JLP's Karl Samuda 'surprised' by retirement announcement

Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parliament (MP) Karl Samuda expressed shock on Thursday after JLP General Secretary Dr. Horace Chang announced that the veteran politician would not seek re-election in the St. Andrew North Central constituency.

“The comment caught me totally off guard,” said Samuda in an interview with The Gleaner. The 82-year-old, who has represented the constituency since 1980, is Jamaica’s joint longest-serving parliamentarian alongside Clarendon Central MP Mike Henry.

Samuda confirmed he does not plan to contest the next election but emphasized he was following a process to step down, noting that he had hoped to announce his decision personally. “I would have much rathered a discussion,” he said, adding that his constituents deserved to hear the news directly from him, rather than through third-party announcements.

He further criticized the manner of the announcement, stating, “It’s a process of being decent; it’s a process requiring appropriate advice. I owe the people who have supported me over many years the courtesy of advising them in concrete terms.”

Samuda also shared his intention to endorse a potential successor soon, following consultations with key stakeholders in his constituency.

Mike Henry also set to retire

Dr. Chang also announced that Mike Henry, the 89-year-old MP for Clarendon Central and Samuda’s counterpart as the longest-serving parliamentarian, will not seek re-election.

Henry, who has served since 1980, previously expressed his desire for Councillor Joel Williams, now the mayor of May Pen, to succeed him when he steps down.

As the JLP begins its selection process for new candidates, Chang described the situation as “an ongoing discussion.”

Samuda’s departure signals the end of an era for St. Andrew North Central, where he has been a political fixture for over four decades. Meanwhile, the party’s focus will now turn to identifying successors capable of continuing their legacy in these historic constituencies.