Agri group concerned about JAS election readiness
HEAD of the local farm lobby group, Institute for Changes in Agriculture (ICA), Novell Quest, has expressed concern over the apparent lack of readiness for the upcoming Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) presidential elections, noting that a lack of preparedness has resulted in chaos and confusion in the past.
This year’s election is scheduled for July 9.
“We are very concerned that with less than two weeks for the elections, the level of preparations, including the registration of delegates, has not been completed,” Quest complained.
At the same time, he welcomed the Electoral Office of Jamaica’s (EOJ’s) offer to conduct this year’s elections.
According to Quest, over the past decade the JAS presidential elections have been marred by charges of frauds, chaos and confusion.
He said that in the 2000 polls, for instance, the total number of delegates registered was 267; however, at the end of the voting 312 delegates cards were issued. A total of 292 votes were cast, 172 for the incumbent Bobby Pottinger and 120 for the People’s National Party activist, Senator Norman Grant. Grant is again seeking re-election.
As a result of these election day irregularities charges, Quest stressed that outgoing president, Bobby Pottinger must make good on his promises of transparency and proper administration of the 2003 polls, under the control of the EOJ.
Quest also noted that the Institute would oppose any plans to hire former director of elections, Noel Lee, to conduct the elections. Lee, he said, came with an “exorbitant fee and limited resources”, while the EOJ with “its vast resources and track record has offered to provide the services at no cost to the JAS”.
The Institute, meanwhile, has openly endorsed the candidacy of agri-business consultant and executive director of the Bureau of Standards, Dr Omer Thomas, for the presidential elections.
Thomas’ opponents are Grant, and Rupert Scott, chairman of the Moy Hall Blue Mountain Coffee Cooperative and the St Thomas representative on the JAS board of management.
During a recent press conference called to officially throw his hat in the ring, Thomas accused his two opponents of compromising the credibility of the JAS by using the organisation as a platform for politics.
A partisan organisation, he argued, could not represent the interests of all farmers effectively.
One of his main goals if elected JAS president, would be to work closely with the various agricultural bodies in Jamaica to operationalise the concept of the JAS as a confederation, Thomas said.
He said he wanted to see the JAS become for agriculture “what organisations like the Jamaica Manufacturers Association (JMA) is for manufacturing, and the Jamaica Exporters Association (JEA) is for the export sector, providing strong meaningful representation”.
Another priority would be to reduce the JAS’ reliance on government subventions and to eventually achieve self-sufficiency, Thomas said, adding that the JAS could raise capital to fund its operations by marketing pimento at JAS farm stores islandwide. Capital funds could also be raised by commercialising the Denbigh showgrounds to make them an income-generating activity all year round and not only supplying funds from the Denbigh Agricultural Show in August, he added.
He said that his administration would set up an agricultural theme park at Denbigh and also a facility for technology transfer of agriculture.