Election 2020: Political Billboard Defaced

As the election campaign period intensifies, a political billboard was discovered defaced on Friday morning. The Billboard which was erected along Flag Circle in Rae Town Kingston features Phillip Paulwell, Imani Duncan Pryce, and Joseph ‘Bunny Witter.’ The names of the candidates were marked out and JLP written in red across it. The discovery has led to concerns from the People’s National Party’s General Secretary Julian Robinson. In an interview with CVM LIVE, Robinson shared that the PNP’s disappointment over the act.

“I want to condemn it in the stronger language: the defacing of a billboard that we have placed for our candidates for Kingston which was in the central Kingston constituency. Over the last two days we have put up billboards across the country promoting our new candidates and in each parish we have a billboard that outlines who the candidates are for the People’s National Party.”

Robinson continued, “I find it very surprising that almost a day after the billboard was put up that it has been defaced. I have written to the Political Ombudsman to ask for her intervention in this matter because frankly this is a zero-some game. It is very hard to restrain our supporters when they see our boards being defaced.”

At the same time, he is appealing for calm among PNP supporters. “I know they are very agitated at something like this and we are going to continue to promote our candidates in a positive way. We have started the roll-out of our campaign with these billboards. There are other elements of our communication strategy that will become visible in the next couple of days.”

Vandalism of political billboards has been a feature of past elections – one that goes against the political code of conduct. In some cases, the perpetrators of the act are never found. 

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP)  candidate for Kingston Central, Donovan Williams is condemning those responsible for the act of vandalism while appealing for a peaceful political campaign period.

“I wish to put it on record that I in my capacity as JLP mp caretaker for the constituency, categorically and unreservedly do not support any such action and I would ask supports on both sides to desist from such actioon.”