CAMPAIGNING for the August 27 general elections in two of the island’s 60 constituencies could be discontinued, if internecine violence persists, the candidates were warned yesterday.

The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ), said it would recommend a course of action that it would want the Electoral Commission of Jamaica to take, at a meeting scheduled for today.

Yesterday, the EOJ’s Danville Walker addressed journalists at a press conference after he and Political Ombudsman Bishop Herro Blair met the candidates for Western St Thomas and South East St Elizabeth and scolded them about violence in their campaigns.

“Essentially we met with the candidates and we have come to a decision, but we will make a recommendation by tomorrow (today) to the Electoral Commission as to what action (if any) will be taken.,” Walker, the director of elections, said.

People’s National Party (PNP) candidate, Rosemarie Shaw, claims three deaths in Western St Thomas, but police could only confirm one election-related death.

Shaw, a former Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) mayor, is battling the Jamaica Labour Party’s James Robertson, who won the seat in the 2002 elections.

The candidates from South East St Elizabeth are the PNP’s Norman Horne, who is facing the JLP’s Franklyn Witter.

Reports of assaults and intimidation, arson attempts, plus allegations and counter allegations of assaults and violence by party supporters had forced previous meetings with Political Ombudsman Bishop Herro Blair.

The candidates were warned to shape up or face sanctions. However, the violent acts and breaches of the Political Code of Conduct continued, forcing yesterday’s meeting.

But Walker indicated that postponement of the polls was not immediately on the cards. “We are not anywhere near postponement at this time,” he said.

“The candidates (were told) if they were to continue on that path, if there was no improvement, they would have the election postponed. However, before we get to that, we would stop the campaigning, and what we’re looking at was the candidates’ views on what has been happening in their constituencies, what effect stopping the campaign would have, and whether stopping the campaign would reduce the tension,” the elections director said.

“The candidates’ views, in addition to the views of electoral officials, were also put on the table as to what we believe would work in their constituencies to keep an environment that encourages free and fair elections,” Walker added.

“We have heard from the candidates, we have given them our views, which is pretty much that we believe you need to have a reduction in the tension in the constituencies and the number of incidents, and we will make a recommendation to the Electoral Commission as to what we believe should be done with regards to campaigning.”

Meanwhile, the EOJ began yesterday to mail postcards to the country’s 1.3 million electors on the voters’ list. The postcards, Walker noted, indicated the elector’s names, polling station and polling division numbers for the elections.

The same has been done for next Tuesday’s 32,300 police, soldiers and (EOJ) workers who will vote on August 21 in keeping with the traditional practice.

He also said that of the 235,000 persons who could not be re-verified, only 14,000 came forward to say they should be on the list.