Warmington wobbling, says Dr Waul’s campaign manager

That is the firm opinion of Donovan Clarke, campaign manager for Dr. Kurt Waul, who is mounting a significant challenge to unseat the veteran politician.

The 73-year-old Warmington, a member of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), has held the seat since 2002 and is seeking a sixth consecutive term in the upcoming General Elections on September 3. This is the second electoral face-off between the two men; Dr. Waul was drafted as a last-minute candidate in 2020 following the death of Rudyard ‘Kippy’ Mears and lost by over 5,000 votes.

However, Clarke argues that the political landscape has shifted dramatically. He points to Dr. Waul’s victory in the 2024 Local Government Elections for the Old Harbour South Division seat, where he defeated Lloyd ‘Brass’ Grant, a key ally of Warmington, as a critical turning point.

And it will be a whole different match this time around, Clarke told Old Harbour News.

Confident in his strategy, Clarke stated he “has come up with the formula” to dethrone the incumbent, a formula he says was central to the local government win. He attributes Waul’s growing appeal to his relentless constituency work.

“For so long, Warmington has been in the constituency for 23 years manipulating the people… Dr. Waul is the man that has been on the ground,” said Clarke, who is also known as ‘Prento’.

He claims Dr. Waul’s infectious persona and grassroots efforts have revitalized the PNP’s machinery, attracting admirers from across the political divide and creating a palpable orange current in a constituency last held by the PNP nearly three decades ago.

“Warmington is tired and needs to go into retirement in a good way, but he’s putting up a fight,” Clarke said. “We can see that his knees are wobbling. But remember in life, you can’t do more than your time.”

A former JLP supporter himself, Clarke emphasized that his allegiance is to community development, not party tribalism. He cited numerous instances of Dr. Waul providing medical care and financial support to constituents, including known JLP supporters.

“I’m not a person who believes in PNP and Labourite. I believe in community development and people; and Dr. Waul represents that,” Clarke stated. “He always says to me, ‘I’m a doctor. I’m here to save lives’.”

While acknowledging that independent pollsters predict a tight race, Clarke believes the campaign’s superior ground organization will prevail. He argued that much of Warmington’s support is for the party brand, not the candidate himself.

“People just love the Jamaica Labour Party. But as a person who has been on both sides of the fence, I can tell you… the Labour Party representatives don’t believe in youth, and that is where they’re going wrong,” Clarke contended. “A lot of bigger changes could happen in southwest St. Catherine if the MP just believed in youth and the future. He doesn’t. He believes in himself and his pocket.”

Clarke concluded that Warmington has failed to establish a tangible legacy, making the case for a new chapter under Dr. Waul’s leadership.