KINGSTON, Jamaica – Leaders of the two main political parties today called for an end to violence in all forms during the election campaign saying that the acts were not only counterproductive but were a major step back for the country.

“As leader of the People’s National Party I denounce violence of any kind anywhere,” said Portia Simpson Miller, adding that the signing of the Political Code was very important.

She was speaking at Emancipation Park during the signing of the Code of Conduct by nominated candidates for the parishes of Kingston and St Andrew.

Andrew Holness, leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), who was also at the event said the signing of the Code of Conduct was an “important part of our democracy”.

The calls from the political leaders come a day after The Election Centre, which is co-chaired by the political ombudsman and the director of elections, asked the police to immediately ban political campaigning in the volatile St James community of Flanker in the wake of the shooting death of four people between Sunday evening and Tuesday.

In a news release yesterday, Political Ombudsman Donna Parchment Brown said both political parties have agreed to immediately cease marches, motorcades, spot meetings, political gatherings, as well as the use of town criers and loudspeakers in Flanker.

On Tuesday, Nomination Day for candidates contesting the February 25 General Election, an eight-vehicle JLP motorcade was shot up, leaving one person dead and three injured. That incident came just two days after another shooting incident in the midst of a JLP rally in Sam Sharpe Square, involving five people and resulting in two deaths.

Citing the incident as a major concern, the Electoral Commission of Jamaica said that “these occurrences could undermine the advances made in the electoral system over the past 35 years, and could threaten the democratic process in Jamaica”.

Kimmo Matthews