Isat Buchanan has gained immense recognition since championing Vybz Kartel’s appeal in the United Kingdom Privy Council. However, the attorney has pushed back against critics who have attributed his victory during Wednesday’s General Election to his association with the highly influential artiste.
After Kartel’s murder conviction was overturned and he was later freed, the deejay appeared at a People’s National Party (PNP) conference alongside Buchanan, a then newly minted PNP member. While Kartel did not officially endorse the PNP, it was a clear signal for some that the artiste was not in favour of a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP)-led government.
While the JLP secured a third consecutive victory at the Jamaican polls during Wednesday’s General Election, it was by a narrow margin. The PNP was able to flip several seats previously held by the JLP, including Portland Eastern. Buchanan polled 8,316 votes, while the current member of parliament for the constituency, Ann-Marie Vaz, followed close behind with 8,181 votes.
Buchanan’s victory over Vaz was undoubtedly the most surprising win on Wednesday night and created quite a stir online. A number of people took to social media to express disbelief and attributed Buchanan’s victory to Kartel’s influence and fanbase.
Following the confirmation of his victory, Buchanan dismissed any assumption that he did not win on his own merit during an interview. The attorney said that before taking Kartel’s case, he helped a number of people gain freedom from an unjust justice system.
Seemingly dubbing the sale of seafront properties in Portland as a “land grab”, Buchanan suggested that there are many disenfranchised people living in Portland Eastern who are suffering because of corruption.
Buchanan went on to attribute his success at the polls to the love of the people of Portland Eastern and said it had nothing to do with any artiste.
“This is not about entertainment and fluff. Our lives in Jamaica (are) serious, and the change that is necessary is what is happening now… This was done by the people of Portland without any distractions and fluff. Did not need any artiste to come around and be a part of something that is serious to the lives of the people of Jamaica… and photo ops and nonsense are not a part of my manifesto,” Buchanan said.
Watch Buchanan’s interview below.
