The St. Catherine Municipal Corporation has voted along party lines to reject the Counties and Parishes (Amendment) Act, 2025, which aims to grant parish status to Portmore. The bill, already passed by both houses of Parliament, has sparked intense political debate.
During a general council meeting on Wednesday, municipal corporation chairman Norman Scott called for a vote on the matter. All 20 People’s National Party (PNP) councillors in attendance opposed the bill, while 17 Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillors voted in favor. The decision signals the corporation’s strong opposition to the government’s push to establish Portmore as Jamaica’s 15th parish.
PNP councillors have long argued that the issue should be decided through a referendum, allowing Portmore residents to determine their municipality’s future. They claim the move is politically motivated, as once the bill becomes law, the JLP will assume leadership of the municipal corporation, holding a 17-12 majority over the PNP.
The Senate approved the bill on February 28, following its passage in the House of Representatives on February 11. With all 10 JLP senators voting in favor and the four opposition senators rejecting it, the bill now awaits the Governor-General’s assent to become law.
Meanwhile, the PNP announced plans to challenge the bill in court, calling it an “illegal and deceptive act.” The party’s legal advisor, Anthony Hylton, strongly condemned the move, stating, “This whole scheme is to scam the people of Portmore and St. Catherine. The courts very soon will tell them that it is an illegal act.”
The Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) has also voiced concerns over the proposed boundaries for the new parish, suggesting they may conflict with the Constitution. In a letter dated February 12, ECJ Chairman Earl Jarrett warned that the proposed boundaries could breach the Second Schedule of the Jamaica (Constitution) Order in Council 1962, which states that “the boundary of a constituency shall not cross the boundary of a parish.”
