ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — A Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) indoor agent has accused the People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for St Elizabeth South Eastern Norman Scott, of assaulting her at the polling station at BB Coke High School on Wednesday.

Efforts to get a comment from the leadership of the St Elizabeth police as well as from Scott, who is also the mayor of Spanish Town, were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered up to mid-afternoon. Scott is challenging the incumbent, the JLP’s Frank Witter, for the constituency.

A video shared with the Jamaica Observer shows the indoor agent, Julie Francis, giving her side of the story.

“I was in my [polling division when] I heard a commotion outside. When I asked what was happening they told me that Mr Scott was overstaying his time on the premises. Each candidate is given five minutes in each polling station which would give him 35 minutes on the premises,” she said.

“I asked them to let him leave peacefully and not create any problems, because you don’t want the same thing to happen when Mr Witter’s time comes around. A police officer was there. He tried to push my father into the polling station and I raised my hand to say to him ‘Please, be peaceful’. As soon as I raised my hand Mr Scott hit me in the face. My glasses fell to the ground. When I took it up, it was broken…” she claimed.

“Labourites were coming from every angle to attack Mr Scott and I was the one who had to stand between them, even after I was assaulted. I had to protect Mr Scott,” added Francis, who said she is a stroke survivor.

“I am to do a CT scan to my head and cheekbone. I am now suffering from a terrible headache because of the blow to my cheekbone,” said Francis.

A JLP cluster supervisor who identified himself as Robert told the Observer via phone that he witnessed the incident.

“Early today, Mr Scott came over… to make a visit. We know that he has the right to make that visit for five minutes. He came and he visited [polling divisions] 97, 96 [among others]. He was going into 90A where someone was inside there voting, so the indoor agent for the JLP said to him you cannot come inside here, because someone is casting their vote… [there were] words from him and the indoor agent,” Robert said.

“Mr Scott box [the lady]… and her glasses fell on the floor and break,” he said.

— Kasey Williams