The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and Andrew Holness have, for the first time, secured a third consecutive victory at the Jamaican polls following Wednesday’s General Election.
In 2020, the JPL achieved a massive victory, winning 49 of the 63 constituency seats (or electoral divisions) for the House of Representatives. However, amid voter dissatisfaction and various controversies, including accusations of corruption, the party was projected to be in a nail-biting race against the Mark Golding-led People’s National Party in Jamaica’s 19th general elections.
As predicted, the JLP claimed victory with a narrow lead, winning 34 seats, while the PNP was able to flip 15 seats to end the election with 29 seats based on the preliminary count of the ballots by the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ). One of the most surprising of those flips was that of Portland Eastern, with PNP newcomer Isat Buchanan unseating Ann-Marie Vaz.
Buchanan polled 8,316 votes, while Vaz followed close behind with 8,181 votes. Holness acknowledged his party’s narrow victory during his speech on Wednesday night, calling it “the toughest, difficult battle in any democratic society in the region.”
However, the prime minister highlighted that it was a sign that democracy is alive and well in Jamaica. Following his historic win, Prime Minister Holness is already preparing for a fourth term, but acknowledged that more work must be done so that all Jamaicans benefit from the achievements of the JLP’s first and second terms in office.
“In the third term – as in the first and the second – we must guard against arrogance. We must develop an even keener ear to listen to the people. We must be focused on addressing the needs of the people,” Holness said, adding, “So we will not be lying back comfortable in victory, no. We will be rebuilding, refreshing, renewing, and preparing to be a credible alternative to the opposition for a fourth term of a Jamaica Labour Party government.”
