1997 Jamaican general election

none October 2019 Jamaica 1993 2002 18 December 1997 1997 Jamaica general election All 60 seats in the House of Representatives 31 65.22% ( 2.13pp) People's National Party P. J. Patterson 56.20 50 52 Jamaica Labour Party Edward Seaga 38.89 10 8 Prime Minister P. J. Patterson People's National Party P. J. Patterson People's National Party General elections were held in Jamaica on 18 December 1997.Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p430 978-0-19-928357-6 The ruling People's National Party of Prime Minister P. J. Patterson won 50 of the 60 seats defeating the main opposition Jamaica Labour Party. Future Prime Minister Andrew Holness entered parliament at this election. Background Prime Minister P. J. Patterson announced on 27 November that the election would be held on 18 December. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/35017.stm Jamaican prime minister sets election date 18 July 2009 27 November 1997 BBC News Online Patterson saw this as the right time to go the country as his People's National Party was ahead in the opinion polls, inflation had fallen substantially and the national football team had just qualified for the 1998 World Cup. The previous election in 1993 had seen the People's National Party win 52 of the 60 seats, although in a quarter of the seats the winning margin was less than 1,000 votes. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/18/world/in-jamaica-violence-is-the-issue.html In Jamaica, Violence Is the Issue 18 July 2009 18 December 1997 The New York Times Larry Rohter A record 197 candidates contested the election, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/36618.stm Electoral violence in Jamaica 18 July 2009 3 December 1997 BBC News Online https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9jYSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fPEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6654,8901089&dq=jamaica+election+results Jamaican ruling party victorious by landslide 19 July 2009 18 December 1997 The Spokesman-Review June 2023 InternetArchiveBot yes with a new political party, the National Democratic Movement, standing in most of the seats. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/40342.stm One dead in Jamaica election violence 18 July 2009 19 December 1997 BBC News Online The National Democratic Movement had been founded in 1995 by a former Labour Party chairman, Bruce Golding, after a dispute over the leadership of the Jamaica Labour Party. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rLoSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vPwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6614,2789407&dq=national-democratic-movement+bruce+golding Jamaica Re-Elects Patterson 18 July 2009 20 December 1997 The Ledger dead https://archive.today/20130124234051/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rLoSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vPwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6614,2789407&dq=national-democratic-movement+bruce+golding 24 January 2013 dmy-all Campaign The election was seen as being mainly between the governing People's National Party and the main opposition Jamaica Labour Party, led by the former Prime Minister Edward Seaga. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/40618.stm Voting begins in Jamaican general election 18 July 2009 18 December 1997 BBC News Online The economy and violence were the major issues in the election, with the People's National Party maintaining a lead in the polls as the election neared. The election was mainly free of violence Landslide for ruling party The Guardian 14 20 December 1997 as compared to previous elections, although it began with an incident where rival motorcades from the main parties were fired on. The election was the first in Jamaica where a team of international election monitors attended. The monitors were from the Carter Center and included Jimmy Carter, Colin Powell and former heavyweight boxing world champion Evander Holyfield. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/19/world/top-hill-journal-at-polls-in-jamaica-kissing-cousin-from-america.html Top Hill Journal; At Polls in Jamaica, Kissing Cousin From America 19 July 2009 19 December 1997 The New York Times Larry Rohter Just before the election the two main party leaders made a joint appeal for people to avoid marring the election with violence. Election day itself saw one death and 4 injuries relating to the election, but the 1980 election had seen over 800 deaths. Results In winning the election the People's National Party became the first party to win 3 consecutive terms. The opposition Jamaica Labour Party only had 2 more seats in Parliament after the election but their leader Edward Seaga held his seat for a ninth time in a row. David Adams Jamaica returns Patterson The Times 14 20 December 1997 The National Democratic Movement failed to win any seats despite a pre-election prediction that they would manage to win a seat. http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/electionwatch/week12-15/pnpmay.htm PNP may secure third term by midnight, Thursday 19 July 2009 17 December 1997 Jamaica Gleaner dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120606191053/http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/electionwatch/week12-15/pnpmay.htm 6 June 2012 dmy-all File:Jamaican Parliament 1997.svg People's National Party 429805 50 –2 Jamaica Labour Party 297387 10 +2 National Democratic Movement 36707 0 New Independents 885 0 0 0 6284 1182294 Nohlen References External links Constituency results Category:General elections in Jamaica Jamaica General