Staff Writer - Kerran Monroe
This election was campaigned heavily around the issue of youth. Many persons thought that too many of our politicians were past or close to the retirement age. We saw the Jamaica Labour Party responding with a fresh new and young leader in order to gain favour with the youth population.
Mr. Golding was not too popular in any sector of society it seemed, with various allegations of him being a liar and the Commission of Enquiry into the hiring of United States law firm, Mannatt, Phelps and Phillips also put a serious damper on his character and credibility. As a result, coming up to the election, the Jamaica Labour Party was trailing the People’s National Party in all the polls. Due to this factor many thought the resignation of Mr. Golding and the appointment of Mr. Holness was simply a knee jerk reaction to Mr. Golding’s favourability ratings being decreased and by extension that of the party.
Then along came, Mr. Holness, the JLP’s knight in shining armor, he was supposed to save the day. However, despite his youthfulness, the youth were not feeling him. Many thought, the party was simply riding on the backs of youths to get to the end of the finish line first. This was all to be decided on December 29, 2011.
Well Jamaica voted, and with a low voter turn out and a lot of the seats being won by small margins, the People’s National Party came out the victors in this election. They won by a convincing margin of 41 seats to the Jamaica Labour Party’s 23. A few Jamaica Labour Party members were not afraid to show their emotions, Sharon Hay-Webster was one of those expressing the disappointment of her loss with tears.
The surprises in this election were many, Dr. Tufton having to fight to the
Dr Chris Tufton in a light moment
end to hold on to his seat, Mr. Holness winning by a not so large majority over the PNP’s Patrick Roberts and Robert Montague losing his seat, along with Ernie Smith and other heavy weights of the party.
Leading up to the election and on election night when the winner was announced, we saw a number of histories being made. Andrew Holness being the youngest Prime Minister, was the first, then on election night at the end of the ballot counts he lost the election being the shortest serving Prime Minister, Jamaica has ever had, then we saw his government being the first one term government in the history of the country, and Portia Simpson-Miller being the first female Prime Minister with he own mandate.
For the next couple of days while Jamaicans are debating over the factors aiding in the results of the election, I remind all of us that it is no longer team PNP or team JLP anymore, it is team Jamaica again until the next five years. So it is now time to take off your party colours and put them back in the closet and hoist the black, green and gold. One Love.
