Electoral watchdog group Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE) has added its voice to those cautioning the Andrew Holness Administration over its approach to making Portmore Jamaica’s 15th parish.

In a release on Thursday, over the signature of its Chairman Grace Baston, CAFFE said it is greatly concerned at the manner in which the proposal to convert Portmore into a separate parish is being handled.

“The creation of constituencies and the drawing of constituency boundaries, as well as municipalities, are governed by the establishment and configuration of parishes. The manipulation of the boundaries of these parishes will affect the boundaries of constituencies and can therefore have a profound effect on the electoral system,” said Baston.

“Where it is carried out under partisan motivation and political manipulation it amounts to gerrymandering — which is a serious undermining of democracy. For this reason, CAFFE is alarmed at some of the public statements which have been made by prominent politicians,” added Baston

CAFFE noted that the statutory functions of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) include reviewing the numbers and boundaries of constituencies so as to make recommendations to the standing committee of Parliament.

“The ECJ also has the power to determine the polling divisions within constituencies. It is important to the preservation of democracy and our respect for our electoral system that the role of the ECJ should not be compromised by subjecting the creation of parishes or the drawing of their boundaries to anything that may seem like partisan political manoeuvrings,” said Baston.

“CAFFE therefore calls on our political leaders and parliamentarians, especially in this period when improvements to our constitutional system are being considered, to refrain from any strategies, declarations, or actions which compromise the role of the ECJ or undermine our democratic principles,” urged Baston.

CAFFE’s recommendation to the Holness Administration came less than 24 hours after Opposition Leader Mark Golding made public a letter he wrote to the prime minister urging him to pause the plan to make Portmore a parish.

According to Golding, the Government should start broad-based consultations with the leadership of Portmore at all levels, along with the residents at the community level, to arrive at any modifications of the present structure, its boundaries, and any other parameters that they may deem appropriate.

“Such contemplations would not exclude the possibility of Portmore becoming a parish or remaining a city municipality,” said Golding.

The Opposition leader added that his party has very serious concerns about any change in parish boundaries that would impact constituency boundaries, emasculating the fundamental spirit and intent underpinning the independent ECJ and the provisions of the Representation of the People Act.

“It is long been clear to us that the objective of the conversion of Portmore from a city municipality to a parish is driven by a narrow, partisan and self-serving desire to separate the people of Portmore from the rest of St Catherine in order to secure political control of the Spanish Town Municipal Corporation,” Golding said in his letter.

“This objective was recently confirmed by a member of your Cabinet and senior member of the Jamaica Labour Party, Minister Clifford Warmington, on Sunday November 12, 2023 in a public statement which has been published in the media. In his statement, Minister Warmington stated that the boundaries of Portmore will be changed to ensure that several areas within two Portmore constituencies which have predominantly voted for the People’s National Party will no longer be in those constituencies,” Golding added.

“This distasteful rebirth of gerrymandering in Jamaica under your leadership represents a retrograde manoeuvre to undermine and reverse the gains secured since 1980 in detribalising the democratic processes. If pursued, this blatant gerrymandering will be a disgraceful legacy of your Prime Ministerial record, and an ugly stain that sullies our country’s image locally and internationally,” he added.

“I encourage you to be mindful that Jamaica’s success to date in maintaining [a] democratic system of government, and prospects for economic growth and national development are in large part dependent on our relatively stable political system and practices and the institutional arrangements which support this,” Golding said.

“Any manipulative tinkering of political boundaries, as articulated by Minster Warmington, with the apparent support of your Cabinet will only serve to derail the country’s past gains and future prospects,” declared Golding who pointed out that a joint select committee of Parliament found no material benefits for Portmore to become a parish.