Ricketts says his votes still intact

Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) presidential candidate Michael Ricketts said he is confident that he still has the support of eight parish associations ahead of the September 16 election.

STAR Sports yesterday received reports that two parish associations have switched allegiance to rival candidate Ambassador Stewart Stephenson, who said he already has five associations in his favour.

In order to win the election to become the next JFF president, the successful candidate needs a majority number of votes from the 13 parish associations.

"I have not even the slightest inclination that that would've happened, that two of my persons would have walked across to Stewie," Ricketts told STAR Sports.

"I don't know anything about that and I don't believe that. If that would've happened, I would be peeved, seriously. I have no reason at all, even to think that two of my persons would've switched," he added.

Ricketts has claimed his parish, Clarendon, of which he is president, Manchester, St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James, Trelawny and Portland.

Stephenson said his support will come from St Catherine, Kingston and St Andrew, from where he stepped down as president earlier this year, St Thomas, St Mary and, most recent, St Ann.

St Ann's president Danny Beckford recently described Stephenson as "the lesser of two evils" and said he would get his vote. However, Ricketts is hoping to change his mind.

Very accommodating

"I have spoken to Danny twice," he said. "I still have intentions to speak with him again, before the elections. Danny has been very accommodating, but, at the same time, he has not been saying that he's gonna support me.

"We have had amicable settlement of differences that are affecting Danny. We have had discussions on a number of things, but to say that Danny will vote for me would be the farthest thing from the truth. I have spoken with him twice and we had an agreement that we would speak again."

When contacted by STAR Sports, Stephenson would neither confirm nor deny the reports, remaining coy on whether he has won over the two parish associations, saying though he has five sure votes so far, he is "confidently expecting enough votes to win the election".