Election date hangs in balance

Published in the Jamaica Gleaner: Monday | August 20, 2007

JAMAICA will soon know whether national elections will take place on August 27 as scheduled. Governor-General Professor Kenneth Hall has the power under The Representation of the People Act to postpone to elections in light of the passage of Hurricane Dean.

His decision will be guided by the severity of the damage Jamaica suffered. Government agencies have just begun to assess the impact of Dean on the island.

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller is scheduled to meet today with her Cabinet to review the declaration of the state of emergency which took effect last night. The Cabinet could recommend to the Governor-General that the polls be postponed.

What seems likely though is the postponement of voting day for the police, military and election day workers. They were due to vote tomorrow but Simpson Miller said Sunday that this is "highly unlikely".

A release from the Electoral Office of Jamaica this morning said that the Director of Elections, Danville Walker, "is reviewing the situation regarding the previously schedule elections for tomorrow". The release said that a decision will be made shortly.

The decision as to whether the date will be postponed rests ultimately with the Governor-General.