Bogle rose up in Stony Gut... forward march Sam Sharpe fought them to the finish....forward march
-- Barry Chevannes, Forward March against Imperialism
Senator Delano Franklyn, state minister of foreign affairs, defied the odds to record an emphatic victory in the selection of People's National Party candidate for Western St Mary.
Campaigning on a programmatic platform of "effective representation" and "make myself available as far as humanly possible," the KC old boy triumphed receiving 464 votes, easily beating the highly touted 'son of the soil' Christopher Castriota, 235 and Lewis Astron 70.
When KCOB read his alma-mater Mark Wignall's article a few weeks before, few in the fraternity gave the attorney-at-law any chance over the home town favourite Castriota. .A whipping was forecasted for 'The Minister of the Diaspora" who according to Wignall would have very little time for the constituency because his foreign affairs responsibilities would take him more out of the country. Rather than touting his fellow alumnus, Wignall dismissed him as an ex-marxist turned capitalist like his comrade, Don Robotham. Based on the outcome, it is clear that the pollster misread the mood and Franklyn intensified his campaign on the ground which paid rich dividends in the runoff at Retreat Primary & Junior High.
Franklyn now joins three other KC Old Boys, who are also attorneys-at-law, and would likely face the electorate in the next general elections. They are Foreign Affairs minister, Senator Anthony Hylton, PNP caretaker,Western St. Andrew; Rhodes Scholar, Delroy Chuck who is presently the sitting JLP, MP for Northeast St. Andrew and Clive Mullings, the sitting JLP, MP for Western St. James. Only one KCOB, Michael Ennis fell short . He lost to Doreen Forbes in the PNP's selection of candidates for the West Portland constituency. Michael’s brother, Errol "Jiggs" Ennis, who is the incumbent, will not be contesting the seat in any future elections.
Franklyn now turns his attention to the second Diaspora Conference slated for June 15 and 16. Some 500 delegates are expected to attend the convocation.
