Key Points

https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1964011115286798503?t=ozjTDPOGGoGtWWaKAFvPgQ&s=08

In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "Heartiest congratulations to Dr. Andrew Holness on leading the Jamaica Party to victory for the third consecutive time. Looking forward to deepening India-Jamaica bonds of friendship and further strengthening cooperation between our two countries."

https://x.com/AndrewHolnessJM/status/1963989523940982836

Andrew Holness also shared a post on X, thanking the people for choosing him.

"Thank you, Jamaica. Thank you for choosing hope, thank you for choosing the Jamaica Labour Party, and most of all, thank you for choosing Jamaica! This historic third term is about the trust you've placed in us to keep working for you. We will work harder to serve better and to build a Jamaica where every single one of us can be proud to call home," he wrote on X.

According to the preliminary results from Jamaica's fractious parliamentary election, Andrew Holness has secured a third term in office, with his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) winning at least 34 seats in the 63-seat parliament.

The governing party's main challenger, the People's National Party, secured 29 of the 63 seats in parliament.

That saw the opposition party's leader, Mark Golding, concede defeat in an election which was dominated by concerns over inequity and the economy, and marred by allegations of corruption and low voter turnout, according to Al Jazeera.

"Make no mistake about it, this was not an easy victory," Holness told supporters after declaring victory, according to the Jamaica Observer.

Conceding in a brief speech, Golding said he was disappointed in the outcome but acknowledged his opponent's success.

Despite a vibrant democratic tradition, recent years have seen a decline in poll participation in Jamaica.

The turnout for Wednesday's polls was just 38.8 per cent, which was only slightly higher than the turnout for the 2020 elections, which took place during the pandemic, as per Al Jazeera.

More than two million registered voters were eligible to cast their ballots on the island of 2.8 million people.

As prime minister, Holness will appoint 13 senators to Jamaica's upper chamber, while the opposition will choose the remaining eight.

According to Al Jazeera, under Holness, Jamaica has seen a 43 per cent drop in killings so far this year, marking the most significant decline in decades, with his administration stepping up firearm seizures and security presence across the Caribbean island.

- ANI