THE New Jamaica Alliance on Thursday presented another 13 new candidates to run for seats in the upcoming general elections. This brings to 34 the number of candidates who will be contesting the election on behalf of the alliance.

The newly selected candidates are:

* Garnet Whyte — North Central St Andrew;

* Dr Rosemarie Higgins — North West St Andrew;

* Rev Al Miller — Eastern St Andrew;

* Olive Gardner — Northern Trelawny;

* Brascoe Lee — Southern Trelawny;

* Earl Delisser — Western St Thomas;

* Leonard Sharpe — Western Hanover;

* Ralph Purcell — Western St Mary;

* Dr Garth Officer — Central St Mary;

* Steve Daley — Northern Clarendon;

* David Abrikhan — South West St Ann;

* Ralph Chen — Western St Mary, and

* Dr Juan Reid — West Central St James.

The NJA is an alliance of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), the Jamaica Alliance for National Unity (JANU) and the Republican Party of Jamaica (RPJ).

The alliance also announced 17 portfolio assignments at Thursday’s press conference. They are:

Hyacinth Bennett, education and gender issues; Al Miller, national security; Apollone Reid, tourism; Pepon Ruddock, returning residents; Michael Stern, finance; Denzil Taylor, Health; Hugh Thompson, trade, industry and commerce; Earl DeLisser, justice and legal affairs; Clinton Chisholm, public morality and anti-corruption; Dr Barry Wade, science technology and the environment; Brascoe Lee, agriculture and fisheries; Robert Marsh, housing and works; Michael Williams, transport, water and communication, Peter Townsend, labour, social security and welfare; Curtis Campbell, youth and sport; Clinton Dietrich-mining and energy and Charley Baboolal foreign affairs and foreign trade.

NDM president Hyacinth Bennett, told the new candidates to take their responsibility to the people seriously. “You have taken a bold step, it is your responsibility to keep your message to the people relevant and riveting. As a political movement we will not be engaged in buying guns or buying votes. We will not be engaged costly motorcades, we will not be engaged in advertising soca/party music” Bennett said.

And Rev Al Miller, the NJA’s chairman, said he would bring crime and violence down to a controllable level in less than a year, if given the chance. “We can in six months to one year overcome the crime problem….and in a short time following that, we can significantly reduce corruption towards its final death”, Miller said.