The Editor, Sir:

Your Gleaner edition of Wednesday, July 11, carried a news report on its front page stating that Parliament has ratified an amendment to three election parliamentary bills, thus legally paving the way forsanctions to be imposed on voters who display their ballots in an election. It was immensely imperative that this amendment be passed in the Parliament, therefore giving the resident magistrate the discretion to impose sentence on the offender. I commend both sides of the House of Representatives for ensuring that this amendment to the various electoral laws took place and this is clearly a monumental victory for Jamaican democracy and for the Jamaican people indeed.

Based on the hard work that the Electoral Office of Jamaica and Electoral Commission of Jamaica has performed and the necessary safeguards implemented into the electoral voting systems, I am extremely confident that the general election will be free and fair come election August 27.

By extension, I must also commend the Leader of the House of Representatives, Dr. Peter Phillips, for a job well done in this important parliamentary position during the soon-to -be-concluded parliamentary term. He performed very well and should be an outstanding example to other parliamentarians in their country.

I am, etc.,

RICHARD TOMLINSON

drtomlinson22@hotmail.com

Montego Bay # 1 P.O.

St. James