Father Jim Webb, Board Secretary for Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE), has expressed disappointment that persons found to be in breach of the electoral laws in the 1997 general election, were not arrested and charged.

He is also concerned that several of the recommendations of the local observer group after the last election, have not been taken on board by the relevant authorities.

"One of the problems which I think needs more attention than we have been able to give is the fact that there have been, as far as I know, no prosecution for electoral misbehaviour," Father Webb said. He was speaking with editors and senior reporters last Wednesday at The Gleaner's Editors' Forum where he outlined CAFFE's plans for the October 16 general election.

The Board Secretary cited as an example, a young woman in a polling division in West Central St. Andrew, who attempted to impersonate a voter in a re-election, after the poll in that constituency was voided by the Constituted Authority.

Father Webb said: "She was taken by the police to the Olympic Gardens Police Station but she was never charged. It's an offence for which she could be charged but as far as I know, I don't think any charges have ever been laid against a person who has impersonated a voter; nor have charges been laid against people who have found themselves with their names on the voters' list in more than one place."

He added: "Those kinds of activities, have to be more systematically followed through so that in effect, the law takes its course."

The CAFFE spokesman noted that the major role of the police, on Election Day, was to maintain peace within the confines of the polling stations, but not so much to monitor the offences against the electoral laws.

"If someone pulls a gun in a bank, they'll get arrested for pulling the gun...also for issuing a fraudulent cheque. But no one is arrested for a fraudulent vote," he observed. He has urged a refinement of the electoral laws to deal with breaches.

While the process of prosecuting persons who flout the law seems slow, CAFFE has had some successes. The report submitted by the observer group after the December 18, 1997 election was crucial to the voiding of the West Central St. Andrew seat, currently held by the Jamaica Labour Party's Andrew Holness. Dr. Warren Blake of the People's National Party (PNP) was first declared the winner but the results were voided and a retake of the polls ordered by the Constituted Authority following discrepancies in a number of polling divisions.

According to Father Webb, CAFFE is now a well respected group, despite the scepticism that greeted its formation just before the 1997 election. He added: "I think there's a kind of recognition and acceptance of the fact that there is monitoring, that there's a value in monitoring and maybe it sort of help people to live their better motives. I think that politicians, when they go to the polls ...want to be elected fairly."

Meantime, CAFFE is still seeking volunteers to monitor the October 16 general election. The local observer group would like a total of 2,500 volunteers