Edmond Campbell, Senior News Co-ordinator

United States Ambassador Brenda LaGrange Johnson (centre), presents a US$10,000 (J$668,300) grant to CAFFE chairman Dr. Lloyd Barnett (right) and Father Jim Webb, CAFFE secretary, during a ceremony at the U.S. Embassy's Oxford Road, New Kingston offices, yesterday. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

Jamaica's sole independent election observer, Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE), yesterday received US$10,000 (J$668,300) from the United States Embassy to help finance its activities as it prepares to monitor the next general election.

Chairman of CAFFE, Dr. Lloyd Barnett, told The Gleaner that the priority for his organisation is to begin a recruitment drive, as the monitoring of elections is dependent on a high level of voluntarism.

"We have to get persons to come forward and assist. That means having meetings in the parishes, having our coordinators and supervisors mobilised and getting training programmes on the ground," he said in an interview following a presentation ceremony at the United States Embassy's Oxford Road offices.

To recruit volunteers

CAFFE is expected to recruit some 3,000 volunteers to act as election observers at more than 6,000 polling stations across the country.

While not being able to forecast an election date, Dr. Barnett said the general election, which is constitutionally due in October 2007, "cannot be too far" and as such, CAFFE was on alert.

U.S. Ambassador Brenda LaGrange Johnson praised the work of CAFFE, noting that it was the first and only independent election observer group in Jamaica.

CAFFE was established in 1997 and has since monitored two general elections, two local government elections and several by-elections.

On the weekend, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, the president of the People's National Party, announced 58 of the 60 candidates that will run on the PNP's ticket in the next general election.

By mid-December, the party says it will select candidates for Western Portland and South East St. Ann, which became vacant after Doreen Forbes and Aloun Assamba decided not to contest the election.

The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has already presented its 60 candidates and has challenged Mrs. Simpson Miller to "sound the trumpet". The party hierarchy yesterday removed doubts as to who would represent the JLP in Eastern St. Andrew by giving the sitting MP, Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett, the nod. There was speculation that Dr. Bartlett was to be replaced by Wentworth Charles, an attorney-at-law.