THE date of the general elections has been postponed to Monday, September 3, while members of the security forces and election day workers will vote next Tuesday, August 28.

This decision was taken yesterday by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) which passed its recommendation on to Governor General Professor Kenneth Hall late yesterday afternoon, for his confirmation, which is expected today.

In a carefully worded release last night, the ECJ chairman, Professor Errol Miller, said that the commission had an emergency meeting yesterday and unanimously recommended to the governor general the postponement of the general elections set for Monday, August 27.

“The commission expects, after the governor general has met with his Privy Council, that he will make an announcement tomorrow of the new date for general elections,” Miller’s release said. “Consequently, the elections that had been set for the security forces and election day workers for Tuesday, August 21, would also be rescheduled.”

The security forces and election day workers were scheduled to cast their ballots today, freeing them for active duties next Monday, the original date set for the general elections.

However, Hurricane Dean threw a spanner into the works on Sunday as it forced its way down the island’s south coast, killing at least three people, destroying thousands of roofs and trees, and putting out light, water supplies and telephone services.

The new election date is, however, likely to cause a setback in the reopening of school for the Christmas term as a number of these institutions are used as polling stations. Most schools were scheduled to reopen on September 3 for the new term.

The decision of Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to declare a State of Public Emergency on Sunday, to increase post-disaster security, also raised concerns in Opposition circles.

Opposition Leader Bruce Golding last night described the declaration as “ill-advised”. He said the power of curfews and provision for the deployment of the military already existed to deal with the possibility of looting.

But Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller told a post-Cabinet briefing at Jamaica House yesterday that the issue of looting was only one of several dangers which were considered in making the decision to impose the emergency.