Henry and PhillipsA WIDESCALE outbreak of political violence in Clarendon since Saturday, including shootings, arson and even injury to a police officer, has forced JLP candidate for Central Clarendon, Mike Henry, to call upon Security Minister, Dr. Peter Phillips, for special security arrangements to be put in place in the parish, especially around May Pen.
However, Mr. Henry said while he was given assurance by Dr. Phillips on Saturday that measures would be taken to stem the violence, there was no sign of any containment and he has since not been able to re-establish contact with the Minister.
Mr. Henry listed a number of incidents of violence against JLP supporters on Sunday, including:
The shooting of a South East Clarendon JLP worker on his way to Mandeville, after the party's meeting in May Pen, and the burning of his car.
The shooting of a
JLP activist, Vernon Williams, otherwise called 'Babulal', from South East Clarendon. He was shot in his foot on the Salt River/ Cockpit Road.
The destruction by fire of the home of a JLP supporter, Tyrone Boothe, in Havana Heights outside of May Pen.
A knife attack on a JLP supporter in Havana Heights, subsequent to the burning of the house.
Gunshots fired at the G2K trucks going to the party's May Pen meeting, near the Canaan Heights community.
Mr. Henry, who has been holding bipartisan consultations with Land and the Environ-ment Minister, Horace Dalley, as the senior representatives of the two major parties in Claren-don, said he had also lost contact with Mr. Dalley.
The Central Clarendon MP, stating that he was not laying any blame on the two PNP officials, said he recognised that they could genuinely be out of reach in the heat of the election campaign. But, he said that their responsibility to the people of Clarendon was critical "at this time when the political scene there was threatening to get very ugly."
Mr. Henry also pointed to the injury by stone of a policewoman at Canaan Heights, a PNP stronghold in Central Clarendon, which is located alongside the main Bustamante Highway. The officer had to be hospitalised.
He said he spoke to Mr. Dalley while the latter was in Canaan Heights Sunday night, and was assured that efforts were being made to restrain PNP supporters in the community.
