the removal of the shift system at Ocho Rios on Monday, September 2, it was Samuda, not Smith whose face was showing.
The Party watchers say they don’t know why Smith has not resigned before but it was getting in the way. “She was like a shadow over our every move. Not doing anything for us but still there,” said a member of the Constituency executive who did not want to be identified. Now she says Samuda will have access to the Constituency Development Fund and rely less on his own resources.
She sees nothing in the announced resignation and couldn’t bother with the intrigue being suggested that the resignation clears the way for a by-election to get someone outside of the Present Parliament to fill the Post of Finance Minister.
“Matthew [Samuda] is going nowhere,” said the executive member. He has done the work and will be right here in North East when the elections are called. We would fight for that.” But that may only be part of the story.
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