Written by Were Kelly
Jamaica’s ruling Labour Party (JLP) has declared victory in the general elections, securing a third consecutive term for Prime Minister Andrew Holness who campaigned on a platform of significant tax cuts and economic prosperity.
Preliminary figures from the Electoral Commission of Jamaica showed the JLP winning 34 seats to the rival People’s National Party’s (PNP) 29, with a voter turnout of 39.5%.
In a televised speech late on Wednesday, a triumphant but sober Prime Minister Holness acknowledged the hard-fought nature of the win. “This was not an easy victory. Make no mistake about it, this was a fight,” he said, after PNP leader Mark Golding conceded defeat.
Holness successfully campaigned on his government’s economic record, touting a period of prosperity for the Caribbean nation marked by a record-low unemployment rate of 3.3%, alongside reductions in poverty and crime.
A central pillar of his campaign was a promise to slash the income tax rate from 25% to 15%. He also pledged to double the national minimum wage from J$16,000 (approximately $100.50) to J$32,000 per week, to be implemented on a phased basis over the next few years.
The opposition PNP had campaigned on its own package of tax reforms while accusing the ruling party of financial mismanagement, including controversies over the cost of purchasing second-hand school buses. The party also raised questions over the prime minister’s statutory declarations of income, assets, and liabilities—allegations that Holness has firmly denied.
The victory grants Holness and the JLP a continued mandate to steer the country’s economic policy, with a clear focus on putting more money into the pockets of Jamaican workers through its promised tax and wage reforms.
SOURCE: REUTERS
