Carter's reforms - Elections free, fair, but too much violence, intimidation

...as many as 20 polling stations clustered in one small area. "This led to congestion and, frankly, at times there was chaos"

Robert Hart, Staff Reporter

THE UNITED States-based Carter Center has made 15 recommendations for reforms to the Jamaican electoral system which it said would enhance the quality of local polls.

In a report released yesterday on its observation of last year's general election, the international body revealed that, despite advances in the organisation and administration of the October 2002 vote, there was room for improvement.

An immediate increase in the number of constituencies to prevent a tie similar to what occurred in Trinidad and Tobago last October is among the recommendations put on the table for consideration. Here, this has gained added significance, with the closeness of Jamaica's last election which saw the People's National Party winning 34 of the 60 seats and the Jamaica Labour Party the remaining 26.

The re-engineering of voting stations, an assault on conflict and intimidation during the election period, and the institution of national dialogue "to address the larger issues of violence, disarmament, the 'garrison' effect, and the ultimate impact of the winner-take-all system," were also recommended.

"The Carter Center, in the spirit of international co-operation and assistance, offers our own suggestions for further improving the procedures and reducing the incidents of conflict, thus raising the likelihood of an even higher degree of public participation and confidence in the electoral process," it said in its report.

Additionally, the well-respected international body recommended that Political Ombudsman Bishop Herro Blair be given powers to apply sanctions to those found in breach of the Political Code of Conduct. An amendment to the Ombudsman Act would be
necessary.

The Carter Center, which has been sending observers to Jamaica since the 1997 General Elections, also suggested the simplification and amending of voting procedures, better training for election day workers, the reassessment of the role of outdoor agents, as well as the expansion of the role of Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE), "to include other areas of democratisation".

The report was released prior to yesterday's symposium titled: "Elections in Jamaica: The Next Step to Democracy," at the Hilton Kingston Hotel, New Kingston. The symposium, jointly sponsored by the Carter Center and the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, featured presentations from members of the Carter Center and responses from, among others, the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ), the Electoral Advisory Committee (EAC) and the Political Ombudsman.

"The Carter Center found the 2002 Jamaican Elections to be exemplary in its organisation and preparation and to reflect adequately the will of the voters," said Laura Neuman, Senior Programme Associate at the Carter Center. She added, however, that "we remain concerned over the violence during the campaign period and the voter intimidation that persisted in the elections".