Stern, Mair, Vaz and Robinson

Court challenges being mounted against the eligibility of four Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidates to sit in the House of Representatives have triggered the recent rise in the political temperature, and political analysts have said that a general election is likely this year.

The JLP members of parliament (MPs) are said to have breached the Jamaican constitution and are not qualified to sit in Parlia-ment, because they owe allegiance to a foreign power.

In one in-stance, Daryl Vaz, who won West Portland for the JLP, was disqualified by the court and a by-election ordered. Vaz has subsequently appealed the ruling. So, too, has the PNP's Abe Dabdoub, who believes the chief justice erred by not declaring him the winner of the seat, consequent on Vaz's disqualification.

Another JLP MP, Gregory Mair, had a ruling against him on Friday, when the court upheld an appeal from the PNP's Phyllis Mitchell that she had properly served Mair an election petition. Government members Shahine Robinson and Michael Stern have also been dragged to court amid claims that they owe allegiance to a foreign power.

Under the Con-stitution, a person who owes allegiance to a foreign power or state, by his own act, should not be a member of either house of Parliament.

Prime Minister Golding has said that he would not allow anyone who has been rejected by the people at the polls a seat in Parliament, a clear indication that he plans to call a general election should the court award Dabdoub West Portland on appeal.

Political analysts have said that the court proceedings may force Golding to call a general election.