THE growing opposition to the use of violence during general elections in countries such as Jamaica and Guyana is a most welcome development for electoral democracy and good governance.
In Jamaica, where there are rising expectations of a snap general election, possibly even before Christmas, new Prime Minister Andrew Holness went one step further this past weekend in warning his own Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) members that they face expulsion should they be found guilty of encouraging or participating in political violence.
In Guyana, now in the final rounds of campaigning for its November 28 presidential and parliamentary elections, contesting parties have signed on to a Code of Conduct, prepared by the Elections Commission that commit them to scrupulously observe the principles for peaceful and responsible campaigning and behaviour on voting day.
This development in Guyana of the signing of a code of conduct for national elections came with the restoration of electoral democracy in October 1992 after a prolonged history of violence and electoral fraud.
St. Lucia, which will also be having its new parliamentary election on November 28, used to have what was more of a declaratory principles of a code of conduct than a mechanism for enforcement, such as Guyana’s, where its bi-partisan Elections Commission plays a pivotal role in ensuring observance.
For its coming November 28 poll, neither the incumbent United Workers Party (UWP) nor the main opposition St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) has shown interest in even a set of declaratory principles for campaigning. But the police have had to investigate cases of rowdyism and, worse, defacing and destruction of posters of the SLP.
Such behaviour pales into insignificance when compared to what Jamaicans so often have had to contend with during parliamentary elections—irrespective of the party in office at the time. And one of the central areas infamous for political thuggery and criminal violence has been West Kingston.
Having been the constituency of some famous political leaders and Prime Ministers of the country, such as Alexander Bustamante, Edward Seaga and the recently resigned Bruce Golding, West Kingston has evolved as one of the infamous “garrisons” where poverty and violence, in and out of elections, became the norm.
However, both the JLP and People’s National Party (PNP), which have traditionally dominated governance of the country, even before political independence and quite often accused of being part of the problems of violence, are currently focusing more on ensuring peaceful elections and placing emphases on ideas and programmes.
This augurs well for Jamaica and the coming snap general election, whenever held, could be a turning point in favour of a new era for peaceful elections resulting from mature political leadership. In this context, not just Jamaica and Guyana but other CARICOM states would be aware of Barbados’ acquired reputation for peaceful, mature, election campaigns consistent with a deep respect for electoral democracy.”
(The above editorial, which appeared yesterday in the Barbados Daily Nation, is reprinted courtesy of that newspaper in view of its immediate relevance)