By Erica Virtue, Staff Reporter 
Prime Minister P. J. Patterson dips his finger in the indelible ink after casting his vote yesterday at the Shortwood Primary and Junior High School. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
PEOPLE'S NATIONAL Party (PNP) president P. J. Patterson said he went to bed early Tuesday night and had a good night's sleep.
On Wednesday morning he woke up and had a good breakfast of yam, callaloo and saltfish, coffee and orange juice. That is a normal breakfast for the 68-year-old Patterson.
The PNP president arrived at the Shortwood Primary and Junior High School yesterday at 10:40 a.m., 10 minutes later than his scheduled 10:30 a.m., voting time. He voted in the constituency of North Central St. Andrew. The incumbent Member of Parliament is Karl Samuda. The PNP's candidate was Barbara Clarke; however, Mr. Samuda of the JLP won this seat.
Mr. Patterson was unable to produce his elector identification card and he later explained that he had put it away so carefully, that he was unable to find it. The presiding officer had no choice but to question him about his identity.
Being able to give his correct birth date, seemed to satisfy the presiding officer, who then explained the process to Mr. Patterson.
He was given his ballot, which he marked and handed it to the presiding officer, who tore off a section of the ballot and placed it the ballot box while Mr. Patterson dipped his finger in the indelible ink.
The process over, Mr. Patterson left the polling station and gave a mini press conference in the playing field adjacent to the school. He responded to a wide range of questions from a large cadre of local and foreign journalists there.
When asked about the early morning shooting deaths of seven persons in Rock Hall St. Andrew, he said he did not want to comment on any incidents of violence, because he did not have the details.
He said he was in touch with his Minister of National Security Dr. Peter Phillips and was advised that the police were in the area and were dealing with the matter.
However, he expressed his condolences to the families of all the deceased.
When asked how he would spend the rest of the day, he said, "I will be going to Jamaica House, to deal with any matters that have come into that office during the last few days while I was out campaigning, making sure that the decisions which need to be taken are in fact taken and certainly in terms of the disaster relief effort. I want to ensure that nothing is going to impede the recovery effort. Those would have been made more difficult by the rains which have fallen particularly in western Jamaica...."
Asked if he had already written his speech he said, "No. I never do. I usually think out what I am going to say about 4:00 p.m. But it's all in my head."
He said he would then go into campaign office, and after about 10 minutes, Mr. Patterson left the polling
station and returned to his Norbrook home.
