Voter apathy worry

Conscious of the growing voter apathy among eligible Jamaicans, the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) and the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) have combined efforts to undertake a public education campaign to encourage citizens to exercise their franchise in both the parliamentary and municipal elections.

The programme, which has begun in schools, will intensify in the coming weeks as local government elections loom, with increased visibility of the two entities in electronic, print and social media.

With Jamaica seeing its lowest ever voter turnout of 37 per cent in the 2020 general election and dwindling numbers prior, Jamaica’s elections boss, Glasspole Brown, said both ECJ and EOJ are concerned about the loss of appetite for voting in Jamaica.

“It (the decision for the public education campaign) was guided by the fact that the ECJ/EOJ recognised that there is some level of apathy among the electorate and, therefore, we sought to contribute to the discussion about why persons should exercise their franchise. The programme will be seeking to encourage persons to exercise their franchise,” Brown told The Sunday Gleaner last week.

“It will involve radio advertisements, meetings with stakeholders, service clubs, interviews in the press, and having a presence on social media. We have started going to the schools, beginning to sensitise them about voting.”

According to the director of elections, the EOJ has, for the last three years, embarked on an initiative in schools to conduct elections for various student bodies, overseeing the voting process to elect student government representatives for the various councils, as well as head boys, head girls and prefects.

The EOJ has also engaged students at both The University of the West Indies and The University of Technology, Jamaica.

The agency occasionally charges a minimal fee, but its primary aim is to encourage students to experience the voting process first hand, while fostering trust in the system.

Data provided by the EOJ showed that voter turnout in the 1990 local government elections was 56.02 per cent, and has been dwindling since. In 1998, it was 34.45 per cent; in 2003, 40.09 per cent; 2007 was 37.92 per cent; 2012 recorded 34.73 per cent; and 30.06 per cent turned out in 2016.

The downward spiral has also impacted the general election, with the 2020 election recording the lowest turnout since 1944.

FRUSTRATED BY LIMITATIONS

With the long-overdue local government elections last held seven years ago, concerns have been raised that the passage of time may result in a further decline in voter turnout. But a former government minister and member of parliament (MP) does not believe there is a correlation, as the electorate was quite aware of the limitations of the municipalities.

“I think local government in Jamaica is treated appropriately by the electorate because the functions and benefits for the people you are asking to vote for you are very limited and the prime example that I always give is that of waste management,” former Kingston Central MP Ronald Thwaites told The Sunday Gleaner.

“I believe in the principle of subsidiarity. No higher authority ought to do what an authority at the base can do. What can be more integral to a local authority than to properly dispose of the people’s garbage?”

As an example, he shared, while serving as MP, if garbage collection was a problem in the constituency, he could get no assistance from the local representative. He said the councillor had no authority, and in many instances, the MP had to call the waste management agency for remedy.

“The councillor, who is even more grassroots than the MP, has no authority at all in such a situation and this brings into contention the worth and function of the councils, and the people know it,” Thwaites said, adding that this has caused a level of frustration among councillors, which the citizens are aware of.

“So the issue of the elapsed time between the elections is really not the issue, but more the subject. The critical thing is the issue of defined functions and resources. How do you then ask people to vote for you and you have no resources to do anything, and worse, central government hogs the role?”

‘JAMAICA IS NOT SAFE’

“I couldn’t tell when last I vote in any election, but I voting in this one, and if them call the general, I am voting. This government must vote out from power,” declared Clifton, a retired bus driver, who asked that only his first name be used.

“What dey can do? What dey do? Tell me nuh, except fatten de pocket a dem fren. Corruption [worsened since they came to power]. Crime get worse unda dem. Them nuh need fi wheel and come again, dem need fi come out.”

The 75-year-old told The Sunday Gleaner that he had no political biases, as he voted for both parties in the past, but there is increased frustration among his senior citizens group who believes the government has failed to keep “anyone safe, except themselves”.

For this reason, Clifton said, they are actively encouraging their uninterested children and grandchildren to vote.

“I have voted for the two parties. I have voted for this one (JLP) more than PNP. But this time, my conscience won’t permit me to vote for them,” Inez Coburn, a seamstress and basic school principal from Manchester, shared.

“I have never been more afraid in my entire life than I am now. Jamaica is not safe. I live in a virtual prison. If the breeze blow too hard at night or day, I call my children and grandchildren to alert them,” she told The Sunday Gleaner in the presence of her grandson, who accompanied her to the pharmacy to fill her prescription.

The grandson, a 32-year-old mechanic, said he would be voting for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

WINDOW CLOSING FAST

With the campaign for the upcoming elections now on in earnest, 228 divisions across 13 municipalities are being contested. Both the JLP and the People’s National Party (PNP) have been on the ground campaigning for both the local government elections, which are expected to be held by February next year, and the general election, constitutionally due in 2025.

Long overdue, the last local government elections were held in November 2016, which has led to the Government earning the ire from various sectors who are calling for no more delays. Of note, both political parties while in office have had instances of delaying elections. The longest period without an election was between 1990 and 1998 during the process of reforms under the PNP government.

Speculations are rife that the local government elections will be held before the end of the year.

“Expect it to be held Thursday, December 21,” one Sunday Gleaner source said last week. But the window for the announcement, nomination, and elections is closing fast.

Under the Representation of the People Act, Nomination Day must be five clear days after the announcement of an election. After which there must be a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 23 clear days before election day.

Last week, both the JLP and the PNP said they were ready once the announcement is made.

“We have now settled practically all our representatives, with about two or three divisions which may be up for review. But paper wise, we have selected all, but for practicality, I would safely say about four changes will be made,” JLP Chairman Robert Montague told The Sunday Gleaner.

And according to PNP General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell, “all but one is in place. We removed the candidate in the Lacovia division because he is facing allegations of domestic abuse. He has not yet been replaced, so there are representatives for 227 divisions to date”.

MINIMAL COST TO HOLD SOUTH TRELAWNY BY-ELECTION

Meanwhile, with a reported $1.7 billion budgeted to hold the upcoming local government elections, the director of elections shared that it would be financially prudent to host a by-election to replace Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert in South Trelawny at the same time.

Dalrymple-Philibert resigned as House Speaker and MP in October amid allegations from the Integrity Commission that she abused a motor vehicle concession scheme afforded to public servants.

JLP General Secretary Dr Horace Chang said the party had taken no decision on whether to have a by-election.

“Net wise, in terms of cost, having a by-election at the same time would be a marginal addition to what would be spent for the local government elections,” Brown told The Sunday Gleaner.

“You would already have workers who are trained, but there may be additional cost for additional ballots to be printed. But in the main, it would be significantly less than if you were to run it by itself.”

erica.virtue@gleanerjm.com