Jamaica’s two major political parties are now engaged in a bitter feud over allegations of corruption surrounding spending on parish council by-elections as campaigning ahead of the next parliamentary vote, due by September, grows more savage.

The ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), at a mid-morning news conference on Thursday, demanded that Dr Dayton Campbell resign from the Electoral Commission of Jamaica, that he also steps down as People’s National Party (PNP) general secretary, and that he quit his position on the shadow cabinet.

Additionally, the JLP demanded that Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby resign if he is unable to provide, within 24-hours, “adequate, credible and definitive clarity” on allegations that the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) is being used to “fund the PNP’s political and electoral activities”.

The salvo from the ruling party had not yet subsided when the PNP countered with a threat of legal action, saying that the JLP’s “latest baseless and defamatory attacks” are “a desperate attempt to mislead Jamaicans and distract from the Government’s corruption scandals”.

Declaring that it has full confidence in Campbell and Swaby, the PNP said both men have been unjustly targeted and that “malicious and politically motivated accusations” have been made against them “without a shred of credible evidence”.

During the news conference at JLP headquarters on Belmont Road in St Andrew, Marlon Morgan, a member of the party’s communication task force, levelled a slew of accusations against Campbell in relation to voice notes that were reported to have been conversations between the PNP general secretary and Lawrence Rowe, the former PNP caretaker for Kingston Central.

The voice notes, which have been widely publicised, contain allegations of money distributed for electioneering.

Morgan described as “disgraceful, repugnant, scandalous and unacceptable” comments in the voice notes that he attributed to Campbell.

He said that Campbell, in his capacity as PNP general secretary, “has ultimate responsibility for the PNP’s political activities and electioneering, and how they are sustained”.

He said that while the JLP was not making any “allegation of personal malfeasance” concerning Campbell, his comments were “both unbecoming and unacceptable” and fall “woefully short of what is required of the CEO of any major political party in Jamaica and a commissioner of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica”.

Morgan also said that a statement issued last week by Mayor Swaby on the matter was “indirect, evasive and grossly inadequate”.

In the statement Swaby said that at no point did the KSAMC authorise or facilitate cash disbursements to any individual.

“If any such transaction took place, it was not sanctioned by the corporation and did not involve public funds,” the mayor stated and insisted that the municipalities do not issue cash.

In response to reports that the matter is being investigated by two anti-corruption agencies, Swaby said if such a probe is under way, the KSAMC welcomes it and stands ready to cooperate fully.

On Thursday, Morgan also said that the JLP “is aware of word concerning the existence of additional video and audiotapes involving PNP officials and operatives, discussing the inappropriate use of public funds from the KSAMC… to fund political activities”.

He said the party was insisting that PNP President Mark Golding “tells the country whether he was aware of what is being exposed as the PNP’s inappropriate use of State resources to fund its election campaign activities”.

Added Morgan: “Mark Golding must tell us what, if anything, he has done about it to date and he should not tell us to ask the PNP.”

However, in its response, the PNP said the JLP was engaged in a “reckless smear campaign” and that the PNP “will take legal action to put an end to it”.

The Opposition party also challenged the JLP to submit to law enforcers any legitimate evidence it has, otherwise, it should “cease these defamatory attacks immediately”.

“We also call on law enforcement agencies to clarify whether any investigation is indeed under way. If such an investigation exists, those involved should be informed through due process rather than subjected to the JLP’s political theatre,” the PNP said, adding, “While the JLP wages a campaign of lies and deception, Jamaicans continue to suffer under its failing leadership.”