Nothing wrong with PNP call for independent enquiry into election concerns - Gordon

 

Political commentator Damion Gordon says in principle, he supports the People's National Party's call for an independent enquiry into reports of delays at some polling stations and issues relating to the suppression of votes. 

 

Mr. Gordon says contrary to the view of the Jamaica Labour Party, the proposal does not diminish the outcome of the election. 

 

He spoke in an interview with Radio Jamaica News on Friday, a day after the PNP outlined its concerns at a press conference stressing that any irregularity must be investigated to prevent a recurrence. 

 

Mr. Gordon, an assistant lecturer in the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies, says the issues highlighted should be probed to determine whether they can be verified or should be dismissed. 

 

"I think that if concerns have come to the party from election workers and at least one NGO - and I've seen many comments of voters on social media who have alluded to the slow process of voting, and I've seen comments where persons would have said that they opted not to vote after waiting for long periods - if these concerns have come to the party, I don't see anything being wrong in principle if the party says, we will look or we will seek to look further into these concerns to determine whether or not there is any credibility to some of these concerns and reports we have received. I don't think that in itself delegitimises the election result," he contended.

 

At a JLP press conference on Thursday, campaign chairman Dr. Christopher Tufton said the mechanism is already in place for a review of the election conducted by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica, which comprises members of both major political parties. He added that the call by the PNP only serves to fuel a level of uncertainty and anger among its supporters. 

 

But Mr. Gordon has argued that no organisation is beyond scrutiny in light of the call by the PNP for an independent review of the operations of the Electoral Office of Jamaica during the election. 

 

He said if the PNP, based on its assessment, believes the EOJ did not meet the usual high expectations of efficiency, its proposal should not be dismissed. 

 

"I don't think there's anything wrong with saying, well, we need to take a look closer at the internal structure and processes of the EOJ to determine whether or not those affected some of the election day issues that were reported by voters in terms of slow voting, because there's always room for improvement. And we know that inefficiency in terms of voting on election day can have an indirect effect in terms of suppression because it will discourage persons from voting and may also discourage those who are thinking about voting, going to the voting station, seeing those long lines and hearing those long lines. And it could also discourage those who are already in line to vote," reasoned the commentator.

 

Director of Elections Glasspole Brown declined to comment when contacted. 

 

Mr. Brown said he will be leaving the matter to the ECJ.