Jamaica’s ruling party was on Thursday re-elected in a landslide win marked by low turnout, prompting Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness to vow to work on restoring voters’ trust in politics and continue fighting the country’s COVID-19 outbreak.
The center-right Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), which won praise for its stewardship of the economy, won 49 of 63 seats, an addition of 16 seats, an early count released at about 9pm by the Jamaican Electoral Office showed.
“There is cause for celebration, but there is also significant cause for consideration,” Holness said in a subdued televised speech late on Thursday. “There are many Jamaicans who did not participate. There are many Jamaicans, who for fear of the virus, did not come to the polls, but for other reasons, apathy, frustrations, decided not to participate.”
Photo: Reuters
The opposition People’s National Party (PNP) leader, Peter Phillips, appeared to have retained his seat, but earlier declared that he would step down and retire from politics if his party lost.
Even former PNP Jamaican prime minister Michael Manley’s stronghold seat fell to the JLP, surprising observers.
The JLP captured the polls in 2016 with a one-seat margin, winning just 32 seats out of 63, then gaining one more seat in November 2017.
“The PNP are barely holding on in traditionally safe territory. This election represents a massive realignment of Jamaica’s political landscape, albeit with lower than expected voter turnout,” political analyst Ricardo Brooks said.
In the run-up to the election, Holness credited his administration’s tax cuts and other reforms with bringing down unemployment to an all-time low and sharply reducing poverty.
He also highlighted the construction of affordable housing and new roads.
Analysts have said that the previous PNP-led government’s implementation of IMF-mandated austerity measures, which reduced debt and inflation, also paved the path toward growth.
However, the pandemic has sent Jamaica, like the rest of the heavily tourism-reliant Caribbean, reeling.
The Bank of Jamaica last week forecast that the economy would contract 7 to 10 percent this year.
Analysts have said that the prime minister likely called the election six months before it was constitutionally mandated to get ahead of a recession due to COVID-19.
With the slogan “Build Back Stronger,” the JLP outlined a 10-point plan, including a US$98 million package of loans and grants for agriculture and small businesses, and unemployment insurance.
Holness called the elections on Aug. 11, when authorities appeared to have successfully contained the coronavirus outbreak in the nation of about 3 million people.
Polling stations on Thursday were worked by police officers, volunteers and electoral workers, who took temperatures and directed people to sanitization stations.
For the most part, voters wore masks or face shields and appeared to adhere to social distancing, although lines were tightly packed at some polling stations.
Voters who are confirmed COVID-positive were allocated a time slot between 4pm and 5pm to cast their ballot.
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