GOVERNOR-General Sir Howard Cooke yesterday formally announced the appointment of Bishop Herro Blair as political ombudsman-designate, confirming an Observer story published last Wednesday.

But although Blair’s appointment takes immediate effect, there could be some delay in settling him in the job as the laws designed to allow him to carry out his functions are still to be enacted.

It was not immediately clear how long the enactment would take, but a statement issued by the governor-general’s office yesterday said Blair was being appointed “ombudsman-designate pending the enactment of the relevant legislation”.

As political ombudsman, Blair will be expected to ensure that political parties adhere to the code of conduct which they have agreed to abide by during the campaign for the general elections.

An upgraded code was signed in May by Prime Minister P J Patterson, the president of the ruling People’s National Party and Edward Seaga, the leader of the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party.

Retired judge Justice James Kerr had served as Jamaica’s political ombudsman over the last two general elections. However his job was basically shelved when the ombudsman law was overtaken by the Public Defender Act.

However, in recent times the authorities decided to reactivate the ombudsman post after it became clear that the job of policing the code of conduct was a full time one and that it would not properly fall to the public defender. It is this bit of legislation that the authorities will have to attend to so as to officially reactivate Blair’s job.

Yesterday, Blair told the Sunday Observer that he would strive to carry out his job with the highest integrity.

“I think it is an awesome responsibility that has been entrusted to me at this time in our national history and I am thankful to God,” Blair said. “I will endeavour to carry out my responsibilities free and fair and free from fear,” he quipped.

Blair said Jamaicans should be made aware of the fact that “it is a crucial thing to breach the code of ethics and so people have to be on their best behaviour”.

Blair’s appointment came after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition.

Blair 56, is an evangelical preacher who is married with four sons. He was ordained Bishop of the World Union of Churches in 1983.

He has been the president of the Deliverance Evangelistic Association since 1976 and pastor of the Faith Deliverance Centre since 1978.

Blair also served as chairman of several organisations including the National Religious Affairs Committee and Jamaica Cultural Development Commission. He was also a member of the Kingston and St Andrew Rent Board, the National Committee for Promotion of Religious Services, the National Council on Drug Abuse and vice chairman, Project Accord.

He was educated at Somerton Primary, Montego Bay Technical International Bible Institute and International College of the Cayman Islands.

Prior to starting his preaching career, Blair worked between 1964 and 1965 as a supervisor with the Montego Bay Omnibus Company. After leaving the bus company, he went to Jacksonville, Florida where he began his preaching career.

Over the next four years, Blair began building his reputation as an evangelist in the Caribbean and the United States. He founded the New Testament Church of God (Cayman Islands), where he pastored between 1968 and 1976 and later went on establish a preparatory school by the same name.

He has also been credited with establishing the First Church 807 Garment Factory, the Deliverance Centre Basic, Preparatory and Commercial schools.

Blair, who has an elaborate radio and TV ministry, also did a stint in the political arena in the mid-1990s, becoming the first chairman of the then Bruce Golding-led National Democratic Movement.