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Jimmy Carter urges peacefulvote in Jamaica elections
Former US president, Jimmy Carter who isin Jamaica to observe Wednesday's hotly contested general elections,deplored that country's "garrison" politics and expressedhope for peaceful voting, according to reports in the JamaicaObserver.
Carter, making his first mission with theAtlanta-based Carter Centre since winning a Nobel Peace Prize,praised electoral authorities for their "great professionalism"and declared them "technically prepared" for the election.
He said he was "distressed", however,at the number of violent incidents in the run-up to tomorrow'svoting.
"Such politically motivated violenceand intimidation have no place in a modern democracy and mustbe condemned by all political leaders," Carter said in preparedremarks.
Carter, who leads 59 observers from 16 countries,nonetheless cast doubt on some pre-election slayings, during whichat least two people are thought to have died in politically-motivatedviolence.
Carter said it remained unclear if the deathswere politically motivated. In fact, the number of slayings hasnot necessarily been unusual within the context of the generalmurder rate, he said.
The 78 year-old former president, who visitedJamaica as an observer in 1997, was invited by the Electoral AdvisoryCommittee. The Carter Centre's mission is to assess the electoralprocess and report its findings after votes are tabulated.
Observers from the Carter Centre alreadyhave been deployed to 25 constituencies.
Carter expressed hope that the elections"will show the world that Jamaican democracy is strong andvibrant and free of the violence and intimidation that has marredit in the past".
Among election observers accompanying Carteris former Costa Rican president, Miguel Rodriguez, who, referringto the close election, urged that "no matter how small themargin of victory is, the results must be respected".
Carter said close elections tend to be problematic,which underscores the need for every Jamaican to vote.
"We have confidence in the Jamaicanpeople and believe it will be a safe election," Carter said,responding to a question.
He also praised Jamaica's news media forwhat he described as their objectivity in covering the electionprocess.
Before tomorrow, Carter Centre representativeswill meet with political ombudsman Bishop Herro Blair, PoliceCommissioner Francis Forbes, candidates, party leaders, electionofficials, and the domestic observer group CAFFE, Carter said.
The non-profit Carter Centre's representatives"will remain completely impartial, while maintaining steadfastsupport for the democratic process in Jamaica", Carter said.
The former president's concerns about pre-electionviolence come days after British, Canadian and US envoys urgedP J Patterson, the president of the ruling People's National Partyand Edward Seaga, the Jamaica Labour Party leader, to do moreto rein their supporters to prevent politically motivated violence.
Carter, asked if Jamaica's political leadershad done enough to stamp out violence, said: "No, and I saythat with great respect for the leaders."
He called Jamaica's "garrison politics"a "disgrace" and "blight" upon the country,which has been undermining essential democratic values such asfree speech, assembly, and political association.
In his prepared remarks, Carter nonethelesspraised Prime Minister Patterson and Opposition Leader Seaga fortheir pledges to observe a code of political conduct.
In addition, he praised the political ombudsmanfor endeavouring to rein in violence, as well as candidates whofollowed principles in a code of conduct pledging to stop violence.
Carter, linking Jamaica's future economicdevelopment to the "integrity and safety" of the elections,said "anybody who perpetrates violence will be hurting theirown country".
Carter was elected to the US presidencyin 1976. But he was a one-term president, losing to Ronald Reaganfour years later.