(Jamaica Gleaner) The team from the Organisation of American States (OAS) that observed Jamaica’s parliamentary elections on Thursday has proposed several measures it said could improve the country’s electoral machinery.
The recommendations come even as the team, in its preliminary assessment of the elections, reported that it was widely satisfied with the way the polls were conducted and hailed the “maturity” of the country’s democracy.
“The events of yesterday (Thursday’s election) was carried out in a very calm atmosphere and the transition of power has been orderly and calm,” head of the OAS observer mission to Jamaica, Lisa Shoman told reporters during a news conference at the Courtleigh All Suite Hotel in St Andrew yesterday.
Shoman said Jamaica’s decision to stick with the electronic voter identification and ballot issuing system (EVIBIS) and changes to the laws governing campaign financing were signs that the electoral system was progressing.
She said it was clear that the electoral office had tweaked the EVIBIS to remove some of the kinks that had caused problems in the past.
Inadequate spacing
Despite this, the OAS observer mission said there were several issues that needed to be addressed.
Chief among them, according to Shoman, was inadequate spacing at some polling stations.
“They were placed uncomfortably close to each other and there was very little privacy afforded to both workers and voters … so that’s something that must be flagged,” she said.
Shoman said in some situations the close proximity of polling stations contributed to the bottlenecks that slowed down the voting process.
She also noted “with concern” that several polling stations only had one door way that was used for entry and exit.
The head of the OAS observer mission suggested that provisions have to be made for adequate space in polling stations “and identifying wherever possible locations that have entrances and exits that are separate.”
In addition, Shoman said the observer mission was aware of “a couple” of polling stations that were difficult to access by elderly persons, pregnant women and persons with disabilities.
“One in particular had two long staircases that it was hard for persons with disabilities to manage,” she recalled.
The OAS mission chief suggested that electoral officials give careful consideration to the venues selected to be used as polling stations.
