MOST JAMAICANS are of the view that neither of the two main political parties benefited from the violent incidents in West Kingston during the period July 7-10 which left 27 persons dead.
However, in terms of the political mileage gained from the bloody stand-off between the security forces and alleged West Kingston gunmen, most respondents are of the view that the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) gained more from the raid by the security forces and the attendant violence which ensued.
The findings are contained in the latest Gleaner/Don Anderson poll conducted during the period August 14-28 with a nationally representative sample of 1,000 persons in the island's 14 parishes. The sample error is plus or minus 3.2 per cent.
In answer to the question "Do you feel any of the political parties benefited from the recent Tivoli Gardens problems?" 63.3 per cent said yes while 36.7 per cent said no. However, when the question as to which party benefited more was asked, 60.8 per cent said the JLP and 32.5 per cent said the governing People's National Party (PNP).
According to Anderson and his team from Market Research Services Ltd., those who felt there was some benefit to be gained by the parties were primarily young people and males. Only in the case of upper income respondents did any group feel that the PNP gained more from the West Kingston violence, the poll found. All others were consistent with the view that the JLP was the big winner.
JLP leader Edward Seaga has constantly said the events of July 7-10 in his West Kingston constituency were orchestrated by the governing party to not only embarrass him, but to tie him down in the constituency because he was ahead in public opinion polls. He claims it is a repeat of the 1997 incident involving members of the security forces and gunmen from Tivoli Gardens which left four civilians dead. The JLP went on to lose general elections that year.
The PNP has repeatedly dismissed Mr. Seaga's claims, instead pointing to the flare up of violence in the city's west end which has claimed more than 50 lives since April, as gang-related activity.
A Commission of Enquiry is now under way to determine under what circumstances the security forces entered West Kingston on the morning of July 7, and to examine the cause of the violence in the surrounding communities.
