PNP to sue Jamaican government over Portmore parish push
Key Points(3)
- It's a scamming exercise.
- It will fail,” Hylton declared to an energized audience.
- The bill had previously passed in the House of Representatives on February 11 and now awaits the Governor-General’s assent to become law.
Jamaica's opposition, the People’s National Party (PNP), has announced its intention to sue the Jamaican government over the move to designate Portmore as the country’s 15th parish.
The party's legal advisor, Anthony Hylton, made the announcement during a town hall meeting in Portmore on Sunday evening, condemning the initiative as an illegal and deceptive act.
“This whole scheme is to scam the people of Portmore and St. Catherine. That's the purpose. It's a scamming exercise. It will fail,” Hylton declared to an energized audience. “The courts very soon will tell them that it is an illegal act.”
The controversy follows the Senate’s approval of the Counties and Parishes (Amendment) Act 2025 on February 28. The bill had previously passed in the House of Representatives on February 11 and now awaits the Governor-General’s assent to become law. The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leveraged its majority in the Upper House to secure the bill’s passage, with all 10 government senators voting in favor and the four opposition senators voting against it.
Constitutional concerns raised by ECJ
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.”
The letter highlighted that the proposed parish of Portmore would affect four constituencies, 13 electoral divisions, and 398 polling divisions in St. Catherine. It also pointed out ambiguities and inconsistencies in the boundary descriptions, particularly the sections involving Salt Island Creek and Galleon Harbour.
“The boundary received from the NLA extends to Galleon Harbour, following Salt Island Creek to a point, and then moves arbitrarily, not following any specific boundary,” Jarrett noted. He emphasized that at certain points, the proposed boundary appeared to diverge from established constituency limits, raising further concerns about the bill's legality.
The PNP has accused the ruling JLP of engaging in “political gerrymandering” to gain electoral advantages in future elections. They argue that the process was rushed and lacked transparency, with no effort made by Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie to address the ECJ's concerns before the bill was tabled and passed.
The JLP, however, has defended the move, asserting that it reflects the wishes of Portmore residents who have long called for parish status. The party has dismissed the PNP's claims as baseless political posturing.
As the PNP prepares to challenge the bill in court, the controversy is expected to escalate, potentially delaying the formal establishment of Portmore as Jamaica’s newest parish.
