Delano Seiveright, the Jamaica Labour Party candidate for St Thomas Eastern , has asked the police to investigate what he described as acts of political intimidation in the constituency and move to prevent them escalating into violence.

Seiveright made the accusations in a letter to Superintendent of Police Charmine Shand on Tuesday this week, saying that the actions threaten to disrupt the relatively peaceful constituency.

Seiveright said that over the last several weeks, “an outpost of sorts filled with men, some allegedly armed”, has been established in the Airy Castle district.

The outpost, he alleged, is “orange flagged and the main road is marked with words aimed at stoking political intimidation”.

He said that some time ago a shooting, which residents said was politically motivated, occurred in the area.

“On a recent tour of the area, I, came upon this outpost and saw first-hand the reason why some residents are fearful,” Seiveright said.

“Similar developments are beginning to take root in other sections of constituency and residents have alerted me that threats have been made against my life on several occasions, including my soon inability to traverse certain sections of the constituency,” he said.

“I am concerned that continued tension of this nature will rapidly descend into political violence that will endanger the lives of innocent residents who would wish to exercise and express their political views. As a political representative striving to make a difference for the people of this country, I reject and frown on this negative type of politics of the past,” he said.

“I invite you to take a special interest in the happenings in St Thomas Eastern  and to act decisively to send a signal that violence, intimidation and criminality will be firmly dealt with in the upcoming election campaign,” he said to Superintendent Shand.