JLP accuses PNP of 'political mischief-making' for questioning election results in St Andrew West Central

An announcement by the People’s National Party (PNP) that it is contemplating filing a case with the Constituted Authority about the conduct of last week’s election in the constituency of St Andrew West Central has been dismissed by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) as “political mischief-making”.

Under Jamaican law, the Constituted Authority, which is appointed prior to an election, has the power to, among other things, request that the Election Court void an election and hold a fresh one if there is malpractice.

Kamina Johnson Smith, chairman of the JLP’s manifesto and achievements committee, asserted that the authority received no report of any irregularity in St Andrew West Central on election day.

“The party finds the position taken by the PNP in respect of St Andrew West Central to be baseless, frivolous, to be yet another indicator of a sense of desperation and unwillingness to face the result,” she said.

“The several constituted bodies which are empowered to take decisions in respect of irregularities, none of them received any reports.”

Johnson Smith, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, was speaking during a press conference at the JLP’s St Andrew headquarters on Thursday, hours after the announcement by the PNP.

The JLP won the September 3 General Elections, securing 35 of the 63 seats in the Lower House of the Jamaican Parliament. The PNP won the remaining 28.

JLP Leader Dr Andrew Holness won the constituency of St Andrew West Central, tallying 7,054 votes to 4,953 for his PNP challenger Paul Buchanan.

The margin of victory for Holness has stirred wide public discussion because the JLP leader was trailing Buchanan by close to 100 votes with 87 of the 105 ballot boxes already counted.

PNP President Mark Golding told journalists on Thursday that the “nature of the irregularities which took place” in St Andrew West Central is being carefully scrutinised in anticipation of a case being brought before the Constituted Authority for the “appropriate relief”.

He, however, declined to comment further, saying “the matter is with our lawyers”.

But Johnson Smith rubbished the claims by the PNP president, asserting that based on consultations with the JLP representatives on the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ), no election worker or official reported any irregularity in St Andrew West Central to the designated authorities.

“We are also advised that the Electoral Office of Jamaica’s election centre, where representatives of both major political parties sit, along with several wide-ranging independent representatives, received absolutely no complaint about any irregularity,” she said.

Further, Johnson Smith said Holness’ margin of victory is similar to what has been reflected in the constituency “consistently since 2002”.

- Livern Barrett

Follow The Gleaner on X and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.