Roundup: Uncertainty over election date concerns Jamaican business leaders

Uncertainty over the upcoming parliamentary elections in Jamaica has concerned the country's business leaders as they believe it will cause confusion and hurt the economy.

On Friday, presidents of Jamaica's two major business associations called on Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller through local radio RJR News to end the uncertainty by naming the election date as the possibility of a widely-speculated December election quickly discounted.

William Mahfood, president of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica said that the prime minister needs to state whether the elections will be held this year in order to dismiss the "counter-productive" uncertainty.

"Especially now, as we approach the holiday season, small businesses and retailers require a lot more stability to be able to conduct their business, and consumers to go about their normal course of business, as they prepare for the holiday," he said.

Jamaica's business confidence index witnessed slight decline during the previous quarter, which according to Mahfood, is mainly because of the uncertainty surrounding the elections.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Warren McDonald, the president of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, who disclosed that several business operators have put plans on hold, in light of the utterances from the prime minister that supporters should get ready for elections.

"This has provided a diversion to business. Everybody is focusing on the elections, and decisions have been put on hold, pending these elections," McDonald said.

"To hear that it may not be this year again will just lengthen this period of uncertainty, and certainly won't be a positive for the economy," he added.

In Jamaica, house representatives and prime minister are elected for a five-year term, but the parliamentary elections do not necessarily take place every five years. Under the constitution, the prime minister has the prerogative to call elections at any time within the five-year limit.

The Simpson-Miller-led National People's Party (PNP) was swept into office following an overwhelming victory in an early election in December 2011 by seizing 42 seats in the 63-seat house of representatives. The other 21 seats came to the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP).

As the country has a tradition that the elections were called by the prime minister several months in advance, speculations of the imminent announcement of a date for holding the upcoming elections within this year have come up since September.

The governing PNP's intensified campaigns also supported the speculations. The PNP has been in an election-preparing mode for several months, choosing candidates, holding massive rallies and replacing the controversial health minister.

The PNP, the JLP and the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) have all claimed their own readiness for the elections.

At a rally on Sunday, Simpson-Miller told jubilant supporters that the campaign period will be short and the election date will come as soon as "my master touches me and say 'my daughter go'."

The opposition leader Andrew Holness said a week earlier that he believed the PNP would call the election "very soon" and that the JLP is "more than ready."

Meanwhile, temporary personnel including data entry clerks have been recruited by the EOJ, according to Director of Elections Orrette Fisher. "When the date is called, the office would take the implementations of the plans to the next level," he told local media last week.

But up till now, the date has not yet been announced.

Waiting for the prime minister receiving the "touch" from her "master," Jamaican business leaders and the parliamentary opposition called for a fixed election date.

"As a part of any normal economy and any normal environment, fixed election dates are a way for businesses and the private sector, the country, basically, to plan what to do prior to and post election, etc.," Mahfood said.

"Fixed election date is a means of ensuring that Jamaicans who want to vote are not disenfranchised by the whims and fancies or the touch of any prime minister's master," said opposition senator Tom Tavares Finson.

According to the constitution, Jamaica's parliamentary elections must be held between 16 and 23 days after the nomination day, while the nomination day must be at least five days after the announcement.

So if Prime Minister Simpson-Miller does not announce the date by Dec. 10, it means the elections will not be held this year. Endi