Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ), Professor Errol Miller, said on Sunday that the initiatives to review and amend the number of constituencies islandwide, as well as realign constituency boundaries, will be completed by the end of September.

Miller, in a national broadcast, said the adjustments were being done within a highly consultative atmosphere.

"All members of parliament, caretakers or constituency chairmen, parish councillors and councillor caretakers and political liaison officers are members of the Parish Boundaries Forums. The Parish Boundaries Advisory Committees must complete their work by September 30. There will be no extension granted," Miller said.

The commission has until March next year to complete its review. The Jamaican Constitution requires that electoral boundaries be reviewed every four to six years. Miller said he is confident that the ECJ will complete the process in advance of the March 2010 timeline.

Constituency increase

In March, the Constitution was amended to an increase in the maximum number of constituencies from 60 to 65. Parliament also voted for an increase in the number of constituencies to an odd number, no greater than 63 in the first instance.

Jamaica has 1,483,221 voters on the May 31 voters' list. With the country set to have 63 constituencies, the average electorate per constituency would be 23,543.

According to Miller, based on the calculation "in rank order, St Catherine should be allocated two additional constituencies while St James and Westmoreland should be allocated one additional constituency each," said Miller.

"On the other hand, in rank order, Kingston and St Andrew should each lose one constituency. However, while the constituency subtracted from Kingston could be allocated to Westmoreland, neither St Thomas nor St Ann reached the threshold to be allotted the constituency that St Andrew should lose.

Unanimous decision

"At that ECJ meeting, there was a unanimous decision that St Catherine would be allocated two additional constituencies. Two weeks later, there was another important development.

"The nominated members of the People's National Party (PNP) requested and were granted more time to complete its process of consultation within the party. At the meeting of July 29, it was agreed on a vote of eight in the affirmative and with one abstention that St James would be allocated an additional constituency," said Miller.

However, the ECJ chairman did not speak to whether Central Kingston would be scrapped. Ronald Thwaites, who now represents the seat, warned that conflict could erupt if the constituency was dissolved.