Political Ombudsman Bishop Herro Blair.

Amitabh Sharma, Features Coordinator

As Parliament heats up, and with local government elections around the corner, The Sunday Gleaner chats with Political Ombudsman Bishop Herro Blair about his views regarding parliamentary procedures and election campaigning.

The political ombudsman is keen to effectively clean up the "political muck" in Jamaica. He would like the present provisions of the law dealing with erring politicians to have more teeth.

"There are some stubborn politicians, and it seems we need to deal with them at the next level," Bishop Blair remarks.

Under the Ombudsman Act, there are three clauses to deal with such cases: "If there is a complaint it is dealt with by the general secretary of the party, failing which, it goes to the president or the leader of the party, and if this also fails, it is reported to the Parliament," explains Blair.

"I think there should be a fourth clause to the act," he suggests. "Suspend the person in question from the Parliament ... when there is a determinant in place."

Political morgue

Among other things, linking crime with politics during elections worries the political ombudsman. "During the elections, when there is a shooting or a killing, it is aligned with politics," he said. "We have to find a way to prevent the politicians from becoming undertakers. They take the bodies to put them in their political morgue; we need to stop that."

The onus to end political violence lies primarily on the politicians, states Blair. "If they can be tolerant and act in a mature manner, we can put a stop to these things."

Bishop Blair expressed satisfac-tion about the recently concluded general election, commending the Jamaican electorate for bringing about a change in perception of general elections. "The general elections were by far the most peaceful. The Jamaican electorate is now more literate politically, they are more aware and awakened and are demanding a change in the process," he tells The Sunday Gleaner.

'Red card'

The ombudsman was also satisfied with his office's performance during the elections: "I did not go out and issue the 'red card' this time," reports Blair, referring to an earlier statement in which he had said that he was a referee who could issue red and yellow cards to the players.

During the general election, a tribunal was established to address complaints received, he discloses. "The tribunal consisted of the general secretaries of both parties and me, to lay down the gauntlet."

Blair says the members understood their role very well and dealt with every complaint fairly. "This was a paradigm shift from the earlier elections and made my job easier (although), some people think that I am not doing anything at all.

"This was the first time in an election we could come up with a solution immediately," Bishop Blair said. "I am very happy about it." He hopes for similar results when the country goes to the local polls on December 5.

"The work in the coming days is going to be harder," comments Blair on the coming local elections. "One has to remember that there will be around 600 -700 candidates in the fray."

He also hopes for positive changes in the political climate in Jamaica, and has put his trust in the younger politicians. "The younger breed of politicians are demanding the change. There are also the older politicians who want a change; they want to be a part of the solution and not the problem. And the good thing is there are new thinkers from both sides of the divide," he says.

Blair believes there is scope for a third political party in Jamaica, but is of the view that it could only thrive if the founders are not power hungry. "They should be filled with a desire to see the nation benefit from the politicians and not the other way round. The country needs people who keep service above self," he states.

amitabh.sharma@gleanerjm.com