PRIME Minister P J Patterson and Opposition Leader Edward Seaga emerged from their second security summit yesterday to promise Jamaicans the most peaceful election campaign ever.

They also announced last night that they had agreed to most of the suggestions in a report by an anti-crime task force they set up at the first meeting more than five months ago, but said that a report on their specific decisions would be prepared within the next two weeks for action.

Patterson and Seaga were bullied and cajoled into a meeting last August 17 by the private sector in the wake of the July violence in Western Kingston and concerns about rising crime in the country.

Yesterday’s follow-up session at Vale Royal has come after last year’s record number of 1,138 murders, more than 75 for this year so far and fears that the campaign for the general election to be held before year-end will lead to a spiral of violence.

But a joint communiqué last night declared: “Prime Minister Rt Hon P J Patterson and Opposition Leader Rt Hon Edward Seaga have committed today to ensure that the forthcoming general election will be the most peaceful in the history of Jamaica.”

There was no specific statement on how Patterson, who is president of the ruling People’s National Party (PNP), and Seaga, who leads the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), will make this happen, except an agreement to appoint a political ombudsman.

For the last two general elections, Jamaica had a political ombudsman in retired judge James Kerr, who reviewed the behaviour of the parties in the context of a code of conduct to which they agreed.

Kerr’s job largely fell into abeyance once the ombudsman law was overtaken by the Public Defender Act, which incorporated the role of the public defender and the parliamentary ombudsman.

In last night’s statement, the leaders said that the political ombudsman would operate from the office of the public defender “until appropriate legislative changes could occur to support the appointment of a political ombudsman”.

This suggested that until the law is changed the political ombudsman will, at least nominally, report to the public defender.

The leaders did not say who the candidate for the job was or when the appointment would take place.

Perhaps the most radical of the 16 recommendations produced by the task force that was set up in August was for the retrenchment of half of the top officers of the police force over an 18-month period. But it also proposed new attitudes from the police towards the public and an emphasis on community policing and de-emphasising specialist squads.

That report also highlighted new approaches to social relationships between the wider society and crime-riddled inner-city communities.

The Patterson-Seaga communiqué said that they had reached “unanimous support for most of these (16) recommendations” and that a committee from the PNP, the JLP and the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica “would produce a report to reflect the decisions taken”.

“This document will be submitted to the two political leaders within two weeks.” it added.

Earlier, Patterson had also told reporters that the parties had agreed to reform the parliamentary committee on security to allow for “more effective oversight” of the security forces.

Added Patterson: “I have also proposed the constitution of a permanent national committee on crime that can bring together the Government, the Opposition and all members of civil society as we seek to fight crime and violence and restore law and order throughout our land.”

Seaga, as he left the meeting, did not deal with specifics, but described the session as “very useful”.

“I think that we can say, with all honesty, that we are making headway, most definitely,” Seaga said.

Security Minister Peter Phillips, echoed the sentiment, saying that there was a “growing consensus about the basic things”.

Oliver Clarke, the new president of the PSOJ, who chaired the meeting, was quoted in last night’s communiqué as declaring the summit “most encouraging”.

“I regard today’s meeting as a major step forward in the search for national consensus over a number of public issues, including the most important one — a reduction of the level of crime,” Clarke was quoted as saying.

Patterson was accompanied at the meeting by Phillips and Portia Simpson Miller, both PNP vice-presidents; Paul Robertson, campaign director and Maxine Henry-Wilson, PNP general-secretary.

Seaga’s team included deputy leaders Audley Shaw, Edmund Bartlett, Derrick Smith and Olivia “Babsy” Grange.

The PSOJ’s team was Clarke; Douglas Orane, chairman of Grace, Kennedy Group; Beverly Lopez, president of the Jamaica Exporters Association; Peter Moses, former PSOJ president; and Col Trevor MacMillan.