ST JAMES, Jamaica — Lawyers writing on behalf of Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon and the St James Municipal Corporation have officially responded to the Electoral Office of Jamaica (ECJ).

In a letter seen by the Jamaica Observer, which is directed to ECJ Chairman, Earl Jarrett and dated May 14, representatives from the firm Bennett Cooper Smith put forward a response to an enquiry that has been made in regards to the corporation’s actions in removing campaign banners of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP).

“We act for and on behalf of His Worship, the Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon and the St James Municipal Corporation and refer to your letter dated 25 April 2025,” the letter stated.

The letter would go on to outline the stance that has already been taken by the mayor and the corporation in relation to the matter, which is also the subject of Supreme Court proceedings.

“Our clients are committed to observing the provisions of the Political Ombudsman (Interim) (Amendment) Act, 2024 (the Act),” the letter said.

“However, on perusal of the Act, we cannot find the basis upon which our clients are being asked to provide the relevant explanations, particularly in the context of the municipality’s performance of its statutory obligations under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations, 1978 which preceded the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2016 by thirty eight (38) years.”

“The regulations are not unclear or ambiguous as to the obligations of the Municipal Corporation, nor are the other relevant laws under which the corporation has jurisdiction,” the statement continued.

“The corporation is neither a political party or person, and the mayor who is also the chairman of the corporation, performs his duties as such,” it said.

In a previous communiqué to the mayor, the ECJ had called for an explanation of why the advertisement banners for three representatives of the PNP were removed.

Banners belonging to candidates Dr Andre Haughton, Senator Janice Reid and Allan Bernard were removed after the mayor indicated that they were not in the election period and that some of the banners were placed on the commercial board areas.

He had initially warned them of the action, and when his request to remove the boards was not met, the corporation removed them from several areas of the western city.

This drew the anger of the candidates who promised that they would take the matter to court and have since applied to the Supreme Court for a judicial review of what has transpired, plus other requests of the court.

READ: PNP demands end to ‘unlawful removal’ of campaign material in MoBay

To the initial letter from the ECJ, the mayor, through his representatives, had asked for an extension because of the court proceedings, which was granted until March 14 and has now provided the response.

READ: New deadline for MoBay mayor to provide explanation on political poster removal

However, the representatives of the mayor also used the opportunity to request information on how the letter that was sent to the mayor was allegedly leaked before it got to him.

“On another note, we are instructed by His Worship the Mayor, that he first learned of the contents of your above-mentioned letter through the media and before same was delivered to him in a sealed envelope,” it noted.

“Kindly indicate whether this matter was disclosed to the media by your office and, if so, the basis upon which this was done. If not, kindly indicate what measures will be put in place by your goodly office to ensure that any disclosures made by our clients in this matter will be kept confidential as required by the Act,” it continued.