No vuvuzelas to be allowed at JLP annual conference

Vuvuzelas will not be permitted inside the National Arena in St Andrew during Sunday's 81st Annual Conference of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

The update was provided by the party on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday as it hosted its pre-conference press briefing at JLP headquarters on Belmont Road in St Andrew.

The party said its Chairman Robert Montague, as well as Deputy Leader and Conference Chairman Desmond McKenzie, outlined that bells will be provided for JLP supporters at the National Arena on Sunday.

Bells are the traditional symbols of the political organisation.

"Supporters are urged to come out early and receive their bells, as vuvuzelas will not be facilitated inside the arena," the JLP wrote on X.

It added that, "Conference Chairman McKenzie outlined that in keeping with best practices and published reports, the vuvuzelas have serious implications on hearing and can cause lasting (hearing) damage.

"Despite rising to popularity due to football, organisations, including UEFA and FIFA, have banned the use of vuvuzelas for similar concerns," the JLP stated.

The vuvuzela is a plastic horn that became popular in South Africa in the 1990s, and its popularity in use worldwide came after the staging of the 2010 World Cup in that African country.

In Jamaica, the instrument has been a feature of public meetings for both major political parties and at other events, such as football matches.

However, vuvuzelas were not permitted at this year's staging of the Independence Grand Gala at the National Stadium on Tuesday, August 6. No reason for that decision was given at the time.