Jamaica turns its back on violence as nation votes

Thousands of police and soldiers were patrolling the streets in Jamaica yesterday as voters streamed to the polls at the end of an election campaign overshadowed by a history of politically motivated gang violence.

Jimmy Carter, the former US president who received the Nobel peace prize last week, was among foreign observers monitoring the election that many expect to end in a photo-finish between the ruling People's National Party (PNP) and the main opposition, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

The final hours of the campaign were marked by appeals for calm from the leading candidates. Jamaica, which gained independence from Britain in 1962, is still haunted by events on election day in 1980, when gang warfare left 800 people dead.

Seven people were shot dead early yesterday in incidents that police described as reprisal killings for a past domestic dispute, and not politically related.

"I am satisfied that all mechanisms are in place for fair elections," the Prime Minster, P J Patterson, said in a televised address on election eve. "I call on all Jamaicans to make this a peaceful election."

An 11,000-strong security force has been deployed throughout the island to ensure calm at polling stations and protect ballot boxes when they are sealed and removed for the final count. Ordinary Jamaicans also took precautions, barricading streets in Kingston, the capital, to prevent drive-by shootings.

"The security forces are ready," the National Security Minister, Peter Phillips, said in a television address broadcast repeatedly. "I would like to warn anyone who might be planning acts of violence to intimidate voters not to pursue this course," he said, wagging his finger at the camera.

A similar appeal for restraint was issued by Edward Seaga, the head of the JLP, who made the island's faltering economy the main plank of his campaign. He asked his supporters to resist provocation and to turn the other cheek. "No retaliation. Bite your lip and swallow your spit."

As polling got under way, Mr Carter said he planned to visit about 40 polling stations in and around Kingston, while other observers were expected to oversee the ballot process at 1,000 other sites. Mr Carter told reporters: "Everything seems to be going quite well."

Almost unheard above the hubbub of the campaign have been human rights groups concerned about police brutality and continued allegations of extra-judicial killings.

Lloyd D'Aguilar, spokesman for Jamaicans United Against Police Brutality, said: "Despite horrendous human rights abuse and police extra-judicial killings under the administration of the People's National Party, human rights are barely or never mentioned."

Mr Patterson, who is hoping to secure an unprecedented third consecutive five-year term in office, has vowed to re-instate the death penalty to lower a murder rate that is one of the highest in the world.

Eve-of-election polls gave a slight edge to Mr Patterson. He is trying to gain a majority in a parliament of 60 seats. A survey on Tuesday gave the PNP 40.6 per cent of the vote and Mr Seaga's party 36.4 per cent. Some observers feared that the two parties might tie with 30 seats each.

Mr Seaga, who is 72 and served as prime minister through most of the Eighties, has focused his campaign on Jamaica's high rate of unemployment and slumping tourism. "Now we will take a giant stride forward to bring a decent quality of life to every Jamaican," he said in a late campaign appearance.

Observers reported long queues at polling stations under rainy skies yesterday. The atmosphere in many places was lightened by vans playing loud reggae music.

There have been 780 killings this year in Jamaica, a nation of just 2.7 million people. Most have been attributed to drug-trafficking gangs. Police say about 20 people have been killed for political reasons since the campaign started in July. The motorcades of both the main candidates have been fired upon during this campaign, but no one was hurt.

Political violence in Jamaica dates back to the 1970s, when many of the gangs had explicit links to the competing parties. But nothing has compared to the 1980 election when Mr Seaga beat the serving prime minister Michael Manley.