THE EXTRAORDINARY precautionary measures that were put in place to prevent last October's General Election being overwhelmed by political violence achieved the objective. That was the general consensus of observer groups, media reviews and commentary in the aftermath.
The work of the Director of Elections, Danville Walker, and his team, and of Bishop Herro Blair, in his double role of Political Ombudsman and chairman of the Peace Management Initiative, were monuments to the determined effort to achieve free and fair elections.
It is, therefore, passing strange that Amnesty International has sought to besmirch the image of Jamaica with a report which claims that "the election was accompanied by an increase in politically motivated violence, with at least 60 people killed in the days leading to the election."
In point of fact, Bishop Blair in writing to Amnesty, demanded that their report be withdrawn because it was not based on facts. He pointed out that the Statistical Department of the Police Force had recorded only 12 political murders throughout the island for the whole year 2002.
Incredibly, in response to Bishop Blair, Amnesty defends the report on the ground that the claim of inaccuracy was "simply different interpretations of a sentence!"
For the record, be it noted that the Atlanta-based Carter Center, which has observed the past two general elections, has said that the October exercise was relatively peaceful, even while conceding that there were areas of the process still in need of reform.
CAFFE, the local observer group, has also disagreed with Amnesty. Chairman Dr. Lloyd Barnett told a press conference earlier this week that "the general consensus was that it was the best-run and least violent election in a long time."
We are disturbed that such a prestigious organisation should show contempt, not only for contrary opinion, but also for the facts.
If only to protect its own credibility Amnesty should have the grace to apologise and withdraw this patently inaccurate report on Jamaica.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
