Call for responsible behaviour following campaign-related accident in St Thomas

After a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporter reportedly lost a leg in a motor vehicle accident returning from nomination day activities in St Thomas, there is a call for political party supporters to exhibit more responsible behaviour during election campaigns. The accident, while not assigning blame, highlights the need for accountability and compensation mechanisms for victims. Supporters' enthusiastic participation in rallies and events often results in reckless behaviour on the roads, endangering lives.

Lessons from St Thomas

Jamaica Gleaner/10 Feb 2024

A JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) supporter reportedly lost her leg in a motor vehicle accident in St Thomas while returning from Thursday’s Nomination Day activities in the run-up to the February 26 local government elections. Another person travelling on the campaign truck was also injured in that incident.

This sad outcome could not have been anticipated by the supporters when they left home that morning, and it is a heavy price to pay for stepping out in support of one’s party and candidate. We cannot decide here who is to be blamed for the accident, but there is a mechanism for holding the offender accountable and for determining the victims’ compensation.

Party supporters play an important role in the electoral process. They volunteer, help to raise funds, recruit and mobilise workers, swell attendance at meetings, and generally boost their candidates’ prospects at the polls. It is this kind of political activism that excites a party’s base. Many are paid to attend rallies, sometimes travelling several miles, others simply follow the crowd and view the occasion as a social outing, with the added bonus of getting to meet and be greeted by party bigwigs and constituency officials.

Be it attending political conferences, meetings or rallies, supporters tend to display a kind of recklessness on the roads, as they operate without due regard for the provisions of the Road Traffic Act. We believe this should stop before lives are lost and property gets damaged.

FLAGRANT DISREGARD

Observe any political motorcade anywhere in Jamaica and you will see on display a group of raucous persons who exhibit flagrant disregard for the rules of the road and the laws of the land. Bodies protruding from moving vehicles is one of the common transgressions. They intimidate other motorists and road users, sometimes they drive on the wrong side of the road. The abhorrent behaviour of rally attendees and political crowds has been the subject of various news reports over the years. It is a wonder that there have been so few accidents on record.

We believe that, given the partisan nature of Jamaican politics, the obvious lessons to be learnt from the St Thomas incident may be roundly ignored. There is no escaping the responsibility of political parties to insist that their supporters display mature behaviour. By whatever means, this ought to be considered, and it may include assigning security personnel on the various routes or monitoring with cameras and other devices. Grown men and women are expected to behave in a respectful, lawful manner. The onus must be placed on the party leadership to restrain its wayward supporters.

We sincerely hope that during the current election cycle there can be a national conversation about the conduct we need to see displayed in public, and this will hopefully help the country build even a tiny bridge across Jamaica’s partisan divide. Such a consensus will serve the country well as it prepares for the general election which is due in 2025.

To the supporters, we say, ultimately, your safety is in your hands. You need to act like mature adults, especially when you are part of a public gathering, and ensure that your actions do not cause injury and discomfort to others.

Elections are vital to ensure a free and vibrant society. Indeed, they are about the surest way to send a message about how society feels about the administration in power and the way public policy is handled.

And, in case you have forgotten, Jamaican election campaigns are made provide entertainment value: the hype, the rallies, the music, the colour, the fashions. The pace will pick up as it all unfolds in the next few weeks. Above all, we crave peace.

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