Political supporters at one of the many rallies leading up to the 1997 general election. The island's two main political parties are now on the campaign trail for the 2002 poll. - File
THE MAJORITY of voters interviewed earlier this month want a general election to elect a new government before the constitutional due date of March next year.
Almost 73 per cent of those who participated in The Gleaner/Don Anderson poll would like to vote before December this year.
Those interviewed are largely of the view that a shorter run-up to the election will result in less violence and bloodshed in the country, said Don Anderson, whose Market Research Services Ltd. conducted the survey between January 10 and 21.
One thousand one hundred and five persons 18 years and over in 56 communities across the island's 14 parishes participated. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 per cent.
An early election is favoured by all segments interviewed except in the parish of St. Elizabeth where the governing People's National Party (PNP) holds three of the four seats that will be up for grabs. Only 12.9 per cent of persons interviewed in the parish supported an early election.
St. Elizabeth South West is represented by Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke; St. Elizabeth North East by Labour Minister Donald Buchanan; and St. Elizabeth South East by Derrick Rochester, who will not seek re-election.
The St. Elizabeth North West constituency is the domain of J.C. Hutchinson, the lone Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) representative in the parish.
In response to the question: Should the general election be held before December 2002? 72.9 per cent said yes; 25.2 per cent answered no; while 1.4 per cent were not sure.
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson has repeatedly said the general election will be held this year although he has not indicated which month. With a three-month grace period provided for in the Constitution, the Prime Minister has the option of calling the election as late as March 2003.
However, two weeks ago he told PNP Members of Parliament and caretaker/candidates at a party meeting, to prepare for a general election before year end. While it was announced as a regular party meeting to set the agenda for the year's activities, PNP sources said the meeting took on an election flavour.
In their analysis of the January poll, Mr. Anderson and his team of researchers pointed out that with the likelihood of Jamaicans going to the polls before December, there was the view that some of the crime and violence being experienced at this time was attributable to electioneering the suggestion being that some of the violence is politically motivated.
It is largely against this background that the majority of those polled have expressed the view that a shorter run-up to the election might be in the best interest of not just the country but the political parties involved in the campaign.
With a record 1,139 persons killed last year and more than 60 so far this year, Jamaicans are wary of election violence that could intensify with an extended campaign. On the last occasion in 1980 when there was an extended election campaign lasting roughly eight months, Jamaica experienced its most bloody general election, with a record then of more than 800 people murdered that year. It marked the last election victory for the JLP which has not held government office since 1989.
TOMORROW: VOTERS RATE THE
PERFORMANCE OF THE PNP GOVERNMENT
