THE EDITOR, Sir:
A FEW months ago, the Electoral Advisory Committee was seeking a budget of some $600 million dollars to update its voters' list. It would have been useful to tabulate the total expenditure of the E.A.C. over the past 15 years and what we have received for it.
Notwithstanding the existence of the E.A.C. itself and other allied institutions such as the Office of the Obudsman, National Committee on Political Tribalism, Parliament and the Senate, our electoral processes have been grossly undermined by political thuggery, discrimination, victimisation, intimidation, dislocation of families and mayhem. These manifest themselves in the phenomenon known to us as 'garrison' politics. Today more than 25 per cent of our 60 constituencies easily qualify as 'garrisons' with others not far behind.
ELECTRONIC VOTING
A couple weeks ago, the chairman of the E.A.C. announced the introduction of electronic voting of which fingerprinting of voters is a feature. On the heel of that announcement, were the shootings of five or more persons, two fatally, in the office of the E.A.C. in Twickenham Park, Spanish Town. The victims had gone there to be enumerated.
In the context of the past, the announcement of electronic voting and the shootings that occurred in the office of the E.A.C. seem to suggest that the more money we spend on sophisticated electoral systems is the more desperate and dependent on mayhem our politicians and their supporters are likely to become.
We can learn and adopt a great deal from India with some 600 million voters and Canada with less than 25 million. In an interview a few years ago, the commissioner of elections in India described their system on a Hot 102 radio programme Breakfast Club. He said that those who pose a potential risk to the electoral process would be picked up and detained on election day(s) and released only after the elections.
CONVENIENT AND INEXPENSIVE
Canada makes their enumeration process very simple, convenient and inexpensive. You may be enumerated by simply noting your wish on your income tax return form. Voting is equally a simple process. If your name appears on the voting register, you are allowed to vote. If not, you would be asked to present authentic identification, a document is prepared for your signature, after which you are allowed to vote.
Like India and Canada, there are some simple, practical, inexpensive, efficient yet effective things we can do to enhance our electoral processes. Here are some ideas:
The numerous pieces of documentation that are required to access government services, can be adopted to supply the E.A.C. with pertinent information.
POLITICAL DECISIONS
Ban the current practice where political activists are allowed to transport groups of persons to E.A.C. offices and/or polling stations. Persons should be allowed to freely make their political decisions rather than being coaxed, intimidated or threatened.
Voting day should be one of three public holidays in a year. We could retain Christmas and Independence as the others. V-Day would be in respect of general and local government elections excluding by-elections. We do not expect to have general or local government elections every year. Consequently, when there is none, individuals should be free to spend the day in accordance with their own wishes.
When general or local government elections are on, V-Day would require the suspension of business activities except in cases of government agencies involved in conducting the elections, hospitals and private medical practices, fire services, police and military and registered private security firms, from 7 p.m. on the day before V-Day until 8 p.m. on V-Day.
STAY ON THEIR PREMISES
Except in the case of being on their way to and from polling stations for the purposes of voting or specified emergency cases, individuals would be required to stay on their premises during the hours from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on V-Day.
Abolish the practice of having representatives of political parties at polling stations on V-Day. This includes candidates, officers, activists and supporters. They must stay at home like everyone else.
The security forces would have the power to detain any and all violators for a period of 13 hours.
I am, etc.,
LIONEL RUSSELL
sonny@cybervale.com
40 Seaton Crescent, Ensom
City, Spanish Town
Via Go-Jamaica
