ECJ urged to clear air on appointment of individual to carry out political ombudsman role

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck says an individual has been appointed to carry out the field functions that were previously done by the former political ombudsman.

In a statement yesterday, Chuck did not name the person, but indicated that the information was shared with him, apparently by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ).

“With this new development, I am now urging the ECJ to provide details surrounding the terms and engagement of the individual now functioning in the role of the previous Office of the Political Ombudsman, as well as how members of the public can contact that office with election-related matters,” Chuck said.

Since the role of the political ombudsman was transferred to the nine commissioners of the ECJ more than a year ago, the electoral body has not made a public statement on how it plans to receive complaints and carry out its duties.

In a recent interview, Principal Director of the National Integrity Action Danielle Archer warned that the absence of public statements or visible enforcement of the Political Code of Conduct by the commissioners was deeply troubling.

She said the silence of the commissioners only erodes public trust and accountability, while at the same time creating a dangerous vacuum in oversight during a critical period of active campaigning.

At the same time, Grace Baston, chairman of election watchdog Citizens Action for Free and Fair Election, told The Gleaner recently that it was not too late for a reversal of the 2024 legislative amendment which transferred the role of the political ombudsman to the nine commissioners of the ECJ.

Chuck said he understood that the ECJ has also been undertaking the work of the political ombudsman, to include receiving complaints and related matters concerning the previously held local government elections.

$60-million allocation

Meanwhile, Chuck, who previously announced that the Government had allocated $60 million in the 2024-2025 Budget to the ECJ to carry out its mandate as political ombudsman, said yesterday that the sum was not used by the commission.

“It appears that expenses in relation to the role and function of the political ombudsman are funded from the ECJ’s budget,” he said.

In the meantime, responding to Chuck’s statement, Senator Donna Scott Mottley, the Opposition spokesperson on justice, said she found the announcement of the appointment “both perplexing and troubling”.

Said Scott Mottley: “To date, there has been no clear or transparent communication to Parliament or the public about who this individual is, what authority they possess, or how the investigative process is being conducted under this new arrangement.

“While the minister now suggests someone is in place, our understanding is that no such formal appointment had been made until very recently – if at all.

“What we are witnessing is yet another attempt by this administration to force a square peg into a round hole in order to suit their own political purposes. The ECJ may be receiving complaints, but no one can say with confidence what investigatory framework exists, what standards are being applied, or whether complainants – ourselves included – can expect any resolution.”

Scott Mottley called for the ECJ to immediately clarify the terms of engagement of “this so-called field officer” and to publish details on how members of the public can “reliably and confidently engage with this office”.

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