Dear Editor,

Jamaica’s general election will be called in a matter of weeks and as expected tensions are high. There have been reports of political supporters being attacked on their way to and from party meetings as well as attacks on communities reported to be in support of a particular party.

It has reached a serious stage as over the weekend a man was shot and injured while in a bus that was returning from a gospel concert. There have also been reports of people defacing candidates’ billboards across the island.

There seems to be a plan by unknown people to intimidate supporters of a particular political party, as they are afraid that the party they support might lose the election.

This is all nonsense, though. People should be free to vote for whom they feel would be best able to manage the country. We must all try to move away from this disorderly way of conducting ourselves, especially around the time of the general election. Jamaicans should not be subjected to this kind of upheaval every time a general election is called.

We should all realise that hurting each other is not going to provide more jobs, increase social conditions, or create a better health and education system. Unity is what we need. Unity is what will propel Jamaica closer to achieving first-world status.

Mark Palmer

Brown’s Town, St Ann

palmermark2010@gmail.com