JLP, PNP claim victory in Local Government Election; recount to be done today

PNP President Mark Golding, JLP Leader Andrew Holness, Director of Elections Glasspole Brown

Representatives of the Electoral Office of Jamaica and the political directorate are due to converge at counting centres across the island on Tuesday for the final and official count of Monday’s votes in the local government election, even as the Jamaica Labour Party and People’s National Party claim the upper hand coming out of the election.

The Electoral Commission reported on Monday night that, based on the preliminary counting of ballots, the voter turnout for the local government election was 29.6 per cent, compared with 30 per cent in 2016.

The preliminary results so far also indicate that the JLP will have control over seven municipalities while the PNP will hold the reigns of four. There is currently a tie for the Kingston & St Andrew and Clarendon Municipal Corporations. 

If the two parties remain tied in respect of the number of seats won in these municipalities, the popular vote will be used to determine who controls the municipal corporation.

The PNP’s Leon Thomas emerged victor in the mayoral race in Portmore, beating the JLP’s Markland Edwards.

Despite the inconclusive nature of the outcome, PNP President Mark Golding made the most of the points in his party’s favour.

“My heart is full, because the PNP has come back as a strong, powerful force in this land again… We will continue to build our momentum; we will continue doing what we have been doiing, because we will not let the people down,” he declared to shouts of approval from jubilant supporters at PNP headquarters on Old Hope Road in St. Andrew.

Golding also made it clear that his party’s showing in the local government election is being interpreted by his party as a momentum builder towards the upcoming parliamentary election: “The People want to see a PNP government and the people want to see I man, Mark Jefferson Golding in Jamaica House (as Prime Minister)!”

JLP Leader, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, though not sounding as jubilant as Mr Golding, was resolute in his position that his party had come out better than the PNP in the election, saying “clearly, the people of Jamaica maintains (sic) confidence in the government of the Jamaica Labour Party.”

Pressing that point, he declared: “Clearly, if this were a general (parliamentary) election, the Jamaica Labour Party would still be the government of Jamaica!”

He conceded however that “We have work to do,” and in a clear indication of his thinking coming out of this election, he signaled that he was in no hurry to call an early parliamentary election.

“We have to be careful about election fatigue; I get the sense that people are more interested in getting their roads fixed and their water supplies connected, and for the months remaining to the constitional due date, I can assure you that the government will be working very hard to have those two top items dealt with.”

Director of Elections Glasspole Brown said, once the official count is completed on Tuesday, a declaration of the winner in each division will be made. 

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