75 candidates nominated so far
JUST under 100 candidates have so far been nominated to contest the 2011 general elections, due in 17 days.
“My reports indicate that all centres were opened and awaiting the arrival of the candidates. At this point 75 candidates have been nominated so far, it does not mean more haven’t been nominated and the results haven’t yet reached me but that’s the number at this point,” Director of Elections Orette Fisher told the Observer at 12:50 pm today.
The two major political parties have each fielded 63 candidates to contest the 63 parliamentary seats to form the government in addition to the 17 candidates being put forward by the National Democratic Movement (NDM) and the Marcus Garvey People’s Political Party (MGPPP) which have formed an alliance.
Yesterday, Fisher said among the 75, were some three independents who had been nominated up to that point.
One such candidate emerged for the St Andrew East Rural seat, which is being contested by the People’s National Party’s Damion Crawford and the Jamaica Labour Party’s Joan Gordon-Webley; the other Portland Western, which is being contested by the JLP’s Daryl Vaz and the PNP’s Rohan Quest; and the other in St Ann South West, which is being contested by the JLP’s Ernest Smith and the PNP’s Keith Walford.
In the meantime he said there had been “no reports of any incidents at any of the nomination centres”.
He also said there had also been “no reports” of candidates who were not able to complete the nomination process by virtue of not meeting the necessary criteria.
