A Rocky Recovery
Photograph of Jamaican Prime-Minister Andrew Holness speaking to reporters after voting in Kingston. Photo courtesy of Reuters.
On 03 September, the ruling conservative Jamaican Labour Party (JLP) claimed a landslide victory in the country’s general election.
The JLP won a total 49 out of 63 seats in the House of Representatives, with the centre-left People’s National Party (PNP) garnering the last 14, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation.
The party’s mandate has been called into question by many critics due to the meagre turnout, around 37 per cent.
During his victory speech, JLP leader and Prime-Minister Andrew Holness stated, ‘There is cause for celebration, but there is also significant cause for consideration’.
‘There are many Jamaicans who did not participate, there are many Jamaicans, who for fear of the virus, did not come to the polls, but for other reasons, apathy, frustrations, decided not to participate.’
PNP leader Peter Philips announced he would resign his position after results showed a 17-seat loss at the polls, including many constituencies that were considered to be party strongholds.
In the 2016 elections, the JLP gained power with a narrow one-seat majority on a platform of economic and government reforms.
During the campaign, Mr Holness touted his government’s reforms in decreasing Jamaica’s unemployment and poverty, while increasing development in areas such as affordable housing.
However, many economic observers note that the previous PNP-led government’s implementation of IMF anti-austerity measures has played a large role in the country’s development, as reported by Reuters.
The COVID-19 pandemic has immensely influenced Jamaica’s economic and political landscape.
The Central Bank of Jamaica predicted in September that the economy would contract between seven per cent to ten per cent this year. Almost all agencies have indicated that, at the very least, Jamaica will see one of the weakest economic performances in the nation’s history.
The JLP manifesto laid out a 10-point plan for economic recovery, including a $98 million loan and investment package, as well as other social and unemployment reforms.
Election officials were forced to organise polls during a spike in COVID-19 cases, leading many Jamaicans to stay home, despite safety measures such as sanitation stations, social distancing, and voting time slots, according to Al Jazeera.
Mr Holness called the vote in August, most likely to capitalise on voter’s happiness with economic growth and the stabilisation of COVID-19 infection numbers. However, as virus cases began to spike in the weeks leading up to the election, voters became increasingly nervous about turning up to the polls.
Mr Holness has also been criticised for the country’s high crime rate, allegations of corrupt government officials, and ignoring expert advice on health and safety restrictions.
While Mr Holness’s Labour Party has won a sweeping majority in September’s election, the poll’s low turnout, economic downturn, and unstable COVID-19 numbers may make it difficult for him to govern effectively.
Sources:
‘Jamaica election: Andrew Holness' JLP re-elected amid rise in Covid-19 cases’. BBC News, British Broadcasting Corporation, 04 Sept 2020,
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-53997063
Chappell, Kate. ‘Jamaica's ruling party claims re-election victory in landslide win’. Reuters, Thomas Reuters Corporation, 03 Sept 2020,
‘Jamaica’s governing party re-elected in landslide’. Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera Media Network, 04 Sept 2020,
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/04/jamaicas-governing-party-re-elected-in-landslide/