Hartley Neita, Gleaner Writer

The symbol of peace: two pigeons being released by Michael Manley, president of the People's National Party after he had voted. The pigeons, representing the symbol of peace, flew one to the east and the other to the west. Michael is flanked by Dudley Thompson, Q.C. (left), and Manley McAdams.

Nomination Day in Western Kingston for the General Election of 1962 had an African flavour. Three of the candidates used African themes in their campaigns. First was Dudley Thompson, the PNP. He had lived and worked in East Africa as a lawyer and was a close friend of Jomo Kenyetta of Kenya and Julius Nyerere of Tanzania. He adopted the nom de plume of 'The Burning Spear'. He wore African robes and shirts and sometimes carried a fly whisk. And he interjected the roar of a lion in his speeches. He arrived at the nomination centre smoking a long cigar and wearing a leopard skin belt.

Second was Byron Moore. His party, the People's Political Party, was founded by Millard Johnson and one of its themes was 'Black Man Time Now'. Moore wore a cap with a photograph of Haile Selassie printed on it. He also wore a red-yellow-green cloak. The 16 candidates of Johnson's party all lost.

Then there was Sam Brown, the first member of the Rastafarian movement to contest an election since its inception some 30 years before. The fourth was Edward Seaga. He won and was to remain the representative for the constituency until he retired from active politics two years ago.

Ten years later, Seaga carried a little lamb 'whose fleece was white as snow' to his nomination at the St. Anne's Recreation Centre. According to him, it was symbolic of "a lamb to the slaughter" which was what would happen to the political life of the PNP's candidate, journalist John Maxwell. It turned out to be true. At the same time, Michael Manley released two pigeons when he was nominated at the Kingston Junior Secondary School. The pigeons, he said, were symbolic of his campaign theme of 'peace and love'.

One exception

The nomination fees in the 2002 elections were paid by 59 of the 60 JLP candidates with thirty $100 notes which bore the photograph of former JLP Prime Minister Donald Sangster, while the PNP candidates paid their fees with three $1,000 notes which had the image of former Prime Minister Michael Manley. An exception among the JLP candidates was its deputy leader Edmund Bartlett who tendered $1,000 in one dollar coins and the remaining $2,000 in $500 bills, a gesture he said was a tribute to the founding leader of the party, Sir Alexander Bustamante, whose image is on the coin.

Rosebuds were presented by the candidates forthe PNP contesting the 1986 Local Government elections to the returning officers and election clerks at the nomination centres.

1972: A little lamb watches as Minister of Finance Edward Seaga signs nomination papers at the St. Anne's Recreation Centre, Western Kingston, with party supporters at right. - file photos