Political ombudsman liaison visits several parishes as campaign activities intensify

 

With Jamaica's two main political parties intensifying their campaigns for the upcoming general election, registrar of political parties and liaison at the Office of the Political Ombudsman, Llofraun Thompson, visited several parishes on Tuesday to observe whether there is any political tension in the constituencies.

 

She and her team also sought to determine whether there was any destruction of campaign materials such as signs, posters and flags. 

 

"We are out in the field and we are here to...observe that the Political Code of Conduct is being adhered to and that we have persons feeling freely that they may have their displays and they are not being destroyed in any way. 

 

"As we go through the different areas - we are coming from the Newlands area and we are now in Mandeville, going across the island - we have been seeing for the most part interactions that suggest that there is political tolerance and not much intimidation displayed in terms of seeing the destruction of the persons' paraphernalia and display. So far so good and we hope to see it continuing. We go to the different areas and we don't know what may come, but so far we have been satisfied," she told Radio Jamaica News while in central Manchester on Tuesday.

 

Ms. Thompson called for the political parties to encourage their supporters to adhere to the Political Code of Conduct. 

 

"We hope that it will impact the behaviours of supporters, of course, and it is a message from the political parties to their followers to say 'Listen, this is what we stand for. We hope that you will display this in the field for yourselves and on our behalf.' That's the national aim really."

 

The Electoral Commission of Jamaica, which houses the Office of the Political Ombudsman, has been criticised for not doing enough to address political tensions in constituencies across the island.