PRIME Minister PJ Patterson yesterday announced April 13 as the date for the by-election in the Jamaica Labour Party safe-seat of West Kingston, a vote that will not only give the JLP leader a seat in the House of Representatives but formally propel him to the post of Leader of the Opposition.

Nominations will take place on March 23.

Patterson announced the date for the poll one day after the house amended the voting laws to allow for the electronic verification of voters in Jamaican elections.

His decision was immediately welcomed by JLP leader Senator Bruce Golding. Golding, the JLP caretaker for West Kingston, is expected to win the seat comfortably.

“I am glad that the prime minister has acted without delay and has called this by-election,” the JLP leader told the Observer, during a tour of the constituency.

The vote is set to take place around the same time that finance minister Dr Omar Davies is expected to present his 2005/2006 budget to Parliament and some people had suspected that the government would attempt to deny Golding the symbolism of participating in that debate as Leader of the Opposition.

This is the first election for a seat in the national parliament in which a biometric identification system – fingerprints matched against those stored in a computerised database – will be used.

The system was previously piloted in a handful of divisions in a local government election.

Jamaica House, the prime minister’s office, said Patterson would send the amended election laws, allowing for the electronic identification of voters, will be sent to the Governor General Sir Howard Cooke “for his signature prior to the date fixed for nomination”.

“The prime minister has requested the governor general to issue the necessary proclamation as well as the appropriate notifications (for the election) in accordance with the Representation of the People’s Act,” Jamaica House said.

The West Kingston seat was held for 43 years by the JLP’s former leader, Edward Seaga, but became vacant in mid-January when Seaga, 74, retired as both a parliamentarian and party leader. He held the latter job for three decades.

Without a challenger, after his brother-in-law Pearnel Charles dropped out of the race, Golding was anointed JLP leader at a February 19 conference, but could not take up the constitutional position of Leader of the Opposition because he was not a member of the House.

The Opposition leader’s seat is currently occupied by Dr Ken Baugh, the current JLP chairman, who took the job on the understanding that he would easily step aside when Golding returns as an elected member of the legislature after an eight-year absence.

Formerly the MP for Central St Catherine, Golding lost the seat in the 1997 general election, two years after the walked out of the JLP, leaving his job as party chairman and his position as Seaga’s heir-apparent, to form the moribund National Democratic Movement (NDM).

He returned to the JLP on the eve of the 2002 general elections, was credited with helping to re-energise the party and bringing it close to victory. In less than three years, Golding not only rebuilt his base in the JLP but had prised out Seaga loyalists from key positions and set the course for his leadership of the party.

Now, although he will be formally challenged by Joseph ‘Bunny’ Witter of the ruling People’s National Party (PNP), Golding seems set on an inevitable course to Parliament.

Witter could not be contacted for comment last night, but few people see any hope of his winning the seat despite his own pronouncement about his chances.

Yesterday, Golding said he and representatives from the PNP had met with the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) and had established “an understanding” for the conduct of the poll.

“Both parties are working together towards the same objective of ensuring a peaceful election,” Golding said.