POLITICAL ombudsman Donna Parchment-Brown is to write to the leadership of both political parties to cease, with immediate effect, the ongoing tit-for-tat attacks on each other as campaigning heightens ahead of the February 25 General Election.

Parchment-Brown said that the attacks were getting out of hand and she was concerned that, if not addressed, they could boil over into violence.

“I am writing to the prime minister and to the leader of the Opposition to say that, in addition to a number of issues, there are concerns that the political climate is unsuitable for the conduct of free and fair elections and in that context it is important for them to cool it down,” said Parchment.

She made the comments while attending a meeting with members of the entertainment industry on Duke Street in downtown Kingston. The participants were presented with copies of the political code of conduct.

Another issue that was of concern to Parchment was the continued attack by high-ranking members of the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) on Opposition and Jamaica Labour Party leader Andrew Holness over the building of a house in Beverly Hills, St Andrew.

She spoke about growing complaints of political parties using underhanded tactics to block the freedom of passage of supporters from opposing parties.

She said she was also concerned about complaints of attacks on the character of Prime Minister and PNP President Portia Simpson Miller.

According to Parchment-Brown, it is imperative for all concerned to cease the negative behaviour and use the political platforms to send positive messages.

“We are in the last days of the campaign and it is time for ice on the head, ice in the shoes; it’s not a time for heat,” she remarked.

“We will not tolerate the continued posting of flags and fabric. We [want them to] cease all utterances that could be construed as malicious, libellous, slanderous and not founded in facts,” she said.

She said going forward individuals must use facts to support their arguments.