ECJ and NIA to host public meeting in Mandeville
Published:Thursday | September 17, 2015 | 12:00 AM
Residents of St Elizabeth, Manchester and Clarendon will have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the electoral process and share their views on electoral matters, at a town hall meeting in Mandeville, scheduled for next Wednesday, at the Manchester High School Auditorium.
The public forum will be the third in an island-wide series of meetings hosted by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) and National Integrity Action (NIA).
The series of meetings began earlier this year with a town hall meeting at the Montego Bay Community College in St James, at which attendees gained further insight into voter apathy and campaign financing, among other issues. The second gathering at the Port Antonio High School in Portland saw well over 400 residents of St Mary and Portland learning more about democracy, the role of Electoral Commissions and Jamaicans' democratic right to vote.
discussion
This time around, attendees can expect to engage in a lively discussion, following presentations about the state of readiness of the Electoral Commission to conduct an election and the need to maintain the integrity of the electoral system. The speakers expected to address these issues are Dorothy Pine-McLarty, chair of the ECJ; Professor Trevor Munroe, executive director of National Integrity Action; Professor Alvin Wint, ECJ commissioner and Director of Elections Orrette Fisher.
The town hall meetings are aimed at improving citizens' knowledge of the electoral process, while urging greater participation. It is an opportunity for Jamaicans to become more informed about the electoral process, while using this medium to have their questions answered.
Dubbed Respect Your Vote: Your Right, Your Responsibility, each forum includes brief presentations by ECJ commissioners and Munroe, followed by a question and answer segment.
The ECJ is charged with conducting elections in Jamaica and NIA is a non-profit, non-partisan organisation with the objective of raising levels of integrity and combatting corruption in Jamaica.