No Political Fanfare for Nomination Day
From Red Bank to won’t happen on Nomination Day. This Wednesday, the political candidates from the P.U.P., U.D.P. and the smaller parties will be heading to nomination centres to get their names on the ballots. The P.U.P. will be first, their candidates will head simultaneously at ten in the morning; six other persons form part of each team of the thirty-one constituencies. The U.D.P. will follow suit at two in the afternoon across the country and in between, the other parties will get their candidates nominated for the November eleventh general elections. The pandemic has changed most things, so this year there will be no large crowds, motorcades or revelry. The U.D.P. says it will instead be spending on pantry and in an ad just released, the P.U.P. is asking its supporters to show their colours and wave their flags. Here is News Five’s Hipolito Novelo with a report.
Hipolito Novelo, Reporting
For the first time there will be no political fanfare on Nomination Day this Wednesday. Everything has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All the excitement that comes with the political flags and the dozens of party supporters wearing bright party shirts will not happen when the political candidates get nominated. There will be no hugging, shaking hands, and cheering. It will only be the candidate supported by six nominators who will go to the nomination centres.
There will also not be a motorcade. The U.D.P. has decided it will not host motorcades this year and today the Commissioner of Police Chester Williams asked the P.U.P. to cancel any planned motorcades since the parades can cause the number of COVID-19 cases to spike.
In response, the People’s United Party says that its candidates and their teams were organizing for massive motorcades in keeping with the wishes of its people all over the country. The party says that it would have been diligent and disciplined in wearing masks and maintaining social distance. But Commissioner Williams explained that the resources of the Department are stretched thin at this time, and out of respect for the Police authorities and concern for the safety of front-line personnel, public officers, candidates and supporters, the P.U.P. is complying to the Commissioner’s request. The matter of motorcades was discussed during this week’s NOC meeting. And according to Director of Health Services, Doctor Marvin Manzanero, persons need to adhere to the regulations to avoid the continued spread of the virus.
Marvin Manzanero
Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services
“I think as we move along I know discussed earlier at the NOC the issue of Nomination Day coming up on Wednesday. The elements that we keep advocating for need to continue to bear weighs, the physical distancing and the wearing a mask, the calls for us to have levels of ethical care as well within the institutions because at the end of the virus is not going away right now and I feel if w don’t start taking responsible at all levels we will be in for a longer run that we had anticipated. People go and do their nomination. I think it is six persons that need to go along with them and that’s it. People go home. I don’t know if you need to do anything else after that.”
Meanwhile the Commissioner is warning party supporters who are gathering in huge numbers before Nomination Day. Like this one showing dozens of U.D.P. supporters at a Cayo event who were not adhering to the protocols. Williams is calling on all political parties to act responsibly, abide by the laws and to avoid confrontation with law enforcement. Reporting for News Five, I am Hipolito Novelo.
