473 to contest local polls
A total of 473 candidates, who are representing four parties and independents were nominated yesterday to contest the December 5, 2007 local government elections, in a mostly incident-free day, electoral officials reported.
At the close of Nomination Day activities at 2:00 pm, the two major political parties – the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), and the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) which share the bulk of the candidates – expressed satisfaction with the proceedings.
The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) said 228 candidates had been nominated for the JLP; 228 from the PNP; three from the National Democratic Movement (NDM); three from the Rastafarian Imperial Ethiopian World Federation Incorporated Political Party (IEWFIPP) and 11 Independents.
The candidates will be contesting 227 divisions and include two mayoral candidates from the JLP and PNP for the Portmore Municipal Council, now controlled by the PNP.
Both the Director of Elections Danville Walker and Political Ombudsman Bishop Herro Blair said things had gone well and no incidents had been reported to them.
An incident in which CVM reporter Michael Pryce was attacked and hit in his left eye by a PNP supporter outside the entrance of the nomination centre for South Central St Catherine in Twickenham Park marred activities in that constituency. (See related report on Page 5.)
However, a minor squabble involving JLP supporters triggered by the barring of two would-be JLP candidates from Troja and Guys Hill in St Catherine, appeared to have little effect on the day’s activities.
“So far, we had an uneventful day,” Walker told a press briefing. “It has been peaceful and quiet which is what we expect by now from our elections. We have had no difficulties,” he said.
Political Ombudsman Blair who was also at the briefing said there had been no reports that would have required the intervention of his office.
For the PNP, its representative on the Electoral Commission, Linton Walters, expressed satisfaction with steps taken by the EOJ to ensure that the complaints about the electoral list and the transfer of election day workers in the September 3 general elections were not present this time around.
“One of the difficulties we had last time was issues relating to the distribution of the electoral lists that were given on election day. It stemmed from the decision by the commission to take a particular approach to the transfer of election day workers on election day and that has been addressed and I am now satisfied,” Walters said.
He said assurances had been given that the difficulties faced in the last elections where persons showed up but were unable to vote had also been addressed.
Furthermore, he said the decision by the EOJ to colour-code the voters’ list issued on nomination day differently from the list used in the polling stations for election day workers, the police, military and civilians should remove any room for doubt as to the integrity or validity of the lists which would be used on that day.
Endorsing the move to colour-code the list, Senator Tom Tavares Finson, the JLP Representative on the ECJ, said this would go a long way in reducing the likelihood of confusion as to which list was being used in the polling stations and which was issued on nomination day.
While the general populace will vote on December 5, the police, military and election day workers will themselves go to the polls on Thursday, November 29, five days ahead of civilians.
The EOJ has emphasised that only individuals whose names were on the June 2007 voters’ list would be allowed to vote on December 5. Persons who were registered or reverified after the September 3 elections would not be eligible to vote in the local government elections.
Walker reiterated that the list which was used in the September 3 general elections, would also be used for the local government elections.
The JLP has control of nine parish councils as well as the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation, while the PNP has control of the Portland and Westmoreland councils and the Portmore Municipal Council. Both parties share the Clarendon Parish Council following an 11-seat tie in the 2003 local government elections.