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JLP WINS
Ruling party takes nine parish councils in poll marked by low vote
ALICIA DUNKLEY, Observer staff reporter
dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Election day workers at a polling division in the Kingston East and Port Royal constituency had enough time to get some rest, as low voter turnout marked yesterday's local government elections. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
The ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) took control of nine of the island's 13 parish councils in yesterday's local government elections that were marked by low voter turnout and a general lack of excitement and enthusiasm among an electorate that appeared exhausted from September's hard fought parliamentary elections.
Last night, Director of Elections Danville Walker said the JLP had also wrested the Portmore Municipal Council from the People's National Party (PNP) and the ruling party's candidate, Keith Hinds, had unseated the PNP's George Lee in the only mayoral election in the polls.
One parish council - St Ann - was shared by both political parties, leaving the PNP with command of only three councils - Westmoreland, Manchester and Hanover.
Last night, prime minister and JLP leader Bruce Golding described his party's victory as solid.
JLP leader Bruce Golding (2nd right) flanked by General Secretary Karl Samuda (right), Kingston Mayor Desmond McKenzie (3rd right), Lorna Golding (3rd left) and Olivia 'Babsy' Grange (2nd left) and other JLP supporters celebrate the party's victory in yesterday's elections at JLP headquarters last night. On the table is a birthday cake presented to Golding by the party. (Photo: Joseph Welington)
"We are very pleased that the people have responded in the way that they have, and have given us the solid victory that we attained today," Golding told a conference room full of happy labourites at the party's headquarters on Belmont Road in Kingston.
Golding, however, expressed displeasure with the low turnout of voters. He said that despite fewer people voting than in September's general election, "the people were decisive in their determination as to the party which they would wish to take them forward in terms of local government service".
He said that over the next few days, the JLP would seek to make decisions on its mayors and to work out a mechanism with the PNP, similar to what was done in the Clarendon Parish Council in 2003 to deal with the tied situation in St Ann.
At PNP headquarters, party general-secretary Donald Buchanan told reporters that even though the JLP won a majority of the parish councils, his party reaped some positives.
".The People's National Party has gained vis-à-vis where we were, going into this election," said Buchanan, adding, "The JLP had a narrow margin of victory, not by the skin of the teeth like the general elections, but nevertheless a narrow margin."
In the September 3 general elections, the JLP won 32 seats to the PNP's 28.
At a 5:00 pm press briefing yesterday at the Electoral Office of Jamaica's (EOJ) Election Centre on Dominica Drive in New Kingston, Walker said while voting appeared to have been slow in most places it was a pretty good day.
Walker said over 99 per cent of the 6,376 polling stations opened on time inclusive of EVIBIS (Electronic Voter Identification Ballot Issuing System) Stations.
"There were few incidents and it seemed to have been violence free," Walker said.
Voter turnout, he estimated, was approximately 40 per cent, but this was not to be attributed to lethargy or disinterest on the part of voters, but rather to the tightening up of the electoral system.
"We have to be careful that when we are looking at the turnout we don't mistake the reduction in the amount of votes because of a tightening up in the system with lethargy or poor interest on the part of the electorate," Walker said.
"What you have to look at is the work that was done, picture, voters list, reverification exercise, fingerprint cross-matching; all these things being done from 1997 till now you are going to see a new baseline being created as to what the turnout really is," he said.
"You just had a hotly contested election, the closest election, and you barely hit 60 per cent voter turnout. Compare that to the 1980 election in terms of the level of competition and see what the turnout was," he argued.
A total 473 candidates representing four parties and independents contested the elections yesterday.
- additional reporting by Taneisha Lewis and Balford Henry
Ruling party takes nine parish councils in poll marked by low vote
ALICIA DUNKLEY, Observer staff reporter
dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Election day workers at a polling division in the Kingston East and Port Royal constituency had enough time to get some rest, as low voter turnout marked yesterday's local government elections. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
The ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) took control of nine of the island's 13 parish councils in yesterday's local government elections that were marked by low voter turnout and a general lack of excitement and enthusiasm among an electorate that appeared exhausted from September's hard fought parliamentary elections.
Last night, Director of Elections Danville Walker said the JLP had also wrested the Portmore Municipal Council from the People's National Party (PNP) and the ruling party's candidate, Keith Hinds, had unseated the PNP's George Lee in the only mayoral election in the polls.
One parish council - St Ann - was shared by both political parties, leaving the PNP with command of only three councils - Westmoreland, Manchester and Hanover.
Last night, prime minister and JLP leader Bruce Golding described his party's victory as solid.
JLP leader Bruce Golding (2nd right) flanked by General Secretary Karl Samuda (right), Kingston Mayor Desmond McKenzie (3rd right), Lorna Golding (3rd left) and Olivia 'Babsy' Grange (2nd left) and other JLP supporters celebrate the party's victory in yesterday's elections at JLP headquarters last night. On the table is a birthday cake presented to Golding by the party. (Photo: Joseph Welington)
"We are very pleased that the people have responded in the way that they have, and have given us the solid victory that we attained today," Golding told a conference room full of happy labourites at the party's headquarters on Belmont Road in Kingston.
Golding, however, expressed displeasure with the low turnout of voters. He said that despite fewer people voting than in September's general election, "the people were decisive in their determination as to the party which they would wish to take them forward in terms of local government service".
He said that over the next few days, the JLP would seek to make decisions on its mayors and to work out a mechanism with the PNP, similar to what was done in the Clarendon Parish Council in 2003 to deal with the tied situation in St Ann.
At PNP headquarters, party general-secretary Donald Buchanan told reporters that even though the JLP won a majority of the parish councils, his party reaped some positives.
".The People's National Party has gained vis-à-vis where we were, going into this election," said Buchanan, adding, "The JLP had a narrow margin of victory, not by the skin of the teeth like the general elections, but nevertheless a narrow margin."
In the September 3 general elections, the JLP won 32 seats to the PNP's 28.
At a 5:00 pm press briefing yesterday at the Electoral Office of Jamaica's (EOJ) Election Centre on Dominica Drive in New Kingston, Walker said while voting appeared to have been slow in most places it was a pretty good day.
Walker said over 99 per cent of the 6,376 polling stations opened on time inclusive of EVIBIS (Electronic Voter Identification Ballot Issuing System) Stations.
"There were few incidents and it seemed to have been violence free," Walker said.
Voter turnout, he estimated, was approximately 40 per cent, but this was not to be attributed to lethargy or disinterest on the part of voters, but rather to the tightening up of the electoral system.
"We have to be careful that when we are looking at the turnout we don't mistake the reduction in the amount of votes because of a tightening up in the system with lethargy or poor interest on the part of the electorate," Walker said.
"What you have to look at is the work that was done, picture, voters list, reverification exercise, fingerprint cross-matching; all these things being done from 1997 till now you are going to see a new baseline being created as to what the turnout really is," he said.
"You just had a hotly contested election, the closest election, and you barely hit 60 per cent voter turnout. Compare that to the 1980 election in terms of the level of competition and see what the turnout was," he argued.
A total 473 candidates representing four parties and independents contested the elections yesterday.
- additional reporting by Taneisha Lewis and Balford Henry
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