Summer polls unlikely, SOEs extended

It appears unlikely that Jamaicans will head to the polls before September 3 this year as Parliament voted on Tuesday to extend states of public emergency in 10 police divisions even as a bill has been tabled proposing that both the general and local government elections be held on one ballot.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness had promised that no election would be held while SOEs were in effect.

Holness came to Parliament seeking an extension until October 24.

But complaining about the manner in which the request was made to have the SOEs extended, Opposition Leader Dr Peter Phillips called for better dialogue in the executing the affairs of Parliament, even as he sought to protect the official campaign period that is fast approaching.

“The approach that has been offered so far has been wanting,” Phillips lamented, as he pointed Holness to Hansard evidence that National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang had said no extension would be sought after July 25.

States of emergency have been imposed in Hanover, St James, Westmoreland, Clarendon, St Catherine South, St Catherine North, Kingston East, Kingston Central, Kingston Western, and St Andrew South.

“There is the case in law as provided for by the electoral commission what is called now the campaign period begins in August 25. I am prepared to vote in favour of an extension to August 25. I am also prepared and I believe if we need be, to return to the period in the period of the recess should it become necessary,” Phillips asserted.

Holness, in responding, said he has been clear that he would not have taken the SOEs off the table as a tool to manage crime in hotspots.

“I have always said, should the situation require it, I would come back to the House and ask for an extension. I was very clear that even if we came and asked for the SOEs to be terminated in anticipation of an election, should there be cause even during the election, that option would still be open, though it would be one I would be reluctant to exercise,” Holness stated.

Holness had initially agreed to accede to Phillips’ request for the extension to end on August 25, but said that there were technicalities in calculating the election period that might cause the date to be shifted.

Holness said that the date would be calculated six months prior to March 3.

EFFECTIVE MEASURE

In the meantime, Holness told Parliament that the SOEs have been effective in the areas where they have be declared, although St Andrew South continued to pose challenges for the security forces.

“For the comparative 173 days prior to the state of public emergency to present, the Kingston Eastern Police Division experienced an overall reduction of murders and shootings by 55 per cent and 69 per cent [respectively],” the prime minister said.

Murders in that division declined from 44 to 20, year-on-year, and shootings have fallen from 51 to 16, as at July 19.

For St Andrew South, Holness said there was a 4 per cent reduction in murders and 12 per reduction in shooting.

For the period before the SOE, 163 murders were said to have been committed and since, there have been 156 murders. There were 162 shootings before the SOE and 142 since it came into effect.

“Especially for St Andrew South, we need to continue with the public state of emergency,” Holness pleaded.

Holness said St James was now experiencing the lowest murder rate in 17 years.

Forty-eight members of the House of Representatives voted in favour of extending the SOEs.

The Senate is to vote on the extension which, if passed, would almost certainly assure that elections will be held beyond summer.