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Opposition Leader Mark Golding
An agreement between the two major political parties to appoint independent adjudicators is among recommendations put forward by Opposition Leader Mark Golding to address concerns about the seeming absence of a political ombudsman.
Mr. Golding has insisted that the Electoral Commission of Jamaica should not be the mediator of political complaints.
Addressing a constituency meeting in South East St. Ann on Wednesday, Mr. Golding contended that there is no mechanism in place to report incidents where People's National Party billboards have been removed or defaced in recent weeks.
"I don't know what the government's motive is with this, but I am saying to all well-thinking Jamaicans and civil society and the private sector and the trade unions, we have to stand up and demand that a mechanism be put in place so that there is a adjudication process for these kind of matters when they happen. So they must either amend the law to restore what was there before, or if that will take too long, we can sign an agreement. The JLP and PNP can sign an agreement appointing independent, trusted and respected individual or individuals as adjudicators for these kind of disputes," the Opposition Leader proposed.
Mr. Golding warned that the Jamaica Labour Party is stoking political tension with the removal of political billboards erected by the People's National Party.
The party recently wrote to the Mayor of Montego Bay and Chairman of the St. James Municipal Corporation Richard Vernon to desist from removing its billboards in St. James.
Mayor Vernon has sought to defend the decision, arguing that the signs were removed from the Corporation's revenue board at a section of Montego Bay.
PNP caretaker for South West St. Ann, Danishka Williams, has also complained about the repeated removal of her campaign material throughout the constituency.
Mr. Golding expressed concern about the incidents, warning that the vandalism of PNP billboards and signs is causing tension.
"We are in an election period now. Under the law, we are now in the campaign period. And we have seen numerous incidents where PNP candidates have put up their billboards, put up their placards and they are being defaced, taken down and disrespected. And it is a recipe for problems.
"And there's no mechanism, Comrades, in place to resolve those issues because this government made the unwise decision to basically abandon the Office of the Political Ombudsman by amending the law so that the Electoral Commission of Jamaica becomes the political ombudsman. The Electoral Commission of Jamaica cannot play that role," he insisted.
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