KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Former prime minister Bruce Golding says Jamaica must “jealously protect” its reputation as a country with an unblemished electoral process, warning that the recent claim by the main opposition People’s National Party (PNP) of irregularities following the September 3 general election “must not be taken lightly”.
Golding, who served as the country’s eighth prime minister from September 2007 to October 2011, in a column published in Tuesday’s edition of the Jamaica Observer newspaper, said that from his recollection, this is the first time in the last 35 years that allegations have been made of “significant irregularities” in a general election here.
Golding, who headed the Elections Observer Mission (EOM) of the Organization of American States (OAS) to the September 1 general and regional elections in Guyana, recalled also that the 2016 general election that was won by a majority of “merely one seat and a plurality of only 3,237 votes resulted in a change of Government and a seamless transfer of power without any claim of irregularities”.
He said that Jamaica has earned plaudits for the management of its electoral system and the conduct of elections, and that “this is a reputation that we must jealously protect.”
Prime Minister Andrew Holness will be sworn in later on Tuesday as the first person to win three consecutive general elections, having led his ruling Jamaica Labour Party to a 35-28 majority in the 63-member Parliament.
Golding said that the recent claim by the PNP of irregularities in the election and its call for an independent enquiry “must not be taken lightly.
“The party has two representatives on the Electoral Commission of Jamaica and perhaps that is where the investigation should begin before elevating it to an “independent inquiry,” Golding wrote, adding “that investigation must be informed by specific evidence: the particular polling stations at which persons in line at 5:00 pm were not allowed to vote, specific instances of vote-buying, all of which should be supported by written statements”.
Golding said that instances of vote-buying are outside the scope of authority of the Electoral Office, saying it is a criminal offence which, under section 94 of the Representation of the People Act, is punishable by a fine of up to J$80,000 (One Jamaican dollar=US$0.008 cents) or imprisonment for not less than three years.
“A charge for such an offence is police work, not the job of the Electoral Office,” said the former JLP leader, adding that vote-buying is a pernicious practice that has perhaps been ever-present in Jamaica’s elections.
“Vote-buying is hard to trap. An envelope quietly put in the hand of a voter in the privacy of his home can hardly be detected unless the voter is prepared to attest. Phone cameras more easily capture more overt displays in the precincts of a polling station and could be submitted as evidence.”
Golding said that the opposition party had also complained about the use of State resources to influence voters in the period leading up to the elections.
“I cannot recall any election in which this accusation was not levelled against the party in power…We face a dilemma. The functions of a Government and the services it provides can hardly be shut down during an election period, which can extend for over a year.
“But I believe our voters are smart. They know when a benefit is linked to an upcoming election, even the fixing of roads. They will accept it because they need it, but I doubt that its influence on how they vote in the secrecy of the polling booth is that significant. I know of some candidates who bemoaned the amount of money they gave away in an election but still lost.”
He said another complaint by the PNP is the inadequacy of the three-hour window provided for employees to be away from work to cast their ballots.
“This needs to be addressed. We should consider making Election Day a public holiday, as is done in several countries, including Guyana, where I recently observed its elections. Some may use the day to go to the beach, but those are persons who would be unlikely to vote anyway,” Golding wrote, noting that there were also concerns about the voters’ list “containing a large number of persons who have died or migrated.”
He said that even the most up-to-date list is going to be inflated and that “an inflated list does not necessarily lead to irregularities because there are significant checks and balances at the polling stations to prevent impersonation persons voting in the names of deceased or migrated voters”.
“In Guyana, where I recently observed the elections, the voters’ list was equivalent to 90 per cent of the estimated population, an unrealistic total,” Golding wrote, adding “our reputation for an efficient electoral system is one of the epaulettes on our shoulder. We must be careful not to mess with it”.
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