Members of Parliament in Gordon House yesterday during the signing of a joint agreement on political conduct. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE PEOPLE'S National Party (PNP), the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and all other legitimate political parties in Jamaica:
Affirm their belief in the sanctity of human life and abhor taking human life or the violation of the person of anyone because of that person's political allegiance.
Declare their opposition to and rejection of the use of violence or intimidation by any of their members or supporters as a means of expressing political support or furthering political objectives.
Denounce the procurement, possession or distribution of weapons or ammunition of any sort by their members or supporters for use in political activity.
Affirm their commitment to non-violent relations between the members and supporters of all political parties.
Repudiate any action by their members or supporters calculated to provoke, threaten or intimidate the members or supporters of any other party.
Recognise and respect the rights of each party, its members and supporters to express and demonstrate their political views and to conduct lawful, non-violent activities in support of their objectives.
Agree that they will only offer support to candidates who manifest the highest moral standards and who have not been convicted of any serious crime.
In furtherance of the foregoing, the PNP, the JLP and all other legitimate political parties in Jamaica hereby agree that:
A code of political conduct as set out in APPENDIX 1 of this agreement will be established and will come into effect immediately upon the signing of this agreement by the leaders, chairmen and general secretaries of the parties.
All breaches of the code of political conduct will be investigated by the political ombudsman.
The officers, executive and constituency representatives of all parties will use their authority and will make every possible effort to ensure restraint on the part of their members and supporters, to encourage respect of each other's rights and freedoms to effect compliance with the provisions of the code of political conduct and to support the principles of this agreement.
All political parties will undertake appropriate action on any recommendation made by the political ombudsman.
Every candidate, along with an influential member of the community, who is part of the party organisation, will sign the code of political conduct and will be (mutatis mutandis) subject to the same sanctions as if he or she were the candidate.
In addition to and without prejudice to the foregoing, the PNP, the JLP and all other legitimate political parties will continue to work together on additional measures (including the vexed question of distribution of scarce benefits) which may be taken to reinforce this agreement, to improve relations between the members and supporters of all parties, to eliminate politically-motivated violence and to encourage peaceful political coexistence, political campaigns and elections.
