JAMAICANS are divided - or at best uncertain - as to whether they want elections before the scheduled time in December 2002.
This was one of the findings of a recent poll conducted on behalf of The Gleaner by Don Anderson and his team of researchers from Market Research Services Limited.
The poll was conducted over the period December 8-13 and involved interviewing approximately 1,000 persons islandwide. The sample error was plus or minus 3.2 per cent.
Some 34.7 per cent of all persons interviewed believe that the Government should call early elections, i.e. before they are constitutionally due in December 2002.
However, this view is somewhat countered by the 29 per cent who believe the Government should wait until the full term before calling elections.
Still another 26 per cent said they did not know what was the best thing for the Government to do.
Support for early elections comes principally from within the upper socio-economic groups, where over half of them appear to be in favour of bringing forward the time for elections. Persons in the 55-plus age group are also strongly in favour of early elections.
Those in favour of an early election want this principally because they believe it would facilitate a change of Government. Some 70.3 per cent of these persons cite this as their reason for wanting early elections.
Persons who want early elections are mainly those who say that they would vote against the People's National Party (PNP) in upcoming elections, if they were called now.
