PNP Councillor Warns Mayor Vernon Over Threat to Remove Political Banners in St James

Montego Bay, St James — Mount Salem Division Councillor Kerry Thomas has issued a strong warning to Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon, cautioning him against following through on threats to remove political banners from public spaces across the parish.

Speaking at the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Montego Bay Central Divisional Conference on Sunday, Thomas urged the mayor to reconsider the move, arguing that it could provoke unnecessary political tensions.

“If you touch the PNP banners, I know what will happen. Even without any of us saying anything, a PNP supporter will touch a JLP [Jamaica Labour Party] banner, and that will create an environment we don’t want in this parish,” Thomas warned. “We do not want that type of environment here.”

He emphasized the need for a fair and democratic campaign process, echoing guidance from the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) that elections must be free and fair, allowing all candidates the opportunity to campaign within the law.

Thomas’s remarks come in response to recent statements by Mayor Vernon, who announced last week that all political campaign materials should be removed from public spaces in St James. He suggested that if the directive was ignored, the municipal corporation would step in to remove the materials and issue fines to those responsible.

Backing Thomas’s position, PNP General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell referenced the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertising) Regulations, which, he said, allow for political advertising during election periods without needing permission from local authorities. He argued that any attempt by the mayor to remove such materials would be outside the bounds of the law.

The controversy deepened after JLP councillor Arthur Lynch of the Montego Bay South East division publicly called for the removal of campaign paraphernalia posted by PNP candidate Senator Janice Allen, asserting that Allen was not yet an official candidate for the St James Central seat.

“You are not supposed to be putting up any political paraphernalia unless you are a candidate, and, as we stand right now, you are not a candidate of St James Central,” Lynch declared at a recent JLP campaign event.

Campbell, however, defended the longstanding tradition of campaign advertising, stating that political parties have always been allowed to erect posters and banners in the lead-up to elections. He urged the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ), now responsible for the functions of the political ombudsman, to issue a clear ruling to prevent further conflict.

As political tensions simmer in St James, all eyes are now on the ECJ to provide clarity and help maintain a peaceful and lawful election environment.