CHAIRMAN of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica, Professor Errol Miller, says the closeness of Monday’s nail-biting general elections underscores the need for increases in the number of constituencies, as a 30-30 tie would have left the country in a dilemma.

The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), at the end of the preliminary count of ballots cast in Monday’s general elections, won 31 seats, compared to the People’s National Party’s (PNP) 29. However, by Tuesday the JLP’s tally moved to 32 and the PNP’s 28.

But Miller believes it’s time to review the constituency boundaries and change the number of seats from 60 to an odd number.

Electoral officials had earlier proposed that the number of constituencies be increased from 60 to 63, in the first instance, and eventually moving to 65.

“We have a set of good laws in Jamaica. The constitution and the law requires that every four to six years we have a general review of constituency boundaries. The last period for general review ended in 2004. So the earliest time that constituency boundaries can be looked at again is March 2008.,” Professor Miller said, as he addressed a luncheon meeting of the Lions Club of Kingston on Wednesday.

According to Professor Miller, that period extends from 2008 – 2014, while the next general elections are due in 2013.

Reiterating the laws applicable to the boundary review process, he said during the review period no constituency should have electors above 150 per cent of the national average, and not less than two-thirds.

He told the Lions club members that there was agreement between the PNP and JLP that review must take place, and the agreeing parties must be given time to begin work.

Addressing the issue of slow voting, he said 96 per cent of the electors voted in the morning hours, which he said accounted for the long lines and slow voting, particularly in constituencies which used the electronic identification and computer-generated ballot system.

Professor Miller also said that future elections in Jamaica could be without international observers, as the process of electoral reforms have made significant strides over several years, and some groups, including the Carter Center, politely refused invitations to observe.

Observers from the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Caribbean Community (Caricom), and local watchdog Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE) all gave thumbs up for the elections, despite citing administrative concerns.