The Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC) notes the recent announcement by the prime minister of the national plebiscite and its concomitant constitutional activities. The council affirms the understanding that our constitutional and political arrangements for governance are to be seen as parts of the divine provision for the good ordering of human community and which involves accountability on the part of those who aspire to leadership. The upcoming elections are therefore part of the sacred trust which citizens have to be good stewards of and responsible citizens in God’s world because “the Earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world and those who live in it”. (Psalm 24:1)

Like most Jamaicans, the council is aware of the need to address the constitutional mandate for elections alongside concerns with the present COVID-19 pandemic which we all face. Our rich democratic traditions along with our effervescent and gregarious culture have generated a wide array of campaign freedoms and expressions. These include, but are not limited to motorcades, rallies, canvasses, production and distribution of campaign material and paraphernalia, and the use of some elements of our popular culture in the promotion of campaign messages.

Notwithstanding this, the novel coronavirus pandemic imposes a new paradigm and restrictions which will essentially require that political activities be curtailed to allow for strict adherence to the prescribed health protocols. In addition to the immediate concerns for the election campaign are concerns over the long-standing political competitive culture which, on many occasions in our past, when unbridled, has threatened the rule of law and order and the well-being of our people. We concede that it is of the nature of politics for people to have differing views, and it is the right of each to hold the view of choice. Differences, however, do not need to lead to conflict and the extreme expressions of conflict.

Our call to parties

The council calls on all political parties to align their campaign strategies, political tactics and operations, as well as public relations plans to the tenets of the Agreement and Declaration of Political Conduct, ensuring that they are strictly observed. In particular, we call on all political parties, political officials, as well as political actors and functionaries to be reminded of the following principles:

1) non-violence and non-intimidation

2) safety of private and public property

3) avoidance of confrontation

4) avoiding inflammatory, slanderous, libellous and malicious public utterances

5) freedom of access

6) avoidance of defacing of buildings or installations

7) eschewing the practice of political tribalism, intimidation or violence

Our call to the clergy

We call on all church leaders to engage the political process by putting faith into action. We encourage all clergy to develop and deliver sermons which address matters of good governance and which help to increase awareness of our people. We recognise that clergypersons are entitled to their own political views, but we ask that they guard against the use of the pulpit for partisan use.

We also encourage ministers to meet with and provide moral and spiritual support and guidance to political candidates in their locales of ministry. We further encourage prayers be offered for our governmental leaders and for the effective and judicious administration of the political process. We encourage minister’s fraternals to cooperate with the parish custodes, the Office of the Political Ombudsman, and the police in the parish signings of the political code of conduct.

We also encourage the members of the clergy to encourage their congregants to vote and to do so with strict adherence to the health protocols.

Finally, we encourage all clergy to conduct vigilant observation of the process and offer balanced and reasonable critique and commendations where necessary.

We acknowledge that the governing party still has control of public institutions and finances and therefore should guard against inappropriate use of these to gain partisan advantage. This, in our view, would be unethical, unfair, and a conflict of interest.

We affirm our confidence in the Electoral Commission of Jamaica to oversee an electoral process that is fair and functions with integrity. In this regard, it is our hope that the Jamaican people will participate in the political process with dignity and respect, exercise their constitutional right to vote, according to their preference and to accept the outcome of the elections.

Rev Newton G A Dixon is president of the Jamaica Council of Churches. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or presidentatjcc@gmail.com.