Edmond Campbell, News Coordinator

The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) has indicated that some 147 prospective candidates will today seek to satisfy the requirements under the electoral law to become candidates in the August 27 general election. Today's activities will put them in the starting blocks to vie for a place in Parliament's 60-seat House of Representatives.

Both the People's National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) are fielding 60 candidates each in the upcoming election, while the National Democratic Movement (NDM) has 10 candidates.

There are eight candidates from the International Ethiopian World Federation Incorporation Party, four independents and five from other minor parties.

Director of Elections, Danville Walker, says Nomination Day is the official start of the election campaign and the EOJ is expecting a carnival-like atmosphere "where people come out, cheering on their candidates in their colours and in their numbers".

Much at stake

In 2002, 175 candidates were nominated for the October 16 general election, in which the PNP won an unprecedented fourth term in office.

Much is at stake in this upcoming election as the PNP is seeking to extend its consecutive 18-year record in office, with the country's first female Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller facing her first national political test at the polls as president of the PNP. Bruce Golding will be attempting to pull his party out of the so-called political wilderness as he, for the first time in his position as JLP leader, will be seeking the nod from the electorate.

Today's Nomination Day exercise will be carried out at 60 centres across the country and candidates have four hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., to be nominated.

"We have for security reasons, separated the times (for nomination) and the main candidates and the major parties have agreed to various nomination times during the four hours so that their supporters do not meet or clash on the road," said Mr. Walker.

A proposed candidate who offers himself for nomination in a constituency is required to submit a prescribed form with the names of 10 electors qualified to vote in the constituency. The eligible voters must also sign the form.

The tradition is that the 10 electors accompany the candidate to the Nomination Centre to complete the exercise. It involves the payment of $3,000 by each candidate to the Returning Officer for the constituency at the nomination centre.

Proposed candidates are also being asked to take along their Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN), as the money will have to be deposited with Inland Revenue Centre.

However, if a candidate gets less than 12.5 per cent of the votes polled in the constituency, he or she loses the deposit. But if more than 12.5 per cent of the electors vote for the candidate the money is returned.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com