Jamaican political rally platforms can be heady things and much stupidity has characterised the declarations emanating therefrom over the years.

That is why we are pleased to be able to wholeheartedly endorse two very key declarations made from last Sunday’s People’s National Party (PNP) mass rally in Half-Way-Tree, St Andrew.

First, PNP President and Prime Minister Mrs Portia Simpson Miller urged her supporters to keep the campaign free of violence. Her call will make more sense to Jamaicans who have lived through the bloody 70’s and 80’s when the island resembled a country at civil war.

“I want everyone to listen me carefully now. I don’t want to hear about any disrespect or violence in this election campaign,” Mrs Simpson Miller said.

“There is no need for it. I am committed to a peaceful campaign. The PNP is committed to a peaceful campaign. We are one Jamaica. During and after the election, we must continue as one Jamaica, shaping the future together.”

Thankfully, elections have increasingly been more peaceful since the 2000s, and it is critical that we do everything to keep it so. We need not lecture anyone about how easy it is to trigger violent political clashes. It is always harder to build the peace.

We suggest to both major political parties that the message of a peaceful election be uttered from every campaign meeting and event from now to election day.

Second, both the prime minister and the PNP General Secretary Mr Paul Burke emphasised the importance of mobilising the country to fight the oncoming Zika virus (ZikV) attack. We are particularly pleased that party canvassers, 25,000 according to Mr Burke, are being brought into the effort to head off a possible epidemic.

With the thousands of party supporters massed in Half-Way-Tree, and the thousands watching from home on television, it was very important that the party chose that forum to address those two critical issues.

We are pleased, as well, to note that the Jamaica Labour Party chairman, Mr Robert Montague had earlier signalled his party’s intention to throw its supporters behind the ZikaV fight. That was the subject of an earlier editorial in this space.

The JLP missed an opportunity to drive home Mr Montague’s message at its own rally on Sunday. Two speakers mentioned the issue, but only to warn about partisan use of money in the ZikaV campaign.

That could have been misconstrued as using the issue as a political football, and we would have preferred if that fear, real or imagined, had been addressed in a more appropriate forum.

Still, it is not too late for the JLP to get back on board with its plan to keep the focus on ZikaV. And remember the words of its chairman:

“The party will now immediately, after prayers at all party meetings, do ZIKV education. We will inform our members about the virus, we will encourage them and educate others. We will urge them to reduce breeding sites, cover water containers, and keep from being bitten. The JLP will leverage its network of community leaders and use its islandwide programme of training for elections, to also train its workers to help in this national effort to fight ZIKV and reduce its impact…We are aware of the disruption, pain, and cost of CHIKV.”

We missed the boat on chikungunya. Let’s not miss the ZikaV bus.