People's National Party candidate for South East St. Andrew, Maxine Henry-Wilson, releases two doves as a symbol of peace at a ceremony yesterday on Old Hope Road in St. Andrew, following her nomination as a candidate for the August 27 general election. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

People's National Party (PNP) candidate for South East St. Andrew, Maxine Henry-Wilson, released two doves as a symbol of peace at a ceremony yesterday on Old Hope Road in St. Andrew, following her nomination as a candidate for the August 27 general election.

Mrs. Henry-Wilson told The Gleaner that the ritual of releasing the doves was symbolic of the peace she hoped would be observed in the troubled constituency for the remainder of the campaign period and on election day.

The PNP candidate arrived at Campion College at 9:54 a.m. and was nominated by 10 voters in her constituency who paid the $3,000 fee to complete the exercise.

Returning officer for South East St. Andrew, Paul McCallum, checked the nomination papers and declared "they were in good order". Mrs. Henry-Wilson said she was confident that the seat would be returned to the PNP, but noted that she would not be complacent.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) candidate for the troubled constituency, Joan Gordon-Webley, was also upholding the peace message after her nomination yesterday.

Mrs. Gordon-Webley arrived at the nomination centre about 1:10 p.m. and was nominated by the usual 10 voters from her constituency, as the $3,000 nomination fee was paid in $100 bills.

With tensions increasing in that constituency as the election campaign gains momentum, the JLP candidate said she has encouraged her supporters to remain at ease during the period.

"I have begged and continue to beg supporters to continue to show restraint," she said.

She too was also confident of a JLP victory saying, "They are going to take home this seat resoundingly."