2016 Jamaican general election

none Jamaica parliamentary 2011 Jamaican general election 2011 25 February 2016 2020 Jamaican general election 2020 All 63 seats in the House of Representatives 32 48.4% ( 4.8 pp) Andrew Holness, 2020 (cropped).jpg 115 113 150 0 0 Andrew Holness Jamaica Labour Party 46.6%, 21 seats 32 11 437,178 50.1% 3.5pp Portia Miller Shoot.Jpeg 120 113 150 0 0 Portia Simpson-Miller People's National Party 53.4%, 42 seats 31 11 433,629 49.7% 3.7pp Jamaica_general_election_2016_-_Results_by_Constituency.svg Results by constituency Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller People's National Party Prime Minister after election Andrew Holness Jamaica Labour Party General elections were held in Jamaica on 25 February 2016. The elections were largely a contest between the governing People's National Party (PNP) and the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). The result was a narrow victory for the JLP, which won 32 of the 63 seats. One political commentator described the poll as "the closest election Jamaica has ever had". http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Be-calm_53128 PM, JLP, political ombudsman remind J’cans that recount is normal process - News Jamaica Observer 29 February 2016 6 October 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161006210302/http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Be-calm_53128 dead The JLP's share of the vote was the lowest for a winning party since 1962, when the JLP won 50.1% of the vote, and its resulting majority in the House of Representatives was the narrowest since the 1949 elections. A similarly close election occurred in 2007, in which two seats changed hands on recounts.Jamaica Labour Party Wins General Election – Jamaica Information Service https://jis.gov.jm/jamaica-labour-party-wins-general-election/ 2022-06-23 Jamaica Information ServiceJamaica General Election Results 2007 http://www.caribbeanelections.com/jm/elections/jm_results_2007.asp 2022-06-23 www.caribbeanelections.com 2020-12-05 https://web.archive.org/web/20201205164530/http://www.caribbeanelections.com/jm/elections/jm_results_2007.asp dead Background Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller announced the date of the general election on 31 January 2016. The nomination date of 9 February 2016 was also announced.Luton Daraine http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20160131/video-election-day-february-25 Breaking News: Election Day Is February 25 The Gleaner 31 January 2016 31 January 2016 The election can be considered as having been called early, as it was constitutionally due between 29 December 2016 (the date in 2011 of the previous general election) and 16 April 2017 (within five years and three months of the date in 2012 of the first sitting of the new Parliament, on 17 January). There is no fixed election date in effect in Jamaica at this time; hence, the choice of election date is the prerogative of the Prime Minister.Anderson-Brown Winnie Issue: Time for fixed election date http://old.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070707/cleisure/cleisure4.html The Gleaner 28 February 2016 7 July 2007 Electoral system The 63 members of the House of Representatives are elected in single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting.Jamaica (House of Representatives) Electoral System http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/2159_B.htm Inter-Parliamentary Union 28 February 2016 The Representation of the People Act permits the candidacy of voters above the age of 21. Any Commonwealth citizen residing in Jamaica can vote in the election if they are older than 18 years.The Representation of The People Act http://www.moj.gov.jm/sites/default/files/laws/Representation%20of%20The%20People%20Act_1.pdf Ministry of Justice 28 February 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160308203346/http://www.moj.gov.jm/sites/default/files/laws/Representation%20of%20The%20People%20Act_1.pdf 8 March 2016 dead dmy-all To be included on the ballot, a nomination must include the signatures of at least ten eligible voters from the same constituency. The nomination form must then be submitted during a four-hour period on nomination day.Nomination Day: How Does It Work? http://digjamaica.com/blog/2016/02/09/nomination-day-how-does-it-work/ diGJamaica 29 February 2016 26 June 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180626005052/http://digjamaica.com/blog/2016/02/09/nomination-day-how-does-it-work/ dead Campaign A total of 152 candidates registered to contest the elections, with both the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People's National