Several of the political candidates who were nominated on Tuesday, were absent from Thursday’s signing of the political code of conduct which will guide their actions leading up to the February 25 general election.
The event took place in several parishes and will continue tomorrow and Saturday.
The Code of Conduct requires political parties and their candidates to among other things refrain from violence and intimidation.
Candidates in Kingston and St. Andrew affixed their signatures to the document at Emancipation Park.
Of the thirty candidates in constituencies in Kingston and St. Andrew, twenty candidates participated in the signing.
Present were thirteen candidates from the People's National Party and seven from the Jamaica Labour Party.
PNP President Portia Simpson-Miller was the first to sign.
However, the JLP's Victor Hyde, who is challenging Simpson Miller, for the St. Andrew South Western seat was absent.
JLP Leader Andrew Holness, said most of the candidates was absent due to a prior engagement, but all the candidates will eventually sign.
Simpson-Miller and Holness said they will ensure that their candidates abide by the code to ensure a peaceful election.
Candidates in Portland also signed the code of conduct on Thursday.
Jamaica Labour Party candidates for Portland Western, Daryl Vaz and Portland Eastern Derron Wood signed at 9am on Thursday.
They were joined by their People's National Party counterparts Dr. Lynvale Bloomfield and Vernon Hemmings.
In Manchester almost all the nominated representatives for the PNP and the JLP were present for the signing ceremony at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville.
The JLP's Dr St Aubyn Bartlett was the only absentee, reportedly due to an emergency. He was represented by Marcel Barham.
Meanwhile, eight of the ten candidates representing the five constituencies in St. James were present for the signing.
Dr Horace Chang and Edmund Bartlett signed the code of conduct yesterday.
Pastor Charles Brevitt, in addressing the meeting told candidates, their speeches of peace and unity should be more than lip service or an election gimmick.
Reluctant to sign
The JLP’s candidate for St. Catherine North Western, Newton Amos, says he reluctantly signed the code of conduct as he is concerned about activities in the constituency.
He is running against the PNP's Robert Pickersgill.
The signing for all St. Catherine candidates took place at the Phillippo Baptist Church in Spanish Town.
Amos says one of the incidents took place on Nomination Day as he made his way to the nomination centre on Fletchers Avenue in Linstead.
The incident was reported to the Linstead police.
Candidates in Portland have signed the code of conduct.
Jamaica Labour Party candidates for Portland Western, Daryl Vaz and Portland Eastern Derron Wood signed at 9am on Thursday.
They were joined by their People's National Party counterparts Dr. Lynvale Bloomfield and Vernon Hemmings.
In Manchester almost all the nominated representatives for the PNP and the JLP were present for the signing ceremony at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville.
The JLP's Dr St Aubyn Bartlett was the only absentee, reportedly due to an emergency. He was represented by Marcel Barham.
Meanwhile, eight of the ten candidates representing the five constituencies in St. James were present for the signing.
Dr Horace Chang and Edmund Bartlett signed the code of conduct yesterday.
Pastor Charles Brevitt, in addressing the meeting told candidates, their speeches of peace and unity should be more than lip service or an election gimmick.
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