EDITORIAL - January election a better option

Mr Andrew Holness knows that in politics, as in life generally, there is nothing wrong with a leader altering course or changing his mind based on the advent of new information, shifting circumstances, or merely out of a recognition that he may have miscalculated.

It is in that context that we suggest to the prime minister that he reconsider a December date for the general election, the specific day for which he is expected to announce Sunday night.

If that vote is, indeed, to be this month, as Mr Holness indicated at his party's annual conference that it will be, it takes no great intellect, or genius at math, to determine that it will be either Wednesday, December 28, or Thursday, December 29.

Section 21(1) of the Representation of the People Act requires that the nomination of candidates be on "such day, other than a Sunday or public holiday, as may be appointed by the minister, by notice in the gazette, not being more than seven days after the publication of the notice". However, the law also provides a minimum of five days after the gazetted notice for nomination day.

In that case, assuming that Mr Holness announces an election date on Sunday night, the earliest date for nomination of candidates, if the gazetted notice is the following day, would be Saturday, December 10. That, however, is an unlikely date, given that both parties will field a number of Seventh-day Adventist candidates, including the prime minister himself.

So the mostly likely nomination day would be Monday, December 12.

Then comes the date for the vote, which Section 21(a) of the act says "shall not be less than 16 days or more than 23 days after the day appointed as nomination day, pursuant to Subsection 1 of Section 21".

Allowing the minimum allowable time to elapse, the earliest date Jamaicans could vote is December 28. Or, perhaps Mr Holness could opt for the following day.

It is unlikely that Mr Holness would want voting on either a Friday (December 30) or Saturday (December 31) for fear that the Sabbath could keep adherents of the Adventist faith, lest they beat the setting sun, away from the polls.

Many no-voting dates

Mr Holness has a few other considerations in deciding on the election date. Since Christmas falls on a Sunday - by law a day off - and the following day, December 26, Boxing Day, would be a public holiday, the Government will give Tuesday, December 27 in lieu of the one that was forgone on Christmas Day.

So, even if nomination day could, mathematically, be pulled forward a couple of days, there could be no voting on these dates. Additionally, it is unlikely that either the Jamaica Labour Party or the People's National Party would find receptive audiences if they decide to campaign on any of these days.

People are also likely to tune out for the parties on December 24, Christmas Eve, a big festive shopping day. And public campaigning is barred on the day before an election. In effect, for a December election, the last day of serious campaigning would be December 23, before people consider the parties intruding on Christmas.

Moreover, a recent Gleaner-Bill Johnson opinion poll showed that 62 per cent of the voters would prefer an election in the New Year. Mid-January, we feel, would be appropriate.