By Robert Hart, Staff ReporterPOLITICAL OMBUDSMAN Bishop Herro Blair has revealed that his office has brought closure to the majority of complaints received during the two national elections held since the establishment of his office in August 2002.
In his first annual report tabled last Tuesday in the House of Representatives, the ombudsman explained that cases which had not been closed by August of last year were primarily stalled while awaiting the completion of police investigations.
The report noted that during the October, 2002 General Election, the governing People's National Party (PNP) filed 26 complaints four of which had not yet been resolved while the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) filed 25, six of which are yet to be resolved.
Among the complaints re-ceived from both parties were claims of political intimidation, violence and offensive statements made through advertisements in the media.
During the run-up to the General Election, opposition MP Delroy Chuck filed a complaint regarding the resignation of Heather Robinson as campaign manager for Anthony Hylton, the PNP's candidate for St. Thomas Western. She had allegedly been shown an illegal firearm by one of his young supporters at a political meeting in Seaforth.
Mr. Chuck also filed complaints about the use of a coffin bearing the inscription "Pam-pers, Seaga Baby, Dead", on the platform of a political meeting; and the publication of an advertisement under the heading "They Lied Big Time."
ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED
In all of those cases, the Ombudsman's office was able to close the files after the matters were adequately addressed.
Among the open cases remained a report from Claude Riddell, JLP candidate for St. Andrew East Central, about gunmen allegedly associated with the PNP invading an address on Waltham Park Road; as well as a report from Pat Stephens, former JLP deputy general secretary, about the beating of a JLP activist at Top Road, Brown's Town in North West St. Ann. The Ombudsman's office was still awaiting a report from the police on the invasion, while no response had been forthcoming from the alleged victim in the beating.
From the PNP camp were complaints from, among others, party heavyweights Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, as well as Cabinet Ministers Maxine Henry-Wilson, Aloun Ndombet-Assamba, John Junor, Burchell Whiteman, and Robert Pickersgill.
The Prime Minister filed a complaint about political violence which took place in St. Andrew West Central (including the fatal shooting of a young boy).
Among the complaints from Mrs Henry-Wilson, the then PNP general secretary and eventual Minister of Education, was the stoning of a bus in Hatfield, Manchester. This, after a PNP rally in Half-Way Tree, St. Andrew. The incident reportedly resulted in injuries.
During the Local Government elections, Bishop Blair received 12 complaints nine from the PNP and three from the JLP.
