Jamaicans remain closely divided over political parties
Published:Saturday | March 1, 2025 | 12:08 AM
The Jamaican electorate is still not giving any clear indication which of the two main political parties – the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) or the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) – is likely to win the next general election, due by September this year.
The latest RJRGLEANER Communications Group-commissioned public-opinion poll by Don Anderson’s Market Research Services Limited revealed that if elections were called today, the PNP would win by a five per cent lead over the JLP.
However, voters gave the JLP a two per cent edge over the PNP on who would do a better job of managing the country over the next five years.
Conducted between January 30 and February 12, among 1,201 registered voters aged 18 and over from across all parishes, the survey sought to gauge the current political climate in the country by asking Jamaicans a number of questions. The margin of error is plus or minus three per cent at the 95 per cent confidence level.
When asked, ‘Which party would you vote for if elections were called today?’, 35.4 per cent of those polled said the PNP, while 30.7 per cent said the JLP, leaving a gap of 4.7 per cent. Thirty-three point nine (33.9) per cent of respondents were uncommitted.
When the poll was conducted in September last year, the PNP held a 39.3 per cent lead over the JLP’s 30.2 per cent – a gap of 9.1 per cent – when voters were asked the same question. The uncommitted at the time stood at 30.5 per cent.
In spite of this, Jamaicans who were polled in the latest survey thought that the JLP would do a better job of managing the country over the next five years.
When asked, ‘Which party do you feel would do a better job running the country over the next five years?’, 34 per cent responded in favour of the JLP, while 32 per cent picked the PNP. Twenty-one (21) per cent of respondents were not sure, while 13 per cent said none of them.