NIA wants gap left by political ombudsman filled following Golding's dead voters comment

National Integrity Action (NIA) is calling for the Government to expedite the new arrangements for the role formerly played by the Office of the Political Ombudsman following Sunday's comments by Opposition Leader Mark Golding regarding dead voters.

Golding had urged all People's National Party supporters in East Rural St Andrew who voted in the 2011 general elections to vote in the next polls, continuing that "even some who not alive, you know if dem can deal with it, no problem.”

In a media release on Tuesday, NIA described the comments as "unfortunate" and "inappropriate" and said they should be immediately retracted.

"Given Jamaica's history of electoral fraud and political violence, it is not fitting that this matter should even be the subject of a joke," NIA continued. "To make light of dead people voting threatens to throw decades of good work to the wind."

In the meantime, NIA urged the Government to "clarify and expedite the new arrangements that are intended for the role formerly played by the Office of the Political Ombudsman, especially as we approach the electoral season in respect of both local and general elections."

The anti-corruption watchdog argued that the Office of the Political Ombudsman has proven to be of great value when politicians cross any of the lines that would suggest disregard for the rules of free and fair elections.

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