Chang slams vote buying as futile - JLP gen sec says elections can’t be bought

Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) General Secretary Dr Horace Chang says the age-old political tactic of vote-buying is not just illegal, but useless.

"I don't think it impacts elections, that's my frank opinion," said Chang, who has faced the voters in nine elections, winning five of those battles in the battleground constituency of St James North West.

Vote-buying is illegal under Jamaica's Representation of the People Act, the primary law that governing elections on the island. The offence is punishable by fines of not less than $20,000 or more than $80,000, or a term of imprisonment of between three to five years.

Despite the law, the exchange of cash or goods for ballots continues to haunt Jamaica's electoral process, with allegations that political agents seek to secure votes for their candidates by paying voters.

Chang, speaking at a recently held Editor's Forum at The Gleaner's North Streets offices in Kingston, said campaigning activities can be misconstrued as vote-buying. He asserted that allegations of vote-buying is a feature of open democracies.

"Once you are free to move around, and you seek to influence voters by different means, people allege vote buying. If there is no allegations, chances are you will begin to run into a dictatorial system. Because once you are open and moving around, and you seek to influence, whatever you do can be misinterpreted," the JLP general secretary said.

Still, the long-serving MP made it clear that blatant vote-buying is unacceptable - and not something the JLP supports.

"The blatant buying of votes is against the law and the Labour Party conducts its business within the law. ... We advise our candidates against it, but if it is done, the law deals with it," Chang said.

The veteran politician, who first entered the House of Representative by way of Hanover West in 1980, said many people overestimate the power of money in politics. He asserts that while potential voters may accept inducements from candidates, there is no guarantee that this will result in victory at the ballot box.

"A man who thinks he can buy an election runs into problems," said Chang, who has been member of parliament for St James North West since 2002. Noting that before his win in 2002, North West St James was a "hard PNP seat", Chang said he was able to "convert" it to the JLP through political work.

He lost his first run in St James North West in 1997 by 1,252 votes. However, five years later he stormed back with a 2,650-vote win. He has held the seat ever since, growing his margin with each election - winning by over 4,000 votes in 2020.

"If I had to buy the votes I could not win," said Chang.