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Derrick Smith urges vigilance to counter malpractices

JAMAICA LABOUR Party Deputy Leader (JLP) and national security spokesperson Derrick Smith has warned Labour supporters to be on the look out for any manifestation of the alleged plot to disrupt the elections revealed by Crime Management Unit head Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams earlier this week.

"I'm going to use this opportunity to say to Labourites throughout Jamaica, be on the look out for plants in your constituencies," he told a packed rally in Denham Town, West Kingston on Tuesday night. "This is a wonderful opportunity for us to keep our ears and eyes open against plots against us."

"The Labour Party has no interest in plotting to create any problem with the elections that are coming," he continued. "We are overwhelmingly confident that what we have on the ground, the support that we see throughout Jamaica, I don't care what experts say, I don't care what polls say, I am telling you that we are very confident that we will form the next government."

"The Jamaica Labour Party contesting this election will be contesting this election in a very, very peaceful mood," he said to resounding cheers from the bell-ringing, green throng.

Taking the stage after his deputy leader, Member of Parliament for West Kingston and Opposition Leader Edward Seaga was met with a deafening roar of "Breeder! Leader!" from the green faithful. He touched briefly on the alleged plot stating that, "This election is going to have a lot of seats that are going to be determined by small margins".

"If that is so, it opens the door for violence to be used as a tactic," he said.

Nonetheless, he was in buoyant mood, choosing to level jibes at the recent release of Prime Minister P.J. Patterson's health records.

"When the People's National Party go on the platform, they don't have anything sensible to say," he said. "All they talk about is who's sick and who is healthy."

"It has reached the stage now where the Prime Minister has had to show them his health certificates to show that he's not sick," he continued. "I don't have to show health certificates, I am full of vim, vigour and vitality." The crowd chanted "Breeder!" in reply.

"My doctor said to me, if everybody had a health certificate like mine, all doctors would be out of business," he said.




 
   © Jamaica Gleaner.com 2002