The Bill to integrate the Office of the Political Ombudsman (OPO) into the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) was met with stark objection from the opposition and some government members, when the matter was brought before the lower house today. 

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck brought the bill, with the intention to have the amendments passed today, but at the end of the heated debate, he requested to have the vote on the matter suspended until a later date.

Mr. Chuck explained that among the benefits of having the ECJ take on the job of the Ombudsman, is that the 9-member commission is more likely to get compliance from political actors, upon adjudication of complaints.  

The first to raise an objection was Opposition Leader Mark Golding, who chastised the government for rushing to pass a flawed bill.

And Opposition MP Fitz Jackson suggested that integrating the Ombudsman into the ECJ is akin to giving the commission an infection. 

In response, Mr. Chuck pointed out that the ECJ has a reputation of operating with integrity and fairness, and claimed that persons objecting to the integration were undermining the ability of the commission.