Government Senator Professor Trevor Munroe yesterday called for the banning of all campaign motorcades after the date of the upcoming general election is announced.

Senator Munroe, speaking in the Senate yesterday, said, once Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller announces the date for the election, the Electoral Commission should advise the commissioner of police that campaign motorcades should be banned.

"It is quite clear that we don't seem to be able to control the large majority of persons who participate in those motorcades, even when you tell them to behave themselves," Senator Munroe said. "They still are in the process of violating the law, creating circumstances that lead to violence."

disturbing weekend

He recalled what happened during the run-up to the last general election, in October 2002, when, after a particularly disturbing weekend of campaign violence during motorcades, then Police Commissioner Francis Forbes banned all further motorcades in six violence-prone constituencies on the recommendation of the Electoral Advisory Committee.

That weekend of violence left five persons dead in the Corporate Area, Clarendon and Manchester and 13 others injured, he recalled, quoting from a report on the election, prepared by the local election watchdog, Citizens' Action for Free and Fair Elections.

Already, in this election season, there have been several reports of violence associated with campaign motorcades and clear violations of the road-traffic regulations, with supporters overcrowding buses and other vehicles, some hanging from doors and windows and even sitting on top of the vehicles.