ROSE HALL, St James — Even as he struggled to get past his campaign vehicle being torched, the murder of the man responsible and rumours of his own demise, People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for the Rose Hall Division in St James, Jason Cummings was on the campaign trail Friday, drumming up votes ahead of the February 26 vote.

“I don’t know what is happening, but I’m not daunted and I look forward to Election Day,” he said when the Jamaica Observer caught up with him in Barrett Town.

“I’m alive and well as you can see clearly,” he said amid cheers from his supporters.  “I don’t know what they were doing but I am ok and meeting the people.”

Earlier in the day on Friday, there had been a social media post claiming that Cummings had been killed Thursday night. That came a day after word broke that his Nissan AD Wagon had been torched in Lilliput shortly after 7:00 pm on Thursday and 44-year-old Kenroy ‘Shrimpy’ Doeman was shot and killed in the community about two hours after.

Doeman, who it was later revealed was mentally ill, was fingered as the arsonist. There were initial reports that he had earlier on Thursday approached Cummings for cigarettes and alcohol and he torched the candidate’s car after his requests were not met.

However Cummings rubbished these claims on Friday. He said he was not in the area when the fire or Doeman’s death occurred.

“I wasn’t even there, is a call I got and called the police,” he told the Observer.

He said while he knew of Doeman, he had no idea what could have led to the arson attack and the man’s subsequent murder.

“I really don’t know what this stems from. I don’t have a clue why my vehicle was torched, political or not, I don’t know,” he insisted.

“I don’t expect these things in elections and we are supposed to be mature enough to know that in this democratic process, we can behave like [decent] people. We are just putting [up] ourselves and the people choose who they want,” he said.

Cummings is urging a speedy probe of the entire matter.

On Friday morning Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of Area One, Clifford Chambers told the Observer the torching of the car did not appear to be linked to politics.

“The police need to do their investigations so they can determine what happened,” Cummings urged Friday afternoon.

The sentiment was echoed by his opponent, the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Anthony Murray who is the incumbent.

“The situation in Lilliput is an unfortunate matter and it being investigated by the police.  We should… let the police do their investigation and let the law take its course,” Murray told the Observer.

“What I will say is that matter has nothing to do, as some were trying to imply, with the Labour Party and the Labour Party distances ourselves from that activity that took place in Lilliput last night,” he said.

Like Cummings, Murray was busy campaigning on Friday afternoon.

“I believe when everything is done I will win comfortably and return to the St James Municipal Corporation,” he declared.

Cummings, who is using a borrowed vehicle until he can replace the one lost in the fire, was equally optimistic of victory.

“Things have been positive, the people want Jason Cummings. I was councillor before in 2012 to 2016 and the type of service that I gave to them, they want it back,” he said.

He said that, if elected, he wants to bring good governance, proper representation and service delivery to the people of the Rose Hall Division.