Party (PNP) nominating a candidate in every constituency.Nomination day highlights http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Nomination-day-highlights_51373 19 February 2016 Jamaica Observer 11 February 2016 14 February 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160214225358/http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Nomination-day-highlights_51373 dead Minor parties put forward a small number of candidates, with seven from the National Democratic Movement, six from the Marcus Garvey People's Progressive Party and two from the People's Progressive Party.Independents Unite To Unseat PNP, JLP Serju Christopher http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20160215/independents-unite-unseat-pnp-jlp 19 February 2016 The Gleaner 16 February 2016 Results 13th Parliament of Jamaica Preliminary results saw the opposition JLP gaining a total of twelve seats, taking a slender three-seat majority over the governing PNP in the House of Representatives. No other parties were elected. Among those elected were Robert Montague, Chairman of the JLP, and Juliet Holness.Spaulding Gary Ja goes green - JLP prosperity message trumps ruling party http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20160226/ja-goes-green-jlp-prosperity-message-trumps-ruling-party 29 February 2016 The Gleaner 26 February 2016 The voter turnout of 47.7% was the lowest since 1983, the year when the PNP boycotted the election.Youth tell why they abstained http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Youth-tell-why-they-abstained_53076 29 February 2016 Jamaica Observer 28 February 2016 2 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160302093032/http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Youth-tell-why-they-abstained_53076 dead JLP leader Andrew Holness became Prime Minister-designate, regaining the position he lost to Simpson-Miller after the previous election in 2011.Kebede Rebekah Jamaica's opposition wins general election as voters tire of austerity https://www.reuters.com/article/us-jamaica-election-idUSKCN0VZ09C Reuters 29 February 2016 26 February 2016 Subsequently, however, a recount in the St. Mary South Eastern constituency led to a 127-vote margin in favour of the JLP being overturned and the result being called for the PNP by 9 votes, narrowing the margin in the House to 32–31. The recount in St. Mary South East had also called into question results in St. Ann South West, St. James South, St. Catherine North Eastern, and St. Andrew Eastern, which were decided by similarly narrow margins. http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20160229/official-ballots-count-not-completed-32-seats-declared-jlp-31-pnp Official ballots count not completed, but 32 seats declared to JLP, 31 PNP The Gleaner 29 February 2016 After recounts, the JLP was declared to have 32 seats to the PNP's 31, a bare majority of one. The JLP planned to contest the St. Mary South East recount that saw its margin narrow. The final count, as authorised by the Electoral Commission, was announced on 2 March.Final Counting of Ballots for General Election 2016 http://jis.gov.jm/final-counting-of-ballots-for-general-election-2016/ Electoral Commission of Jamaica 3 March 2016 A similarly close election occurred in 2007, in which two seats changed hands on recounts. File:Jamaïque Chambre des représentants 2016.svg Jamaica Labour Party 436972 32 +11 People's National Party 433735 31 –11 Marcus Garvey People's Political Party 260 0 0 #000000 National Democratic Movement 223 0 0 People's Progressive Party 91 0 New #eeeeee Independents 1233 0 0 0 9875 1824412 Electoral Commission of Jamaica, The GleanerJamaica Elections 2016 https://jamaica-elections.com/general/2016/results/resultsummary.php 2025-06-12 The Gleaner Aftermath The new parliament was convened on 10 March 2016,Prime Minister’s Address at Opening of the New Session of Parliament Office of the Prime Minister meaning that constitutionally the next general elections will be due between 25 February 2021 (five years after the date of this election) and 10 June 2021 (within five years and three months of the date of the first sitting of the new Parliament), unless elections are called earlier by the Prime Minister. A by-election in St. Mary South-East was held on 30 October 2017 following the death of PNP incumbent Winston Green. The seat was won by Norman Dunn of the JLP,By-Election 2017: JLP's Dunn wins St Mary SE seat Jamaica Observer, 30 October 2017 giving them a three-seat majority in parliament. References 2 Jamaica Politics Category:General elections in Jamaica Jamaica Category:2016 in Jamaica Category:February 2016 in North America