UIC Blames Poor Weather For Failure to Nominate Candidates For Nov. By-Elections

The United Independents’ Congress of Jamaica, UIC, will not be contesting any of the four seats in the November 22 by-elections.

The party failed to have any of its three presumptive candidates formally nominated.

In a statement on Wednesday, the UIC’s General Secretary Claudia Barrett, says the inclement weather conditions associated with Tropical Storm Rafael impeded its efforts.

Chevon Campbell has more in this report.

Claudia Barrett says the potential candidates attempted to complete the nomination process in a timely manner but were hampered by the rainy conditions brought by Rafael.

The party alleges that the early closure of the Electoral Office of Jamaica, EOJ, as well as the entity’s failure to respond to its emails or answer its calls, were major challenges.

Barrett says the party’s standard bearer for South Trelawny, Winston Wright, faced severe road conditions and traffic congestion caused by the activities of the governing party.

In North West St. Andrew, the party says heavy rain and business interruptions prevented its representative, Kevin Nelson, from getting nominated ahead of the 2PM cut-off time.

The UIC said it was a similar case for the Morant Bay Division, where Omar Douglas is its standard bearer.

A total of four by-elections are scheduled for November 22.

Two of them are being run to fill vacant parliamentary seats in South Trelawny and North West St Andrew.

The other two are for spots at the local government level — the Morant Bay Division in East St. Thomas, and the Aenon Town Division in Northern Clarendon.

The UIC says it did not intend on contesting the Aenon Town seat.

But the EOJ, has refuted the UIC’s claim about unanswered email and calls.

In a response sent the media on Thursday, the EOJ says it has not received any e-mails from the party, nor has any record of unanswered calls to its offices.

The EOJ says it provides opportunities for all prospective candidates, respective of party affiliation or independence, to receive assistance from the Returning Officer and his/her team at its constituency office ahead of the scheduled Nomination Day.

The EOJ says while it too had to contend with the poor weather conditions, the constituency teams made efforts to facilitate prospective candidates prior to the November 6 Nomination Day process.

The EOJ says its offices in the constituencies where by-elections are to be held opened on Saturday, November 2 to assist prospective candidates.

They also opened on Monday, November 4 for normal operations, but closed early due to the inclement weather.

EOJ says the offices re-opened on Tuesday, November 5, in spite of the poor weather conditions in some areas.

And on Nomination Day, the EOJ offices opened at 8:30 AM.

To be duly nominated, prospective candidates must complete a nomination form signed by the required number of electors, return the form to the Returning Officer during the stipulated hours on Nomination Day and pay the prescribed nomination fee.