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The Search For The 'Other' Crawford
An aura of mystery yesterday continued to cast a shadow over Damion Crawford, the independent candidate for East Rural St Andrew.
The Gleaner yesterday went in search of the man with the same name as the People's National Party's (PNP) more popular candidate for the constituency, but 'independent' Crawford remained an enigma yesterday when the newspaper was greeted with stone-faced silence at his home.
The Gleaner was hot on the trail of the elusive candidate who lives in the heart of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) stronghold of Grants Pen in the North East St Andrew constituency which, until the recent dissolution of Parliament, had been represented by Delroy Chuck.
The heightened curiosity over the mystery man, who disappeared soon after he was nominated on Monday, was not present in Grants Pen and his girlfriend refused to speak. Neighbours told the news team that 'independent' Crawford had left for work earlier in the day.
In the meantime, the PNP's Damion Crawford, yesterday summoned journalists to a press conference to air his concerns about "a number of irregularities and breaches which have tainted the integrity of the electoral process in the East Rural St Andrew constituency".
However, the press conference was postponed soon after, citing "new details emerging in the matter".
The Gleaner has recorded at least two previous incidents in which persons with the same name were nominated in the same constituency.
In 2002, two persons named Patrick Roberts were nominated in similar fashion, with one being the PNP candidate now facing off against Prime Minister Andrew Holness and the other an independent.
The Carter Center, which observed the election, made note of the two Roberts during the election.
Attempt to confuse
"Interestingly, supporters wearing JLP green accompanied the 'independent' Patrick Roberts on nomination day, leading many to posit that this nomination was an attempt to confuse voters," the election watchdog stated in a report.
Political historian Troy Caine told The Gleaner that, in 1949, two persons with the surname 'Morris' were nominated to contest the election in South East St James.
Caine said the "name game" heightened in 1978 when six women emerged with the surname Thompson to challenge the PNP's Dudley Thompson in a by-election, after David Coore had resigned.
He said the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) got wind of the plot, overturned the election, and held another.
gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com
An aura of mystery yesterday continued to cast a shadow over Damion Crawford, the independent candidate for East Rural St Andrew.
The Gleaner yesterday went in search of the man with the same name as the People's National Party's (PNP) more popular candidate for the constituency, but 'independent' Crawford remained an enigma yesterday when the newspaper was greeted with stone-faced silence at his home.
The Gleaner was hot on the trail of the elusive candidate who lives in the heart of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) stronghold of Grants Pen in the North East St Andrew constituency which, until the recent dissolution of Parliament, had been represented by Delroy Chuck.
The heightened curiosity over the mystery man, who disappeared soon after he was nominated on Monday, was not present in Grants Pen and his girlfriend refused to speak. Neighbours told the news team that 'independent' Crawford had left for work earlier in the day.
In the meantime, the PNP's Damion Crawford, yesterday summoned journalists to a press conference to air his concerns about "a number of irregularities and breaches which have tainted the integrity of the electoral process in the East Rural St Andrew constituency".
However, the press conference was postponed soon after, citing "new details emerging in the matter".
The Gleaner has recorded at least two previous incidents in which persons with the same name were nominated in the same constituency.
In 2002, two persons named Patrick Roberts were nominated in similar fashion, with one being the PNP candidate now facing off against Prime Minister Andrew Holness and the other an independent.
The Carter Center, which observed the election, made note of the two Roberts during the election.
Attempt to confuse
"Interestingly, supporters wearing JLP green accompanied the 'independent' Patrick Roberts on nomination day, leading many to posit that this nomination was an attempt to confuse voters," the election watchdog stated in a report.
Political historian Troy Caine told The Gleaner that, in 1949, two persons with the surname 'Morris' were nominated to contest the election in South East St James.
Caine said the "name game" heightened in 1978 when six women emerged with the surname Thompson to challenge the PNP's Dudley Thompson in a by-election, after David Coore had resigned.
He said the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) got wind of the plot, overturned the election, and held another.
gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com
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