Warmington wants political ombudsman's post chopped

BY ALICIA DUNKLEY Observer senior reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com

Thursday, February 02, 2012

MEMBER of Parliament for South West St Catherine Everald Warmington has urged Parliament to consider whether or not there is still need for a political ombudsman, arguing that the original mandate of that office has already been met.

Making the case in a resolution tabled in Parliament Tuesday, Warmington said that his call was also made against the background of the budgetary constraints and the amount needed to maintain that office.

"Whereas the Office of the Political Ombudsman, a Commission of Parliament, and whereas from all appearances the original mandate of the political ombudsman has been met, and whereas in light of the budgetary constraints the issue of value for money is raised in that it now cost Jamaican taxpayers $18.6 million annually to maintain the political ombudsman and his office, be it resolved that Parliament review and revise the terms of objectives of the Office of the Political Ombudsman," the South West St Catherine MP said.

That revision, he said, should be with a view to determining the relevance of the office to the existing political structure; whether or not the expenditure of the office is justified and whether in light of the creation of the embodiment of the functions of the electoral process in a commission, "the Office of the Political Ombudsman is declared redundant".

The Office of the Political Ombudsman is held by Bishop Herro Blair, who in December last year ahead of general election that month expressed sentiments similar to that raised by Warmington on Tuesday.

"By the time the next election comes around, I don't think there will be need for us to continue with an ombudsman. It would appear as if our politicians are mature to the point where they can deal with the situations. We are getting there, we are not there yet, but I believe within five to seven years this should be the case," Blair told the Observer in an interview then.

That view was also expressed by executive administrator of election watchdog group Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE), Lindsay Miller, who suggested that the day might soon come when such groups would no longer be needed.

"We have come a long way; we are almost redundant, except for things like the outdoor agents, and so on," said Miller, who had made reference to a raft of improvements in the electoral process.

The role of the political ombudsman is to conduct investigations into complaints relating to party political issues and to perform other functions in accordance with the provisions of the Act.