KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The three private sector organisations on Friday called on the police to act swiftly in dealing with the series of bomb threats, a day when members of the security forces were casting their ballots ahead of the September 3 general elections in Jamaica.
The Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA), the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC), and the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) said in a joint statement that the country has “come too far to allow fear and intimidation to compromise the rights of our people”.
Police said they will continue to “treat each report with the utmost urgency” following what appeared to have been coordinated bomb threats at several government agencies and offices, including the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA).
National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang, speaking on Radio Jamaica, said the incidents are being investigated, and there appears to be no disruption to voting by members of the security forces.
In a statement, the police said that the threats made against the government agencies have proven to be unfounded and they will “continue to treat each report with the utmost urgency”.
The threats were made in an email sent to the PICA, which also warned that other entities had been targeted. Staff at PICA, the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, and the National Housing Trust were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
The police said specialised teams are “actively” responding to the threats, adding “we urge all institutions and members of the public to remain vigilant, exercise caution and promptly report any suspicious activity or information to police emergency 119”.
In their joint statement, the private sector groups condemned the bomb threats as well as “any other actions intended to disrupt or undermine the democratic process of voting in Jamaica” and called for the security forces to be proactive and put measures in place to strongly discourage and respond to similar “scare tactics” on election day.
They said that free and fair elections are the cornerstone of Jamaica’s democracy, secured through the struggles and sacrifices of the nation’s ancestors, and that this year marks Jamaica’s 18th general election, and that the country cannot revert to the dark days.
The private sector groups stated that voter turnout in recent elections fell to just 48 percent in 2016 and a record low of 37 percent in 2020, representing a “deeply troubling” development.
“Today, the reckless threats may have caused major disruptions to businesses, eroding productivity, and creating financial losses for ordinary Jamaicans. However, these gimmicks have made our resolve even stronger, as the will of the Jamaican people and Jamaica’s electoral process will stand firm.”
The private sector groups called on the police to act swiftly to identify those behind these actions and ensure the justice system deals with them to the fullest extent of the law.
The two main political parties traded words on Friday as to who is responsible for the bomb threats, with Chang, who is also the general secretary of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), accusing the main opposition People’s National Party (PNP) of being behind the incidents.
“It appears that elements in the PNP have adopted mischievous and disruptive actions in an attempt to disrupt the voting of the security forces. “I urge elements in the PNP to desist,” the JLP statement quoted Chang as saying.
But, the PNP has distanced itself from the bomb threats, saying that “Chang to make such a bizarre statement before the authorities can conclude any investigation, speak to a mind that may reflect the mischief they complain about.
“It is an utterly unprofessional, below par, reckless statement for him to have made, but, consistently, we have seen over the last three (national debates) where in the face of truth people can hide behind innuendo of their own creation,” the JLP’s campaign spokesman, Raymond Pryce, told a news conference.
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