Media barred from nomination centre

WESTERN BUREAU: Despite approved instructions from the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ), Natalie Thompson, the returning officer for St James West Central, barred members of the media from photographing candidates during the nomination process at Catherine Hall Primary School this morning.

After instructing a young woman to close the door on the media gathered outside, Thompson took further action by threatening to close the windows. This forced The Gleaner's videographer and photographer to resort to alternative measures.

“I don't want to have to lock the windows on you. Please don't point your cameras through them,” she told the media,” without offering an explanation for her stance.

The Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) councillor candidate, Rena Forbes, running in the Mt. Salem Division, was being nominated when Thompson closed the door.

Jovian Kerr of the Granville division and Dwight 'Debo' Crawford of the Spring Gardens division were among the candidates being nominated at the time when the media were denied filming or photography.

Thompson's stance persisted into the late afternoon, even as the People's National Party's Michael Troupe of Granville, Warren Murray representing Spring Gardens, and Kerry Thomas of the Mt. Salem division were being nominated.

In contrast, candidates nominated at the St. John's Methodist Church Hall on Duke Street faced a different situation, as the returning officer adhered to the regulations.

The EOJ guidelines emphasise the importance of ensuring a democratic nomination process, with media access generally unrestricted during the event. According to EOJ guidelines, members of the press have the freedom to enter and photograph nomination centres.

However, it was observed that due to space limitations at certain locations, not all media personnel could be accommodated inside the centres during the nomination process.

For instance, the classroom utilized at Catherine Hall had the capacity for up to 40 individuals, yet only four people were present while candidates were being nominated.

Notably, the EOJ's sole request was that candidates not be interviewed inside the nomination centre.

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.