Jamaica holds general election as island shaken by corruption, inequity and economic concerns

KINGSTON Jamaica AP Jamaica was holding a general polling on Wednesday that various believe could be a defining moment for an island shaken by corruption inequity and economic concerns Prime Minister Andrew Holness of the Jamaica Labor Party is seeking a third term and running against Mark Golding an attorney and longtime leader of the People s National Party The Jamaica Progressive Party and the United Independents Congress are also in the running In addition nine independent candidates are registered to contest the vote in various constituencies A total of seats are up for grabs in Jamaica s House of Representatives The leader of the party that wins a majority becomes the island s next prime minister The new leader will then appoint of senators to Jamaica s upper chamber of Parliament and the opposition will choose eight others A challenge to a third term Under Holness Jamaica has seen a drop in killings so far this year marking the preponderance vital decline in decades The improvement is largely credited to the current administration s increase in firearm seizures and a stronger coordinated protection force presence across the Caribbean island The Jamaica Labor Party is campaigning on this tangible success positioning itself as the ruling body that pulled the island back from the brink of widespread violence While crime statistics have improved the shadow of Jamaica s violent past still lingers The measures taken by the current regime including implementing states of emergency in certain areas have drawn both sponsorship and criticism The private sector and a multitude of Jamaicans have praised the effectiveness of such measures with the number of killings dropping by as much as in specific regions like the tourist parish of St James However human rights organizations have raised concerns about the use and likely abuse of such measures highlighting alleged illegal detentions as they call for balanced approaches to protect safeguard and civil liberties The Jamaica Labor Party also has emphasized fiscal responsibility a low unemployment rate and the importance of continuity as it urged voters not to exposure reversing the progress achieved so far On Sunday Holness pledged that his party would double the current minimum wage of per -hour workweek if reelected We believe in growing the financial system so that everyone gets a bigger slice As the commercial sector expands we must ensure those at the bottom are rewarded fairly while creating incentives for more Jamaicans especially our youth to join the labor force he disclosed at a latest rally But his pledge drew criticism from groups representing various business sectors Tourism accounts for approximately one-third of Jamaica s gross domestic product and is one of the country s largest employers the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association announced Any shifts in wage procedures will therefore have wide-ranging implications for the sector including employment levels competitiveness and the affordability of the Jamaican tourism product Meanwhile the People s National Party or PNP adopted a sharper more critical tone before the poll It has asserted that while progress has been made a large number of Jamaicans still feel the pinch of socioeconomic challenges including poverty inadequate infrastructure and lingering pockets of crime and corruption The party has aimed to channel citizens discontent into a mandate for change promising reforms renewed social investments and a break from what it calls complacency in governance Key among the party s raft of procedures proposals to address the socioeconomic woes of Jamaicans is increasing the income tax threshold to up from the current The opposition party argues that it would end in working-class Jamaicans taking home more money and provide a cushion from rising prices The People s National Party is ready to deliver a better life for our people Golding revealed at a rally on Monday From fair taxes to better roads stronger water systems and respect for our carriage operators the PNP has the plans the vision and the momentum Fading turnout In the weeks leading up to Wednesday s polling the campaign atmosphere was intense and competitive Just over million registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots on the island of million people although turnout remains to be seen Despite Jamaica s vibrant democratic tradition fresh years have seen a decline in poll participation Voter turnout in the general poll was roughly though the vote was held months after the start of the coronavirus pandemic On Aug members of Jamaica s assurance forces and polling day workers cast their ballots for this year s vote The electoral office disclosed a turnout Source