Jamaica’s Leadership to Be Decided in September 3 Election
Jamaica will hold its general election on September 3, giving voters the chance to decide the country’s leadership for the next five years.
The date was announced by Prime Minister Andrew Holness during a mass rally in Half-Way Tree, where he also set Nomination Day for August 18.
Four by-elections in Chancery Hall, Olympic Gardens, Seivwright Gardens, and Denham Town will occur on the same date.
The Electoral Office of Jamaica reports that 2,077,799 people can vote in the upcoming election, and a party needs a minimum of 32 seats in the 63-seat House of Representatives to take power.
Surveys suggest a competitive race between the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), which controls 49 of 63 parliamentary seats, and the opposition People’s National Party (PNP), holding 14 seats.
The JLP’s re-election bid focuses on economic growth, infrastructure expansion, and crime reduction.
Achievements highlighted include a more than 40 per cent decline in murders year-on-year, record low unemployment of 3.3 per cent, and reduced poverty levels.
The party also points to public debt cuts and improved economic stability, alongside planned investments in housing, water supply, roads, healthcare, education, and a rural school bus service.
The PNP is running under its “Time Come” banner, promoting economic inclusion, healthcare and education reforms, and expanded housing access.
Its housing pledges include 50,000 affordable units and a $500,000 deposit grant for young homebuyers.
Other pledges include providing more school meals, extra academic help in low-income communities, and full university scholarships for the first person in each family to enrol.
Party leader Mark Golding has presented the PNP as a unified force following years of internal division, positioning himself as an advocate for the vulnerable.
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