NEW YORK, USA — Scores of Jamaican nationals as well as organisations here have been busy raising funds to assist individual candidates as well as both political parties, as the election campaign in their homeland intensifies.

At the same time, some individuals are in the advance stages of planning trips back home to vote or to assist their preferred party or candidate in the December 29 election, while others have already made the trip back home for either or both reasons.

The fundraising activities went into high gear shortly after Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader and prime minister, Andrew Holness, indicated at his party’s conference in November that Jamaicans would vote in a general election this year.

However, in a number of instances the fundraising efforts started from as far back as last year, and candidates for both the People’s National Party and the Jaamaica Labour Party have made the trip here at the invitation of individuals and some organisations to attend fundraising events and give their perspectives on the ‘political landscape’ and the programmes they plan to implement if successful at the polls.

In addition, Jamaicans here have assisted candidates of both political parties with T-shirts, wrist bands and other items.

However, none of the individuals nor representatives of organisations interviewed for this story wanted their names to be published, although the practice of Jamaican nationals here raising funds among themselves and friends for the election process in their homeland has been a long-standing practice.

— Harold Bailey can be reached at gandhihgj2@aol.com