BUFF BAY, Portland — People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for Portland Western Doreen Campbell has urged voters not to refuse payment offered for their vote but to instead double-cross those making the offer.

Vote-buying is illegal in Jamaica but the political landscape has long been plagued by allegations and accusations of the practice. Both major political parties have staunchly denied that they engage in buying votes.

Speaking Sunday night during a presentation of her party’s candidates for the parish, Campbell told Comrades it was time to use their heads — in more ways than one.

They should outsmart those attempting to buy their votes, she said, by making their ‘X’ beside the head.

She also assured gyrating supporters that they should not be afraid to double-cross those who try to buy their votes as no one will know who they actually vote for.

“You going [to] tek di money and you going put the X beside the head. This election we going to use we head,” Campbell said.

Turning her attention to problems within the constituency that has been represented by Jamaica Labour Party’s Daryl Vaz for the last 15 years, she lamented the state of its roads.

“We have communities, like Belvedere, that is now abandoned. We have communities where the houses are abandoned simply because there is no road to the community. We have coffee farms and farms that are abandoned simply because there is no road,” Campbell said.

Labelling Vaz an “outsider”, she said it would be a “travesty” if he were re-elected, a response to his previous use of the same word to describe what a PNP win would be for Jamaica.

The trading of barbs is part of the non-stop campaign between both parties to whip up support ahead of the polls. Local government elections are due next February while the general election is due in 2025.