GRANGE HILL, Westmoreland — Cliff Reynolds, the campaign manager for People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for Westmoreland Western Ian Hayles, has rejected claims that intimidation tactics utilised by their team were to be blamed for delays on nomination day. Instead, Reynolds pointed to issues including the poor state of roads and a larger-than-expected show of support for Hayles.

“The evidence of the condition of the road is there. You can look at it if you want. And the crowd and the length of the motorcade is evidence that was there. So, what he said makes no sense at all. He needs to spend some time and do some political work that would help him,” argued Reynolds in an interview with the Jamaica Observer Monday evening.

He was reacting to earlier comments made by Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate for Westmoreland Western Dr Garfield James, during a media interview after both parties missed their scheduled nomination times.

James, who was scheduled to be nominated between 11:30 am and 12:15 pm, was instead nominated at 1:50 pm. Hayles was scheduled to be nominated between 10:00 am and 10:45 am. However, he arrived way beyond the scheduled time and was nominated at 12:45 pm.

James alleged that Hayles’ delayed arrival was an effort to obstruct his nomination.

“I’m only disappointed that my opponent chose to implement many strategies of intimidation this morning by directly using supporters to block the roads and try to dominate a particular space way outside of their own planning. All of those were a clear indication that there was a genuine plan set to offset or to obstruct our process of coming here to be nominated,” he told the media following his nomination.

He said the police had to intervene.

“I want to thank the Jamaica Constabulary Force team that came out to ensure that order was restored and motorists can go about their lawful business,” stated James.

“I want to use this medium to encourage the opponent [that] while they campaign they must do so in a responsible way to ensure that we can have a violence-free election because at the end of the day, we are working to serve a constituency,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Hayles had shared his views on what he thought caused him to be late.

“The delay is quite simple. I think whenever there is a swing to a particular political party one can expect that people just join in. The crowd that we had prepared for, we got double that amount… so that caused a delay,” he said in response to a query from the Observer.

Hayles had also suggested that there is disunity within the JLP in the constituency. However, James brushed aside that claim.

“In any organisation, you will have some degree of challenges but what we do is accept, assess, evaluate, implement and overcome our challenges,” stated the JLP candidate, who argued that Monday’s turnout of supporters is a clear indication of the party’s strength heading into the September 3 polls.

“Let him not use that [allegations of disunity] as any degree of comfort as we will be carrying home the victory for the Jamaica Labour Party,” added James who replaced first-term MP Morland Wilson, who won the seat on a JLP ticket in 2020.

Westmoreland Western candidate Ian Hayles, who will be running on a People’s National Party ticket, speaking with the media on nomination day.