ELECTORAL MANAGEMENT
In December 2000, following a six-month impasse between the Government and the Opposition concerning the appointment of Selected Members of the Electoral Advisory Committee, EAC, Miller was appointed the chairman of that body. The EAC was created in 1979 to remove the electoral machinery from the control of the party in government and place it as a creature of parliament with an independent status. Accordingly, the composition of the EAC was two members named by the Prime Minister, two named by the Leader of the Opposition and three members jointly agreed on by both one of whom is the Chairman. It should be noted that between 1992 and 1998 Miller was chairman of the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation, which had a similar composition to the EAC.
The following are some of the major accomplishments of the EAC/ECJ over the period December 2000 to December 2012.
- Representatives of political parties and Returning Officers in each constituency meet on a monthly basis to address matters such as applications of persons to become registered electors, arrangements to verify that applicants live at the addresses given, the distribution of Voter ID cards, and vetting of the two draft Voters’ List. As a result, these matters are no longer contentious issues in the Jamaican electoral system.
- Every two years political representatives and returning officers engage in the process of determining the location of polling stations in each constituency based upon criteria and guidelines set the EAC/ECJ. The exercise ends with signed polling stations agreements for each constituency which remain in force for two years. Voting in all elections held during the two year period are conducted at these agreed locations.
- The periodic realignment of constituency boundaries mandated by the Constitution now begins with guidelines issued by the Commission and applied by political representatives of major political parties in each Parish through a Forum and an Advisory Committee. Where an agreement is not reached by the Parish Advisory Committee the unresolved matters are referred to the Nominated Commissioners and the Director of Elections. If an agreement is not reached by the latter then the unresolved matters are referred to the Selected Commissioners for final decision. The process has eliminated gerrymandering of constituency boundaries to serve the interest of any political party.
- The Electronic Voter Identification and Ballot Issuing System, EVIBIS, which were invented 6and patented prior to 2000 by Mr. Ryan Peralto, have been implemented on a phased basis in elections beginning in 2003. This system ensures one person, one voter; same person, same vote. To be registered as electors applicants are fingerprinted, photographed and provide biographical information. On Election Day, in designated polling stations, electors are identified by electronically by fingerprint using the EVIBIS system and issued the ballot by that system. Jamaica is the first country to implement this system.
- Between Nomination Day and Election Day, an Election Centre is established comprised of representatives from the major political parties, the security forces, local and international observers, the churches, the Political Ombudsman and the Director of Elections. The Election Centre constitutes official space where these stakeholders and actors can coordinate activities, share information, engage in conflict resolution and issue authentic information to the press and media through regular press conferences.
- Three General Elections, three Local Government elections, and numerous By-elections have been held which have all been accepted as free and fair. Indeed, the Carter Centre and the Commonwealth Secretariat declined to send international observers for September 3, 2007, and December 29, 2011, General Elections on grounds that their resources would be better used for elections in countries that are not following best practices in the conduct of elections. It is generally acknowledged that the General Elections of December 2011 and Local Government Elections of March 2012 have been the most peaceful and best conducted up to that time.
