JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) candidate for St Elizabeth South Western Christopher Tufton yesterday distanced himself from the political imbroglio involving People’s National Party (PNP) general secretary Donald Buchanan, who on the weekend characterised him as ‘Satan’.

Tufton, a lecturer in management studies at the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies, found himself on the receiving end of the PNP general secretary’s sharp tongue, with comments that could threaten the Political Code of Conduct, agreed to by both parties.

However, he said he was leaving the matter to the JLP’s secretariat, which yesterday called on Buchanan to apologise for the comment.

“Referring to a political opponent as Satan represents a new low in Jamaican politics. It is obvious that the PNP is prepared to resort to vulgar characterisation in the election campaign as they clearly have no message to deliver to the voters,” a statement from the JLP said.

Buchanan, in the meantime, appeared unrepentant for his characterisation of Tufton as Satan. “I don’t respond to unsigned news releases,” he said yesterday.

Meanwhile, Tufton is apparently treating the comments as a side show. “.I will not be distracted, and I will not be involved in any tit for tat comments involving the PNP general secretary.” Tufton told the Observer yesterday.

The characterisation of a JLP opponent as Satan by the PNP general secretary comes two weeks after the ruling party chastised the JLP and forced an apology for comments made by one of its candidates, Joan Gordon-Webley, who likened Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to the biblical Jezebel.

The Political Code of Conduct, which was formulated by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) and agreed to by both political parties, addresses the issue of public inflammatory utterances.

It said party officials, including platform speakers should not make comments which: “Are inflammatory or likely to incite others to confrontation or violence, constitute slander or libel; are malicious in referring to opposing candidates, their families and party officials.”

While not naming Tufton directly, Buchanan, who is the sitting MP for St Elizabeth South Western, made references to “Satan” which pointed to Tufton.

Buchanan did not deny a story carried by the Observer yesterday, but maintained that “Satan is anyone who can stand in front of 30,000 labourites and tell them to ‘put your X squarely beside the head’. Isn’t that person a tempter?”

Tufton, on the campaign trail leading up to the 2002 general elections, and rallying JLP supporters to vote made a blunter when he told JLP supporters to “Put your X squarely beside the head”, the symbol of the PNP. The JLP’s symbol is the bell.

Tufton, who was later haunted by the use of his gaffe in the PNP’s election campaign against the JLP, said yesterday that Buchanan was “seeking to recapture some importance through name calling”.