Incumbent prime minister says country on right trajectory, as opposition leader concedes defeat
Jamaicans have voted to give Andrew Holness and the Jamaica Labour party (JLP) a third consecutive term in government after a nail-biting race with the opposition People’s National party (PNP).
Holness beat PNP’s Mark Golding after polls in the final days of the intense campaign projected a narrow lead for the PNP. Of the 63 seats being contested, preliminary results showed the JLP winning 34 seats and the PNP 29.
In his victory speech, Holness promised to continue delivering for the country. He said: “In our second term we created a momentum. We are on the right path, heading in the right direction with the right trajectory. That should not be broken and the Jamaican people share that view and therefore we will continue to use the momentum to accelerate the development of our country.”
The JLP rode to victory after a strong performance during their previous two terms. Under Holness’s leadership, Jamaica has improved its economy and significantly reduced crime. The World Bank has praised “significant strides” in reducing public debt, from more than 140% of GDP in 2013 to 73.4% in the financial year 2023-2024, and the economy is expected to grow by 1.7% this year.
