The anticipated catastrophe from the impact of Hurricane Dean did not materialise to justify its initial billing as a 'monster storm' - at least as far as Jamaica is concerned. This may have resulted from the fact that the season's first hurricane veered from its expected direct course across the length of the island, with the 'eye' of the system moving along the southern coastline through the early part of Sunday. Still, as the weather experts predicted, the powerful 150 mph winds surrounding the eyewall reached far enough inland with heavy rain to create hurricane conditions islandwide.

Initial reports are of at least two confirmed deaths and estimates of extensive damage to private and public property. The earliest official reports from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) indicate damage to roads and buildings in several parishes, utility facilities involving tele-communications, water supply and electricity transmission.

In the latter category, a noteworthy feature was the number of collapsed electricity poles reported by listeners in all-night radio transmissions. Hundreds of people were forced into shelters but reports yesterday were that many returned to their homes.

Now we face the difficult task of assessing the damage and providing relief and reconstruction. Yesterday, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller spoke of international commitments to disaster relief from CARICOM partners, Barbados and Trinidad; Venezuela, and the United States. In this process, we cannot emphasise enough the vital importance of unity and transparency at the highest levels of our political system. It is desirable that the bipartisan approach be preserved to deal with this phase of the emergency.

But there can be no unity without full and timely consultation. Since it holds the levers of power, the Government has the main responsibility in this regard. But so does the Jamaica Labour Party. Given our history, the Government's declaration of a state of emergency has raised serious concern in many quarters. It seems to us that this decision was made in a hasty manner without adequate consultation with the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party, Bruce Golding. In a statement, Mr. Golding called the decision "ill-advised given the fact that the power of curfew and provision for the deployment of the military already exists to deal with the possibility of looting". This declaration was somewhat surprising in view of the agreement reached the day before between the two parties to work together in a joint committee to respond to whatever dislocation and damage was caused by the hurricane.

But even more momentous decisions are upon us - the possibility of postponing the date of the imminent general elections for one. No one should even contemplate taking such an extremely serious step without the fullest consultation. The Electoral Commission of Jamaica must play a primary role in any decision to put off the August 27 election. We urge a minimum delay if we must change the date due to any state of unreadiness which cannot be solved before next week. The fundamental rights of the Jamaican people are at stake. Civil society must exert maximum vigilance to ensure that, under the cover of disaster relief, our hard-won rights are not trifled with.