Office of Political Ombudsman working to ease political tensions, says liaison

 

The Office of the Political Ombudsman is reassuring the public that it is actively working to de-escalate political tensions, despite criticism that it has remained silent amid heated rhetoric and rising conflicts on the campaign trail. 

 

Some politicians and commentators have accused the office of not doing enough, especially as tensions flare in certain constituencies. 

 

Registrar of political parties and liaison at the Office of the Political Ombudsman, Llofraun Thompson, says it has received a number of reports since the start of the political season. 

 

Ms. Thompson, who was a guest Thursday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106FM, with host Kemoy McEkron, said some cases are closed while others are still being investigated.

 

Asked whether the public is made aware when cases are closed, Ms. Thompson said the parties involved are informed but admitted that "the political ombudsman has not had a practice of outlining the outcome of each case to the public". 

 

"They issue statements which give the general view of their position and stance on different issues that are taking place. And whereas the content of complaint at times inform press release issues, we also make commentary on other issues that come to our attention and that we wish to address," she advised.

 

The political ombudsman met on Wednesday with the general secretaries of the two major political parties, marking their first sit-down since the start of the election period. 

 

Both parties raised concerns about incidents involving the vandalism of campaign materials and called for civility in the political process. 

 

Ms. Thompson said if the vandalism continues, the ombudsman will issue public statements denouncing actions that violate the political code of conduct.

 

"Where there are criminal activities taking place in the form of vandalism or the destruction of property, of course, there are legal channels that persons may pursue in order to seek damages or so within our court. That is outside of the parameter of the political ombudsman, yes. However, there are recommendations and statements that can be issued from the office that may trigger this kind of investigation or carry the case forward."

 

The Office of the Political Ombudsman was integrated into the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) last year. At the time, the Ministry of Justice said the merger would strengthen Jamaica's democratic processes and improve the handling of political disputes.

 

Meanwhile, Ms. Thompson said the Office of the Political Ombudsman has not received any official report regarding claims that the Jamaica Labour Party is misusing public funds to support its election campaign. 

 

The People's National Party (PNP) and National Integrity Action (NIA) have raised concerns, accusing the JLP-led government of running campaign-style ads under the guise of public information. They argue that the alleged use of state resources for political gain could amount to a breach of Jamaica's campaign finance laws, which strictly prohibit public bodies from contributing to political parties or candidate campaigns.

 

Ms. Thompson said she is not aware of any investigation of that matter by the ombudsman at this time.