The Senate yesterday gave its approval to plans to increase the maximum number of constituencies from 60 to 65.

The unanimous approval of the bill to increase the maximum number of constituencies came after senators received assurances that the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) would implement measures to prevent the political parties from the horse-trading or gerrymandering that has marked the creation of new constituencies in the past.

The legislation was passed in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

It is expected that the number of constituencies will be increased to 63 in the first instance. It is anticipated that the two major political parties will try to ensure that what they consider safe seats are not weakened and that the new constituencies do not provide an advantage for the other party.

political considerations

However, Government member on the Electoral Advisory Committee (EAC), Senator Tom Tavares-Finson, told his colleagues that political considerations would not influence where the new constituencies are created.

"There was a time when constituency boundaries were decided in back rooms by senior politicians in a system of trade-off," Tavares-Finson noted.

"This time around a parish boundaries forum and a parish boundaries advisory committee will be established in each parish," Tavares-Finson added.

He said that, while political representatives would have an input, the constitutional guideline about minimum and maximum numbers of voters in a constituency would play a key role.

"Communities affected by the (constituency) boundary changes will be afforded an opportunity to make oral and written submissions to the parish boundaries advisory committee," Tavares-Finson said.

That was welcome news for Oswald Harding, president of the Senate, who also cast a vote for the constitutional amendment to increase the number of constituencies.

"I simply want to say that I'm delighted to hear of the arrangement for how the boundaries will be changed and that we will lose the word in our language called gerrymandering," Harding said.

The two major political parties have been accused of gerrymandering in the past where areas have been split or joined to give either party an electoral majority while concentrating the voting strength of the Opposition in a smaller area.

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com