Jamaica goes to the polls

In a close and tense general election fraught with fears of political violence, more than one million Jamaicans are expected to vote today for politicians promising to stem spiralling crime and kick-start a sluggish economy.

Prime Minister PJ Patterson, whose People’s National Party holds a slight edge in polls, hopes to become the first leader elected to three consecutive terms.

His opponent, former Prime Minister Edward Seaga, says his Jamaica Labour Party is calling for change to rescue the tourism industry, create jobs and curb an increasing murder rate blamed largely on drug traffickers.

Both parties are scratching to win a majority of the 60 parliamentary seats, which will determine government control for the next five years.

The elections, being observed by former US President Jimmy Carter and 59 international observers, have stirred anxiety as party supporters trade insults and gunfire.

Mr Carter, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last week for his efforts to further democracy, noted that few of the nearly 50 killings in the weeks leading up to the vote were politically motivated, and the toll is a sharp drop from the nearly 800 killed during 1980 elections that Mr Seaga, then prime minister, lost to Mr Patterson’s mentor and predecessor, Michael Manley.

Thousands of police officers and soldiers are being deployed to maintain security, and both Mr Patterson and Mr Seaga have urged restraint from their supporters.

“This madness must stop,” Mr Patterson said of the pre-election killings in a radio address.

Most Jamaicans trace the violence to the late 1970s, when politicians encouraged – and some say armed – Kingston street gangs to intimidate opponents and rustle up votes.

On his arrival yesterday, Mr Carter praised both parties for promoting peaceful campaigns and predicted a smooth electoral process.

“Anyone who does perpetrate violence would be hurting their own country … as foreign investment goes to other countries,” he said.

Pollster Don Anderson released its final survey yesterday showing Mr Patterson’s party with 40.6% support compared to 36.4% for Mr Seaga’s party.

Mr Patterson, 68, has promised to rebuild Jamaica’s crumbling infrastructure and resume hanging killers for the first time since 1988 to reduce crime, a vow criticised by human rights groups.

Mr Seaga, 72, led Jamaica during the 1970s and has painted the election as its last hope to reverse years of stagnant economic growth and high unemployment.

Jamaica’s economy grew by just 1.1% last year, and its tourism industry was ravaged by the fallout from the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US.

Speaking to a throng of shouting, green-clad supporters on Sunday, Mr Seaga said ordinary Jamaicans have suffered too long without adequate health care, education and basic infrastructure.

“Now we will take the great stride forward to bring a decent quality of life to every Jamaican,” he said.

With polls indicating such a tight race, some observers have raised concern over a possible 30-30 tie in the number of seats won. Jamaica’s constitution makes no provisions for such a scenario.