The Editor, Sir:

In her latest attack on Prime Minister Bruce Golding and the Jamaica Labour Party, your columnist Dawn Ritch seems to have been overcome by some element of confusion, which resulted in her stating in her article of Sunday, December 9, that " ... and the ruling JLP nearly lost the St. Elizabeth and St. Mary parish councils as well".

As Ms. Ritch should be aware St. Mary has been a bastion for the People's National Party (PNP) since the early '70s. In the 1980 elections, when the JLP swept to victory with a margin of 51 seats to nine, the PNP still won in St. Mary, even though they lost all their seats in Westmoreland, which is now their strongest parish.

Deficit to majority

Prior to the 2003 Local Govern-ment Elections, the JLP had only one councillor - Bobby Montague, Carron Hall Division - in the 13- member council. Under the guidance and leadership of Mr. Montague, the JLP team was able to turn a 1-12 deficit into an 8-5 majority and wrest control of the council from the PNP, this following a general election in which the three seats in the parish went to the PNP.

On December 5, the JLP not only retained the eight seats it held with increased votes and majorities in every division, but also won the PNP strongholds of Retreat and Islington, to make the tally in St. Mary, JLP 10, PNP 3!

Ms. Ritch would probably be deflated to know that despite the fact that her glorious idol, Portia Simpson Miller, personally campaigned against me in the Richmond division for what was supposed to be a formidable opponent, I received 1,630 votes as compared to 1,575 cast in the division in the September general election, and posted a majority of over 400 votes.

It is abundantly clear that what Ms. Ritch said in her column is rubbish and does not in any way mirror the facts.

I am, etc.,

RICHARD CREARY

Councillor

Richmond Division