THE EDITOR, Sir:
A NOTICE from the Electoral Office of Jamaica entitled "Summary List of Candidates Returns for General Elections 2002" purporting to be pursuant to section 60 of the Representation of the People Act appeared in The Gleaner of April 11, 2003.
What was published might be a delightful and interesting hybrid but it is not what is required by the Act. Every candidate is required within six weeks after Election Day to make a return of election expenditure to the Returning Officer for the constituency. The Returning Officer must within ten days after receiving any return publish a summary of it in a newspaper accompanied by a notice of the time and place at which the return and the documents in support can be inspected.
What has been published is a "Summary List of Candidates Returns" not a summary of each return which would include expenditure on items like hiring of premises, printing, advertising, canvassing, meetings, postage, stationery and clerks and messengers as well as moneys and other contributions received "in connection with the election." The last date for making returns in respect of the October 16, 2002 elections was November 27, 2002 and all summaries should have been published by December 7, 2002.
I am amazed that the Electoral Office sought to give the impression that what was published was the summary required by the Act. Coming so soon after incorrect information supplied by that Office was given to the Senate in answer to a question by Senator Munroe on election returns, it is cause for grave concern. I would suggest that the Director of Elections, the Electoral Advisory Committee and Minister Peter Phillips who, in one way or another, are responsible for the Electoral Office keep a tight rein on it. Its credibility is at stake and so is theirs.
In spite of having written the above I am grateful to the Electoral Office for having published the notice as I found the contents very interesting not only in respect of what it contained but also what it did not contain. It has been a very long time perhaps a couple of decades or more since there has been even a pretence at publishing a summary. It is a step in the right direction but it is not what is required by the law. However, the idea of an overview/summary in the form of a list, in lieu of scores of individual summaries, being published is one which is worthy of considering as part of the process of reform.
Perhaps the media would embrace the opportunity of inspecting the returns and giving the public some more information.
For the Electoral Office a brickbat but also a bouquet
I am etc.,
BERESFORD HAY
P.O. Box 1191
Kingston 8
