ComPol Chester Williams Warns Campaigners, Shares Election Day Plans

Commissioner of Police Chester Williams today issued a warning to political parties and campaigners, reminding them of the COVID-19 regulations. Williams says that as political aspirants and their campaigners are moving across communities, some are not wearing their masks and others don’t wear it properly. Williams is calling on all political parties and aspirants to keep in mind the requirements of the Quarantine Regulation, to practice social distancing and the wearing of mouth and nose coverings when in public. Williams also said that the police department is preparing for Nomination and Election Day.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“This thing with the campaign issue, I saw a group yesterday indeed and they were campaigning, they were in very close proximity of one another, they were not wearing their mask properly and I stopped beside them and I said come on, you need to social distance and you need to ensure that you wear your mask and they apologized and they put on their mask and being to walk with spaces in between but I am sure that when they got up the road again, they continue to do what they want, these are the things that people need to understand. The police and the Ministry of Health do not have the power to stop the spread.   We are making our preparations for the upcoming nomination day and the impending elections in November. It cannot be business as usual. We know that when nomination we always have this large groups each political party showing their political might going to the nomination center well this year they will not be able to do that. The police and the Elections and Boundaries Commission would be working together to see how we can put in place the protocol that we would like to see the political parties follow on nomination day as well as on election day. I know for a fact there are several things that used to occur that will not be allowed to take place this year. Like for example you have those persons who would normally gather outside the hundred yards line under the tents and guiding voters. While they will be able to have the tent they will not be able to have that large crowd there gathering, guiding people, the campaigning in the lines will not be allowed. There are several things that we will ensure do not occur because at the end of the day we do not want the elections to be a super spreader and importantly everyone who comes to the polling stations to vote must wear a mask and we’ll put things in place to ensure that social distance is maintained.”