Poll: Most Jamaicans in favour of an independent political ombudsman

 

The majority of Jamaicans believe there should be an independent political ombudsman. 

 

That's according to the latest RJRGLEANER-commissioned polls, with the results showing a contrast between the position of the electorate and the government which subsumed the role of the Office of the Political Ombudsman into the Electoral Commission of Jamaica.

 

According to the survey, 70.9 per cent of respondents say there should be an independent ombudsman in place to monitor and deal with instances of political misconduct by politicians and parties, while only 14.3 per cent say there is no need for a separate role.

 

The remaining 14.8 per cent said they did not know how they felt about the matter.

 

Providing an analysis of the results, pollster Don Anderson, who heads Market Research Services, said 80 per cent of the 65 and older age group were in favour of a separation of the political ombudsman office; 66 per cent of the 35 to 44 cohort shared this view; and 71 per cent of respondents 18 to 24 wanted the office to be independent. 

 

The poll was conducted from May 18 to June 8 among 1,033 Jamaicans 18 years and older. It has a margin of error of plus or minus three per cent. 

 

In 2024, the government used its majority in both Houses of Parliament to pass the Political Ombudsman Interim Amendment Act to integrate the office into the ECJ. 

 

That merger came despite concerns by the parliamentary opposition and civil society groups which argued that it would result in ECJ commissioners directly engaging with partisan politics and would drag the highly respected entity into political disputes.