Protesters chant 'No to Portmore parish!' at ceremonial opening of Parliament

Scores of residents from Portmore, St Catherine along with several councillors of the People's National Party (PNP) used the celebration of the the ceremonial opening of Parliament to continue to chant their objection of the Government's moves to make Portmore the island's 15th parish.

The Government, using its majority, earlier this week pushed through the Bill in the House of Representatives which amends the Counties and Parish Act of 1867. If enacted, Portmore will be the first parish to be created in more than 150 years.

That, however, has not been going down well with the councillors who earlier this morning stood with other protesters near Gordon House waving placards and crying injustice at the Government's plans. For them, the move to make Portmore a 15th parish is purely for political reasons.

Some of the placards read: "This bill will destroy the people's rights", "Portmore's voice has been ripped away", "Boundary manipulation, excluded communities who get left out" and "No referendum, no consent".

"Over 14,000 people voted for me in the last local government election to elect me as their mayor, and the Jamaica Labour Party has so decided that they would go into Parliament, with a minimum of 24 people to overturn the rights of the people who have voted for me," said Leon Thomas, Mayor of Portmore.

- Corey Robinson

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