Well as you can see here on the Jamaica Observer’s elections site, the results in JA’s elections – 31-29.
Not good. Not good at all. A result this close can only bring more political tension.
Not surprisingly, PNP leader Portia Simpson-Miller has refused to concede. Excerpts from her speech (as reported by an intrepid poster on Caribbean Cricket.com):
Our position – too close to call … a number of seats that the PNP will be ‘taking action’ on … We’ll be watching the count closely… A number of things happened today … people barred from exercising their right to vote … We will not stand by and allow people to use criminals to decide the future of the Jamaican people … After the count and after pursuing matters in the court, I will speak to you tomorrow … No concession until the final count tomorrow and until taking advice on some constitutional matters … I am proud to be the leader of this great and noble movement … Commend party members for their discipline … Too close to call – too many constituencies are in contention.
The “constitutional matters” which Simpson-Miller is speaking of are the reports, not denied by the JLP, that two of their candidates (who won their seats) have foreign citizenship - allegedly American.
Section 41 (2) of the Jamaican constitution states:
“No person shall be qualified to be appointed as a senator or elected as a member of the House of Representatives who “is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign Power or State.”
Furthermore, a few days ago, the Gleaner reported that the PNP was intending to take court action against the JLP candidates.
People would remember that the JLP’s long-time leader, Eddie Seaga (aka ‘The Don’) was actually American born – in Boston to be specific. However, he long ago renounced his citizenship in 1959, as he recounted here in his regular Gleaner column.
But back to the issue at hand. 31-29. Not quite the dreaded 30-30 situation, but barely better. Whoever comes out of this the official winner has a real mean and grudging mandate with which to work. George W. Bush could empathise tonight…
