A FUNCTION SPECIFICALLY aimed at getting the Christian community involved in the electoral process, ahead of the upcoming general election, did not go as planned yesterday.
Only 10 of 120 church leaders invited by the Electoral Advisory Committee (EAC) turned up for the event at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.
This is despite at least two weeks' notice, as the function was originally scheduled to be held on June 11. The lack of a venue resulted in a postponement to yesterday and it is believed the venue was selected by representatives of the Church.
Fifty of those invited had confirmed their attendance at the event, EAC Chairman Professor Errol Miller said. He brushed aside the poor response by pointing to the long association between the EAC and the Church.
He said the major church groupings had indicated their commitment to the initiative "so we are not in anyway phased by the turnout today".
"This is just the official launch so to speak, but there is a commitment on the ground which goes beyond the number of persons. So we are not watching the numbers," he emphasised.
Professor Miller's remarks did not prevent the Rev. Al Miller of Fellowship Tabernacle from commenting that "the response from the church community is embarrassing".
Rev. Miller is head of the Jamaica Alliance for National Unity (JANU), which he sees as an avenue for political and economic change.
The EAC, in a prepared text circulated at yesterday's meeting, urged the Christian community, through the leadership of the various denominations, to "lend its considerable grassroots influence to the end of enhancing and improving the moral climate and changing the political culture of elections".
Specifically, the Church has been asked to:
Organise weekly prayers for the conduct of the election, from now until when it is called.
Exhort members to set an example, whether they are participating in the electoral process as candidates, party workers, election day workers, observers, members of the security forces, the EAC/Electoral Office of Jamaica or as electors.
Advocate the values of justice, fair play, respect and love applied to the election.
Serve as conciliators where conflicts arise in the various constituencies.
They have been encouraged to select a panel of highly respected clergy and laypersons in each constituency to serve as a conciliation panel.
"It's time for us to stop the talk. It's time for us to begin the walk," Professor Miller said.
Despite their no-show yesterday, both the EAC and EOJ are determined to get the Church involved. The next step is a series of meetings with the Clergy in each parish.
Meantime, Rev. Harris Cunningham of the Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC) tried to put a different spin on the low turnout, pointing instead to work being undertaken by the Council to get its membership involved in the electoral process.
He disclosed the JCC was revising its 1983 election guidelines and that its communication commission was in the process of preparing a brochure which would be distributed throughout all constituencies. The aim is that it will impact on all interest groups, resulting in peaceful elections.
The document will address the role of candidates, electors, security forces and the media.
