THE police yesterday accepted a recommendation from the island's electoral authorities for a ban on mass campaigning in six constituencies and the island's top electoral official warned that he would not hesitate to ask that campaigns be banned in more constituencies to stem a recent rise in political violence.

"We will not flinch from doing the same in other constituencies," said Professor Errol Miller, the chairman of the Electoral Advisory Committee (EAC), the body that recommends electoral policy in Jamaica.

No election campaign, Miller said at a press conference, was "worth one Jamaican life". At least two deaths have been blamed on politically-related violence in the current campaign.

Miller is one of three independent members of the EAC -- there are also one each from the two major political parties -- who on Monday wrote to police commissioner, Francis Forbes, asking that he halt, or revoke permission for public meetings, motorcades, rallies and tours in the constituencies of:

* Kingston Central;

* St Andrew Eastern;

* St Andrew West Central;

* St Catherine Central;

* Manchester Central; and

* St Thomas Western.

These area have seen the bulk of the violent incidents that have flared up in Jamaica's election campaign, particularly over the past two weeks, raising fears of a deep deterioration ahead of the October 16 poll and triggering widespread calls for peace.

Miller seemed to suggest that the recent upsurge of violence was being orchestrated, particularly since the nomination of candidates on September 30. "We know that we had a good nomination day," he said. "We noted afterwards, that apparently some people were not too satisfied with that."

In a statement yesterday, Forbes declared his "total support" for the EAC's request for the ban in the six constituencies and an islandwide halt on public campaigning on Friday when members of the security forces and election workers cast their ballots.

He also said that the security forces would step up their efforts in the troubled areas as well as clamp down on those who break the law at rallies and in motorcades.

"As a consequence, a zero tolerance approach in dealing with motorcades will be stepped up and people can expect vehicles to be stopped and searched," Forbes said. "Passengers wearing masks will be especially targeted since information coming to us that many members of the criminal underworld are disguising themselves by wearing these masks and moving with the crowd."

Forbes also stressed that the police would continue to work with the EAC and the Electoral Office of Jamaica to "ensure free and fair elections in an atmosphere devoid of violence, intimidation and fear".

Jamaica has invited the Carter Center of former US president, Jimmy Carter as well as the United Nations to send observers to the election.

Carter himself will be among several leading North and Latin American personalities and the United Nations Development Programme resident representative, Gillian Lindsay-Nanton, said the UN team includes three veteran investigators.

Meanwhile, Miller warned that it was not only putting the lid on further election violence which was a concern of the EAC. Election officials, he said, had already "ferret out" cases of election fraud.

"We want the message to go out to those who would think of subverting the election: you are wasting your time," the EAC chairman said.

The efforts of the local authorities, Miller said, would be supported by the UN officials, which would lend "balance" and perspective to the process.

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