The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) is yet to deliver the final results of Monday’s local government elections, in which the two major political parties claimed victory.
On Monday night, in the aftermath of the highly-anticipated elections, leaders of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party (PNP) both announced to their supporters that their party had won.
“The Jamaica Labour Party has won,” JLP Leader Andrew Holness said at a press conference, noting that preliminary results from the Electoral Office of Jamaica show his party leading in seven municipal corporations.
In parallel, preliminary results indicate the People’s National Party is ahead in four municipal corporations, with two others deadlocked.
However, PNP President Mark Golding also declared on Monday night that the “PNP has come back”, claiming victory in the local polls. Speaking with journalists at the PNP’s headquarters on Old Hope Road, St Andrew, Golding explained that his party was on track to win the popular vote and has increased the number of divisions it controls.
On Monday night, the EOJ said that an official count would be taken on Tuesday, with the prospect of several closely contested divisions reaching the parish courts for a final verdict.
On Wednesday, the EOJ confirmed that it had completed the county for 87 of the 228 divisions, which showed JLP winning 43 to PNP’s 44.
Preliminary voter turnout for Monday’s local government elections was 29.6 percent, according to EOJ. Voter turnout in the 2016 local government elections was 30.6%. Over two million Jamaicans were eligible to cast their vote.
Preliminary results
The preliminary results showed the JLP won in St. Thomas, Portland, St. Mary, St. Ann, Trelawny, St. James, and St. Elizabeth. The PNP won in Hanover, Westmoreland, Manchester, and St. Catherine, based on preliminary results.
There is a tie in Kingston and St. Andrew, with both parties taking 20 divisions, and in Clarendon with 11 divisions each.
PNP’s Leon Thomas won the mayoral race in Portmore, defeating the JLP’s Markland Edwards by over 4,000 votes. Independent candidate Howard Hamilton received close to 300 votes.
Meanwhile, political turncoat Romaine Morris won the Mocho division in the Clarendon Municipal Corporation for the PNP, beating the JLP’s Clement Alves. Morris joined the PNP in January.
Darrington Ferguson held the Papine division for the PNP, defeating political turncoat Venesha Phillips of the JLP for a place in the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC). Ferguson won 2,113 votes while Phillips got 1,854. Independent candidate George Planto received 61 votes.
First timer to representational politics Jesse James Clarke of the PNP was elected councilor for the Trafalgar division in the KSAMC. He won 1,691 votes, beating Kari Douglas’ 1,021. She switched to the JLP in 2020.
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