MATHERS. any influence that leaders can bring is to be welcome

BRITAIN, Canada and the United States yesterday told the leaders of Jamaica's two major political parties to do more to rein in their supporters and prevent violence in the campaign for next Wednesday's general elections.

COBB. supports peace call

The action has come in the face of a recent escalation of political violence that has caused at least two deaths and forced the police, on the request of the Electoral Advisory Committee (EAC), to ban public campaigning in six of the island's 60 constituencies.

In the case of Britain, its envoy in Kingston, Peter Mathers, delivered a written message to this effect to the offices of Prime Minister P J Patterson and Opposition Leader Edward Seaga.
The British text had the support of Canada, demonstrated by the fact that its high commissioner, John Robinson, accompanied Mathers on his visits to Jamaica House and to the Opposition Leader's office.

ROBINSON. Canada has invested in helping to improve Jamaica's electoral system.

The US ambassador to Jamaica, Sue Cobb, was absent from the meetings, but both envoys stressed that the message "has the support of the American ambassador".
Yesterday, Seaga, through a spokesperson, declined to comment on the message but last night foreign minister, K D Knight said that the government understood the appeal by "the three friendly states and reiterates its commitment to ensuring that the election is free and fair and free from fear".
"The governing People's National Party (PNP) has consistently stressed the importance of making this election the most peaceful we have ever had," Knight said in a statement issued through a spokesperson.

Mathers' message, which made it clear he was acting on instruction from Whitehall, stressed that Britain was taking a close interest in the electoral process here and had noted the declared commitment by Patterson and Seaga to make this election the most peaceful ever.
"However, the British government notes with concern, recent reports of violent clashes between PNP and JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) supporters, some of which have led to loss of life," said the diplomatic note. "The British government urges you to do all in your power to ensure that your supporters follow your example through to election day and beyond."

At Jamaica House, the message was received on Patterson's behalf by the chief of the prime minister's political staff, Delano Franklin, who later briefed Patterson on the discussion.
At an afternoon press conference at PNP headquarters, Patterson did express concern that "there is still some amount of election-related violence". He declined to comment to the Observer specifically on the initiative by Jamaica's three biggest provider of aid.

Yesterday, Mathers told the Observer that the British message merely reflected recent reports that have caused disquiet and the wish that voters follow the example of the leaders in committing to a peaceful election.
"Any influence that political leaders can bring to bear on unruly elements of their supporters is to be welcome," Mathers said.
Canada's Robinson noted his country's commitment to free and fair elections, that Canada has invested in helping to improve Jamaica's electoral system.
"We would be unhappy if all this was vitiated by preventing people from going to vote and disrupting the election," Robinson told the Observer.
In his statement, Knight said that Patterson had always adopted a non-confrontational approach "and has appealed to the People's National Party, and the country in general, to refrain from any behaviour which could give rise to violence".
"The three countries can be assured that there will be no deviation from our commitment to peace during this period and hereafter," Knight said.

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