Black Immigrant Daily News
Jamaicans in the diaspora are being encouraged to register to vote in the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council (GJDC) and the Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council (GJDYC) elections.
Persons can also select candidates to serve on the Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council (GJDYC).
Voter registration and nomination period ends on January 2, 2023. Members of the diaspora can register to vote using the election website, www.glojamcouncils.com.
State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator, Leslie Campbell, has said that members of the Jamaican diaspora who are over 18 years will be eligible to vote, whether they are Jamaican by birth, descent or naturalisation.
“I am encouraging persons to continue to register to vote by using the website. It is imperative that the diaspora has a voice,” he said.
The Senator said that one of the purposes of the Council is to enhance the process of engagement of the diaspora and provide advice to the Minister with Portfolio responsibility on issues related to diaspora engagement.
Senator Campbell said that although voting is voluntary, it is important for members of the diaspora to participate in the process and support their community at home and abroad.
“Jamaica is one of the better places now for investment and you can benefit when you get Jamaican credentials,” he added.
The Senator said that the ongoing elections will be managed by electoral committees within each electoral region.
These electoral committees, he noted, were set up in the west Midwest, Northeast and the Southern regions in the United States and in Canada and the United Kingdom.
He said that the Ministry assists with the promotion and information sharing on the election process as well as provides general guidance and facilitates technical assistance that the process may require for proper execution.
“Whilst we do not specifically oversee the process, we try to ensure that all the relevant mechanisms are in place, including the electoral committees, and that the rules are being followed to protect the legitimacy and integrity of the process,” he added.
Senator Campbell, who has responsibility for Diaspora Affairs, said that the results of the elections will be announced in February 2023 and posted on the election website.
The Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council is a youth-led (ages 18 to 35) organisation dedicated to building engagements between diaspora youth and Jamaica.
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