Dear Editor,

The Daily Observer of Tuesday, November 10, 2015 carried a report, headlined ‘Nyam dem out and vote dem out!’ It recounts that Holness accused the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) of doling out money for votes.

In the body of the report it is stated that Opposition Leader Andrew Holness told supporters at a rally in Spanish Town, St Catherine, “Tek the money! Tek the money! I say to the yute dem where dem a go try to buy unu out, a seh to you, tek the money and ask for more.”

The National Integrity Action (NIA) wishes to remind all concerned that vote-buying and vote-selling:

* are in clear breach of the Representation of the People Act (Sections 91 and 94), which when proven before the Resident Magistrate’s Court attracts a fine of $20,000 to $80,000 and/or imprisonment of not less than three no more than five years;

* are in clear violation of the Code of Political Conduct agreed to by both parties which states, “Candidates or others acting on behalf of candidates must not use funds derived from any source, public or private to improperly influence electoral choices.”

In this context, we recall vote-buying allegations made by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) against the PNP in relation to the Westmoreland Central by-election (December 2014) and the indication by the director of elections that “the returning officer for the constituency will today submit a report from the losing Jamaica Labour Party candidate, Faye Jacobs-Reid”, Against this background, NIA:

* calls on the Leader of the Opposition to desist from encouraging voters to break the law;

* insists that the security forces put in place mechanisms to detect, investigate, and bring before the courts any case of vote-buying or vote-selling;

* requests that the director of elections release to the public the report alleging vote-buying in the Westmoreland Central by-election;

* urges that the political ombudsman whose statutory responsibility it is to oversee and investigate adherence to Jamaica’s Code of Political Conduct be urgently appointed.

Trevor Munroe, CD

tmunroe@niajamaica.org