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Friday, July 13, 2007
Death threats have been made against the lives of journalists Cliff Hughes and Emily Crooks after Hughes' Nationwide News Network reported the results of opinion polls showing the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) with a "constituency by constituency" lead over the ruling People's National Party (PNP).
Yesterday, Hughes admitted to the Observer that he was aware of the threats but declined to speak on the issue, offering only that he had written to the commissioner of police, who has responded to his satisfaction. However, reliable Observer sources say that orders were issued from a South St Andrew community with fierce loyalties to the PNP for Hughes and Crooks to be shot dead.
The polls broadcast by Nationwide last month angered the PNP hierarchy to the point where they suggested that they would take legal action against Nationwide on the basis that the polls were "fictitious".
The claim that the polls were mythical was made by the PNP's campaign director Dr Paul Robertson. However, his statement contradicted that of PNP general-secretary Donald Buchanan, who said that the polls were stale.
Buchanan, who is also the information minister and outgoing member of parliament for North-West St Elizabeth, told the Observer on June 29 that the poll results were arrived at as far back as October, November and December last year.
"What I have heard are results of polls we had commissioned prior to the selection of candidates between October and December last year when we were polling for the process of the selection contest," Buchanan said. "What they have aired relates to nothing we have done since the start of this year."
He said the PNP had commissioned no polls which would have led to the kind of findings aired, and added that the news report by Nationwide suggested that there was new information and new poll findings.
Buchanan also insisted that the poll results were not consistent with any electoral tracking the PNP was doing or had done in recent times.
The polls were allegedly done by pollster Bill Johnson. But Johnson, who conducts polls for the PNP and the Gleaner, also denied that he had done any such constituency polls. He told Radio Jamaica on June 29 that the results read to him contained information and findings which he had not done. He also said the action was a deliberate plot to discredit him.
At a PNP rally in Lacovia, North-West St Elizabeth on June 28, Buchanan blasted Nationwide for airing the polls.
"I say shame upon you, Nationwide, shame upon you Nationwide, you should know better than that. It would appear to me that you are losing your intellectual integrity, Nationwide, you better come back on track if you want to have any credibility in Jamaica," he shouted from the platform.
"If you want to know the facts, pick up your telephone and call me like you call me about other things and I will talk to you and give you the facts," he said. "But don't come with your lies and your stale polls to try and confuse the people of Jamaica because the Jamaican people cannot be confused, not by you and not by anybody else. I say shame upon you Nationwide."
Since then, Hughes and his team - who have stood by their publication of the polls - have been labelled anti-PNP, and last Thursday, according to our sources, a threat was made to firebomb the building from which Nationwide operates.
"Last Thursday, a lady called the switchboard and asked for Cliff and Emily," our source said. "When she was told that neither of them were there, she said, 'It better unno leave the building because we ah go firebomb it'."
The anger in the PNP over the publication of the polls has also resulted in the ruling party not placing any of its commercials on Nationwide.
The ads started running on radio and television last week. However, party insiders say that the decision to block Nationwide has angered some members of the PNP who have described it as stupid.
Death threats have been made against the lives of journalists Cliff Hughes and Emily Crooks after Hughes' Nationwide News Network reported the results of opinion polls showing the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) with a "constituency by constituency" lead over the ruling People's National Party (PNP).
Yesterday, Hughes admitted to the Observer that he was aware of the threats but declined to speak on the issue, offering only that he had written to the commissioner of police, who has responded to his satisfaction. However, reliable Observer sources say that orders were issued from a South St Andrew community with fierce loyalties to the PNP for Hughes and Crooks to be shot dead.
The polls broadcast by Nationwide last month angered the PNP hierarchy to the point where they suggested that they would take legal action against Nationwide on the basis that the polls were "fictitious".
The claim that the polls were mythical was made by the PNP's campaign director Dr Paul Robertson. However, his statement contradicted that of PNP general-secretary Donald Buchanan, who said that the polls were stale.
Buchanan, who is also the information minister and outgoing member of parliament for North-West St Elizabeth, told the Observer on June 29 that the poll results were arrived at as far back as October, November and December last year.
"What I have heard are results of polls we had commissioned prior to the selection of candidates between October and December last year when we were polling for the process of the selection contest," Buchanan said. "What they have aired relates to nothing we have done since the start of this year."
He said the PNP had commissioned no polls which would have led to the kind of findings aired, and added that the news report by Nationwide suggested that there was new information and new poll findings.
Buchanan also insisted that the poll results were not consistent with any electoral tracking the PNP was doing or had done in recent times.
The polls were allegedly done by pollster Bill Johnson. But Johnson, who conducts polls for the PNP and the Gleaner, also denied that he had done any such constituency polls. He told Radio Jamaica on June 29 that the results read to him contained information and findings which he had not done. He also said the action was a deliberate plot to discredit him.
At a PNP rally in Lacovia, North-West St Elizabeth on June 28, Buchanan blasted Nationwide for airing the polls.
"I say shame upon you, Nationwide, shame upon you Nationwide, you should know better than that. It would appear to me that you are losing your intellectual integrity, Nationwide, you better come back on track if you want to have any credibility in Jamaica," he shouted from the platform.
"If you want to know the facts, pick up your telephone and call me like you call me about other things and I will talk to you and give you the facts," he said. "But don't come with your lies and your stale polls to try and confuse the people of Jamaica because the Jamaican people cannot be confused, not by you and not by anybody else. I say shame upon you Nationwide."
Since then, Hughes and his team - who have stood by their publication of the polls - have been labelled anti-PNP, and last Thursday, according to our sources, a threat was made to firebomb the building from which Nationwide operates.
"Last Thursday, a lady called the switchboard and asked for Cliff and Emily," our source said. "When she was told that neither of them were there, she said, 'It better unno leave the building because we ah go firebomb it'."
The anger in the PNP over the publication of the polls has also resulted in the ruling party not placing any of its commercials on Nationwide.
The ads started running on radio and television last week. However, party insiders say that the decision to block Nationwide has angered some members of the PNP who have described it as stupid.
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