Former Director of Elections Danville Walker believes it is time to divest the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) of political representatives.

“Their continued involvement in the commission will eventually weaken the electoral system, and there must be a timeline by which they are removed from the commission and they should recognise this and they know why I would say that,” said Walker, who is now the managing director of the Jamaica Observer.

The ECJ was established by Parliament in December 2006 to “protect the electoral process from the immediate direction, influence and control of the Government, which may influence its functioning to the detriment of thosewith opposing views who may wish to participate in the process”.

The commission comprises four selected members, four nominated members which include two individuals nominated by the prime minister and two nominated by the leader of the Opposition; and the director of elections.

Walker, while underscoring the contributions made by political representatives like the late Donald Buchanan of the People’s National Party, and Ryan Peralto of the Jamaica Labour Party, said it is now time for the commission to evolve.

Walker said the political parties see the system as belonging to them. As such, they allow civil society in by way of the selected members. But the other members are unable to implement anything that the political representatives don’t agree with, due to the convention under which the commission operates, which requires the political representatives’ consensus.

“No wonder it was stagnant for so many years,” he said.

“And for the politicians who will criticise these statements, I will say to them it (the electoral system) moved forward in spite of you because of the acumen of Professor (Errol) Miller (former ECJ chairman) and the contributions of a William Chin-See (chair of the Electoral Advisory Commission now ECJ). They were able to move it forward in spite of your foot-dragging,” he said, adding that he was not taking away from the contributions of the current commissioners.

“The time has come where the electoral system doesn’t need their (political representatives) involvement for that anymore. After nearly 40 years, whatever contribution that their knowledge has given us, that knowledge transfer has taken place. The only thing left now is for them to use the information for their own nefarious advantage,” Walker said.

According to Walker, the electoral system in many countries doesn’t have political involvement, and yet many of them are successful.

Although Jamaica’s system has improved greatly from what it was decades ago, Walker said what is needed is less political involvement at the board level.

“Unless they agree with the idea it cannot go forward. Now, to me, you are moving at the pace of their enlightenment, and I can tell you that is a slow pace,” he insisted.