KINGSTON, Jamaica — The People’s National Party’s (PNP’s) young professional caucus, the Patriots, today claimed that JLP candidate for St Mary South Eastern, Norman Dunn, did not meet the constitutional requirements to be nominated for the October 30 by-election .

In a press release this morning, the group asserted that “Dunn is a shareholder and director of several entities which hold contracts with the Government of Jamaica through the National Health Fund’s Drugs for the Elderly Programme (JADEP) and other NHF drug dispensary programmes”.

These companies, Medpro Jamaica Ltd and NORALDU Ltd, both with offices in Kingston, hold on-going agreements under which they are paid weekly amounts by the government to supply drugs to NHF customers at varying pharmacies owned either by Dunn or one of his companies, the release said.

The Patriots argued that this is a violation with the law and cited Section 40 (2) part C of the Jamaica Constitution which states:

No person shall be qualified to be appointed as a Senator or elected as a member of the House of Representatives who –

 (c) is a party to, or a partner in a firm or a director or manager of a company which to his knowledge is a party to, any contract with the Government of Jamaica for or on account of the public service, and has not: –

(i) in the case of appointment as a Senator, by informing the Governor-General; or

(ii) in the case of election as a member of the House of Representatives, by publishing a notice in the Gazette within one month before the day of election, previously disclosed the nature of such contract and his interest or the interest of such firm or company therein;

The Patriots also stated that upon its investigation it did not find any records in the Jamaica Gazette of a notice being published outlining Dunn’s association with businesses with government contracts.

“These provisions are placed in the constitution to protect our democracy from abuse, corruption, blatant dishonesty and the covert use of public resources to influence the outcome of elections,” stated the young professionals.

The young professionals are calling on the JLP to provide evidence that its candidate has complied with this constitutional requirement.

“Otherwise the Electoral Commission of Jamaica should seek the advice of the Solicitor General of Jamaica on the validity Dr Dunn’s nomination,” recommended the Patriots.