DESPITE HEAVY rains and flooding since Sunday, triggered by Tropical Storm Lili, 175 candidates were nominated yesterday in the island's 60 constituencies for the October 16 general election.

The process was relatively incident-free, despite the large numbers of supporters of the two main parties who turned up at most nomination centres and the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) expressed pleasure with the outcome.

The number is 17 less than the 194 candidates nominated in 1997, but the main political parties, the governing People's National Party (PNP) and the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) both fielded the full slate of 60 candidates. The New Jamaica Alliance, which includes the National Democratic Movement (NDM), the Republican Party and the Jamaica Alliance for National Unity, had the next largest slate, 31 candidates, although one of its chief spokesmen, Brascoe Lee, failed to nominate.

Antonnette Haughton-Cardenas' United People's Party put up 10 candidates, while the Imperial Ethiopian World Federation Party (IEWFP), a rastafarian group, put up seven candidates. Eight Independents, including John Ngunu (the former Owen Vhandel), who failed to get a single vote on his first foray in South St. Andrew in 1993, and is now running in West St. Andrew, were also nominated.

The fall in the number of nominees has been due mainly to the NDM's decision to field 26 candidates fewer than it did in 1997.

Director of Elections Danville Walker told journalists yesterday that Nomination Day activities went smoothly. "It has been a peaceful Nomination Day. We haven't had any incidents reported to us of any grave magnitude," Mr. Walker said.

In some constituencies, PNP candidates paid their nomination fee with $1,000 bills or "joshuas", which bear the image of former leader and Prime Minister Michael Manley. JLP candidates mostly used $100 bills, with the image of the late Sir Donald Sangster. The NJA/NDM leader, Hyacinth Bennett, said she used $500 bills because they carry the face of Jamaica's lone female national hero, Nanny of the Maroons.

Prime Minister P.J. Patterson turned up at the Maud McLeod Comprehensive High School in Darliston, East Westmoreland, at about 12.30 p.m. The process was preceded by prayer and scripture reading by a lay preacher, Marjorie Callahan, while hundreds of his supporters waited outside for him.

Mr. Patterson's competitor, attorney-at-law Don Foote, arrived one hour later than expected, explaining that a trailer containing his nomination papers had been removed overnight from its parking space. The police confirmed moving the trailer Sunday night, claiming that it was illegally parked.

Edward Seaga, the JLP leader and candidate for West Kingston, turned up about two hours late of his scheduled time. "I wrote both candidates and invited Mr. Seaga to come and nominate at 10:00 a.m. and Mr. Joseph Witter, the PNP's candidate, to come at 1:00 p.m.," explained Returning Officer Clover Thompson.

On the arrival of Mr. Seaga, outside the school's gate was transformed into a sea of JLP supporters. Mr. Seaga's nomination fee, thirty $100 notes, was paid by one of his constiutuents.

Responding to Mrs. Thompson, he said that it was his intention to arrive in the company of his opponent, PNP candidate Joseph Witter, but Mr. Witter was not ready at the time.

"Mr. Witter is somebody who I have alot of regards for. I trust this might be the most peacefull elections. The EOJ have done a good job and the only thing can spoil it is violence," said Mr. Seaga.

Mr. Witter was escorted to the centre at the Denham Town High School by two prominent residents of Tivoli Gardens, Justin O'Gilvie and Saleem Lazarus, both carrying female pillion riders dressed in the colours of the PNP.

In the heavily flooded parish of St. Thomas, the NJA/NDM alliance claimed that one of its candidates, Earl DeLisser, failed to make it because he was stranded in the flooded Bull Bay area. But, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate, James Robertson, said he walked 10 miles through the flood to hand in his papers at the Yallahs Courthouse, "like Paul Bogle." Sources say that incumbent, Anthony Hylton, Minister of Mining and Energy, was flown in by helicopter.

One returning officer, Vera Roofe, in Central St. Catherine had to be replaced yesterday by her assistant, Errol Gardner, as she carried out her threat to resign. Mrs. Roofe claimed that she has been intimidated by JLP deputy leader and candidate for Central St. Catherine, Olivia "Babsy" Grange. Miss Grange has denied the charge, which is currently being investigated by the Electoral Advisory Committee (EAC).

There were very few reports of violence. There was one report of a shooting in Papine, in which it was alleged that one person was shot. A white Toyota motorcar, which skidded and overturned on the Post-Islington Road, while taking back home People's National Party supporters from nomination day proceedings in Annotto Bay, left a pall over the activities in that area. The five passengers, none of whom were identified by the police, were all admitted to the Annotto Bay Hospital in serious condition.

The police acted quickly to defuse what could have been a potentially dangerous situation in South-Central St. Catherine, when orange-clad supporters arriving with sitting MP, Sharon Hay Webster, crossed the street cheering, dancing and singing 'P is for Progress' menacingly close to the green-clad supporters of JLP candidate Trevon Garvey.

The police asked the PNP supporters to return to the opposite side of the street, in front of the EOJ's office in the Audreen Plaza, Greendale.

Inspector Michael Brooks of the Spanish Town police said that it could have been a ticklish situation if he hadn't instructed his men to act quickly.

According to UPP spokesman, Patrick Harrison, who was nominated in South-East St. Mary, about three of three of its proposed candidates had defected to the NDM, while five others failed to show up. One candidate, Alton Duhaney, in South St. Catherine had his nomination form rejected by returning officer, Clover Lindo-Henry, for not being properly filled out. Another, Rohan Knight, in North East St. Catherine said he was unable to make it after a car accident.

Another setback for the UPP is that Mrs. Haughton-Cardenas may have to vote in North East St. Andrew, where she was originally enumerated, instead of Central St. Mary, where she is running, because her vote has not been transferred by the Electoral Office. Director of Elections, Danville Walker, said yesterday that the process takes about three months.

In West Central St. Andrew, music producer Patrick Robert, the PNP candidate will have to contend with a namesake painter who was nominated as an independent, recalling the 1978 by-election in West St. Andrew when a number of persons with the surname Thompson challenged the PNP's Dudley Thompson.

It had been reported by Returning Officer for the constituency, Ancel Thomas, that one independent, Lloyd Samuels, withdrew two hours before the opening of the nomination centre because "his life was threatened." Then another independent, Patrick Roberts, turned up to be nominated at about 12:30 p.m.

"It was quite a surprise," explained Mr. Thomas.