Jamaica Labour Party Wins Local Government Elections

The governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has won the Local Government Elections, which were held on Monday (November 28).

Preliminary results indicate that the JLP won nine of the Municipal Corporations, while the People’s National Party (PNP) won three.

There was a tie in St. Thomas, with both parties taking five divisions.

The Corporations won by the JLP include Kingston and St. Andrew (KSAC), Portland, St. Mary, St. Ann, Trelawny, St. James, St. Elizabeth, Clarendon, and St. Catherine.

Those won by the PNP include the parishes of Hanover, Westmoreland and Manchester.

As it relates to the tie in St. Thomas, Director of Elections, Orrette Fisher, said the party with the popular vote (the JLP) will select the Mayor, while the PNP Councillors will select the Deputy Mayor.

In the Portmore Municipality, voters were given the opportunity to select the Mayor directly. Mr. Leon Thomas of the PNP won with 12,939 votes, while the JLP’s Keith Blake got 11,182 votes.

Addressing supporters at the JLP’s Belmont Road headquarters in Kingston, Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, said their commitment to the party has resulted in victory.

“Your love and loyalty have brought us this far. The victory will not be taken for granted,” Mr. Holness said.

“You have accepted the message that together we will build a prosperous Jamaica. The victory can be seen as a referendum of our performance over the last nine months, and we have performed,” he added.

Mr. Holness further noted that the victory is also an indication that the Government is on the right path to transform and grow the country.

The Prime Minister said that with this win, the Councillors must understand that the growth is to be transferred to the community through better roads, jobs, the cleaning of drains, and the maintenance of the parks and markets.