In one minor incident, a police reporter from CVM TV was roughed up and arrested for disturbing a crime scene. Police later apologized for the incident and agreed to meet with journalists to jointly develop guidelines to allow journalists to cover crime scenes without jeopardizing possible evidence. The press was able to report without incident on the December 18 general elections, during which Prime Minister P.J. Patterson of the People's National Party was elected to a third five-year term.
Meanwhile, The Gleaner Company Limited, owner of The Daily Gleaner, continued to appeal the $2.5-million libel verdict, which stemmed from an Associated Press story that ran in 1987. The story contained allegations that former Tourism Minister Eric Anthony Abrahams had accepted bribes.