BLAIR
THE 2003/2004 REPORT of the Office of the Political Ombudsman (OPO), tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, disclosed that six JLP representatives filed complaints between August 2003 and August 2004, while seven People's National Party (PNP) representatives filed complaints between August 2003 and August 2004.
Bishop Herro Blair is the Political Ombudsman.
Among the complaints from JLP personnel were incidents of political intimidation, anti-JLP slogans, and 'PNP gunmen' invading Waltham Park Road.
In relation to the Waltham Park Road incident, Claude Riddell filed the report and a request was made to Assistant Commissioner Charles Scarlett for the Political Ombudsman's (PO) office to be supplied with a copy of the police report.
"After contacting the complainant by phone he complained that his constituency is not important to the OPO, hence the delay in dealing with the complaint," the report said.
It added: "The complainant further stated that he would advise the PO as to when he would be available to meet with him. The OPO tried to contact the complainant thereafter, but to no avail."
Of the six complaints from JLP representatives, only Delroy Chuck, Member of Parliament for North East St. Andrew, pursued his concerns about anti-JLP slogans painted in his constituency. The other complainants all failed to return calls or contact the Political Ombudsman.
At the same time, four of the seven complaints from persons attached to the PNP were hampered by the complainants' failure to contact the OPO.
The complaints from the PNP ranged from political violence and intimidation, attack and abuse of residents in South East St. Mary and "JLP supporters parading a coffin with the name and picture of the PNP's Trevor Heaven."
Of the seven complaints, however, only one case was closed when complainant Lynden Heaven felt assured that the parading of a coffin would not be repeated.
