By the Caribbean Journal staff
Defying a series of pre-election polls, Jamaica’s opposition People’s National Party has won the Jamaican election, according to preliminary tallies from the Electoral Commission of Jamaica.
The results means the return to the Premiership for Portia Simpson Miller.
An intense campaign that began with a rally in Mandeville on Dec. 4 pitted Miller, who was unseated as Prime Minister in 2007 by the Jamaica Labour Party and Bruce Golding, against Andrew Holness, a 39-year-old who had been Prime Minister since October following the resignation of Golding.
The PNP won 41 seats against the JLP’s 22, compared to a far closer election in 2007 that saw the JLP win 32 against 28 by the PNP.
Holness congratulated Simpson Miller, who pledged to form a series of partnerships with the country to move forward.