| Violence Threatens Election Campaign |
By BBC Caribbean
July 18, 2007
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| Scattered incidents of political violence have threatened to mar preparations for next month's general elections in Jamaica. |
Police have been forced to intervene in numerous clashes between supporters of the ruling People's National Party and the opposition Jamaica Labour Party since the election 27 Aug date was announced last week.
In response to the latest flare-up, the authorities sent police and soldiers to |
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| the politically sensitive Mountain View area near Kingston, following an incident which left two women nursing gunshot wounds. |
| On Tuesday, candidates of the two main political parties put their signature to an election campaign code of conduct. |
| Both Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller of the PNP and leader of the JLP, Bruce Golding have pleaded with supporters and parliamentary hopefuls to follow the code. |
| "I am monitoring the campaign and I am going to keep my eyes open for any infringement whatsoever, " political ombudsman Herro Blair, a sort of political referee, told BBC Caribbean. |
| He believes the appeal from the party leaders can make a difference. |
| "I don't expect that everybody is going to listen to their leaders but I expect that if they get out of line, the leaders will pull them in and if anything is done of a criminal nature, that the leaders will assist the police in their investigations." |
| Bishop Blair said he was happy about how the campaign going so far in other areas, such as advertising and motorcade rallies. |
| He said he was confident the election would be considered a peaceful one. |
| The PNP is seeking a fifth straight five-year term, having scored victories in 1989, 1992, 1997 and 2002. |
| The party won 34 seats to the JLP's 26 in 2002, but two JLP members have since joined the PNP. |
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