• Parties target must-win seats

Scarce campaign funds raised by political parties leading up to Thursday's general election are not being wasted in constituencies where candidates are not expected to win.

As a result, garrison constituencies with one party dominance will not be flooded with cash from an opposing party to woo voters.

Described by parties as "never adequate", the funds will be spent where the maximum result will be gained, according to Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) General Secretary, Edmund Bartlett. Mr. Bartlett recently confirmed that the majority of the JLP's resources would not be in an opposing party's garrison, unless the party could win the seat.

Mr. Bartlett's statement is consistent with a position held by the JLP

since June, when campaign committee Chairman Pearnel Charles said the party was engaged in the "prioritising of the seats".

"A strategic management decision has to be taken to determine where what must go in order to get the maximum results", Mr. Bartlett said. "So, we have to evaluate overall what are our strengths and what are our weaknesses and what is the marginal situation".

He explained that financial resources donated to the party is pooled and allocated to candidates. Financial contributions donated to the party, but which indicate preference to particular constituencies, are also taken into consideration. Constituencies considered marginal, but with strong support, are also given attention, financial and otherwise.

The National Democratic Movement, which has displayed a limited advertising campaign in comparison to the JLP and the ruling People's National Party (PNP) because of a shutdown of money supply, had also stated in June that the NDM had ruled out garrisons as areas where its financial focus would be concentrated.

NDM President Bruce Golding said then that the party would be concentrating on 30 seats where it hoped to win in its bid to form the next Government.

"In terms of our own efforts, we will give priority to the seats which we think we can win", Mr. Golding had explained. "That kind of shortlisting is done on an ongoing basis by political parties."