Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

The JLP's Desmond McKenzie consoles Shani Scott, daughter of Councillor Rosalie Hamilton, who was shot yesterday. - Kingston, following yesterday's shooting.

With less than two weeks to go before the local government elections, political tensions have flared in central Kingston after a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor was shot yesterday.

Though the JLP is claiming that the shooting was politically motivated, the Kingston Central police have not yet established a motive.

Up to late last night, Rosalie Hamilton, the incumbent councillor for the Rae Town division in Kingston, was being treated in hospital for a bullet wound to her chest.

Chairman of the JLP's Area Council One, Desmond McKenzie, has warned against any reprisal.

"The only thing we are going to retaliate with is with our votes on December 5," McKenzie, who is mayor of Kingston, told protesting residents.

The police say Hamilton was sitting at her gate on Gold Street about 2:00 p.m., conversing with residents, when an armed man approached them and fired several shots, one of which hit Hamilton in her chest.

As news of the shooting spread, residents blocked the road to protest against the incident. There were also several minutes of sustained gunfire.

The police, who flooded the community, later cleared the roads.

Councillor McKenzie urged residents in the inner-city community to hold strain.

"Cooperate with the police, give them your full support," he said. "This can't be the way to fight an election and we are not going to allow this to derail the party's programme in the corporate area."

Diana Stewart, a resident of Gold Street, was even more strident.

"This needs to stop because it a blight both wi life an wi children future," she said.

Meanwhile, Ronnie Thwaites, the People's National Party Member of Parliament for Central Kingston, yesterday condemned the incident.

"All well-thinking people will consider this a tragedy," Mr. Thwaites told The Gleaner last night.

He noted that the area has been peaceful for some time and he did not want to see it return to a pattern of hostility.

Thwaites, who also visited the area, urged his constituents to remain calm, arguing there was no evidence to suggest that the incident was politically motivated.

Jamaica is recovering from a bitter general election campaign where a number of murders and other shootings were linked to tribalism between some supporters the country's main political parties.