Electoral Process in Jamaica – World Countries for Kids

Jamaica has democratic political system. Competitive elections are held and orderly rotations of power happens there. But, corruption is a serious problem, and enduring relationships between officials and organized crime entities are believed to persist. Violent crime remains a worry, as does harassment of and violence against LGBT+ people.

Electoral Process

The ceremonial head of state is the British monarch and is represented by a governor general. The prime minister is appointed after elections by the governor general. Post of the Prime Minister (PM) goes to the leader of the majority party. Understandably, PM is the head of government. The PM’s legitimacy rests largely on the conduct of legislative elections, which are free and fair in general. Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader Andrew Michael Holness became PM in 2016 and is still the PM.

Jamaica’s bicameral Parliament comprises of a House of Representatives and aSenate. All 63 members of House of Representatives are elected for five-year terms while all 21 members of Senate are appointed to serve five-year terms. In the free and fair polls held in September 2020, the governing JLP got 57 percent of the vote and 49 seats. Turnout, at dismal 37.9 percent, was the second-lowest recorded figure, with the polls being badly affected by voter indifference and COVID-19.

Local elections were due in November 2020 but got postponed repeatedly, largely due to COVID-19. The government legislated in February 2023, days before the delayed contests, to postpone them for a third time. The legislation postponed the elections to early 2024, with the government citing the nation’s post-COVID-19 recovery and deliberations over the formation of a new parish to explain its decision. The opposition expressed disagreement, questioning the government’s clarification and warning that some local posts were lying vacant.

Local government election was held on February 26, 2024. The Electoral Commission of Jamaica issued a statement confirming that the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) won the election after securing control of seven local authorities. The ECJ stated that the People’s National Party (PNP) won control of six local authorities, including the Portmore Municipal Corporation. “With all the ballots counted, the result is that the JLP won the election for control of the local authorities with seven of the local authorities and the PNP won six of the local authorities inclusive of the Portmore Municipality,”read the ECJ’s statement.

The ECJ stated that a meeting was needed to select a new Mayor for the Kingston & St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) as the the final count showed that the two parties ended in a tie, with each having twenty councillors.

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