Director of Elections Danville Walker yesterday told the electorate to ignore attempts to mislead them that votes cast for certain candidates will be spoilt, and reiterated that the publishing of false statements about candidates will attract prosecution.

According to Walker, the Electoral Office of Jamaica has noticed that misleading documents challenging the validity of the nomination of candidates are being circulated in the run-up to next Monday’s elections.

He reiterated a statement released on August 16, 2007 in which he made it clear that all 146 candidates have been properly nominated and will be on the ballots printed for the election.

“The public is asked to be aware that persons are apparently seeking to mislead electors that votes cast for certain candidates will be wasted,” Walker said in a statement yesterday. “This is false. Electors are encouraged to go out and vote on election day.”

Walker’s statement came after the publication of a document titled “Notice of disqualification” which states that Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate for West Portland, Daryl Vaz, is not qualified to be elected as a member of parliament for the constituency.

The document, dated August 29 and bearing the name of People’s National Party candidate for the constituency, Abraham Dabdoub, alleges that Vaz “is a citizen of a foreign power or state, namely the United States of America and is the holder of a passport issued to him by the Government of the United States of America”.

The document cited Section 40(2) of the Jamaica constitution, which states that “No person shall be qualified to be appointed as a senator or elected as a member of the House of Representatives who is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state”.

Said the document: “Now take notice, that all votes given or cast for the said Daryl Vaz at the said election to be held on the 3 September 2007 will, by reason of the said disqualification and incapacity to be elected, be thrown away and be null and void.”

Yesterday, Dabdoub could not be reached for comment. However, Vaz, when contacted, said he was the duly nominated JLP candidate for the constituency and that on Monday he would become the “duly elected member of parliament for West Portland”.

“West Portland is one of seven seats that we have information that has been targeted for disruption on election day in order to have the elections voided,” he charged, adding that he had shared this information with the police.

Walker, in his statement yesterday, reminded candidates and the public of Section 97 (b) and (c) of the Representation of the People Act which states:

“Every person who:

(b) before or during the election knowingly publishes a false statement of the withdrawal of a candidate at such election for the purpose of promoting or procuring the election of another candidate:

(c) before or during any election, for the purpose of affecting the return of any candidate or prospective candidate at such election, makes or publishes any false statement of fact in relation to the personal character or conduct of such candidate or prospective candidate, shall be guilty of an illegal practice, and shall be liable on summary conviction before a Resident Magistrate to a fine not less than fifty thousand dollars nor more than two hundred thousand dollars and in default of payment to imprisonment with or without hard labour for a term not less than three years or to imprisonment with or without hard labour for a term not less than three years or to both such fine and imprisonment.”