BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - JAMAICA joins the growing list of territories in the region that will see its citizens and residents vote amidst the Coronavirus that has resulted in a number of deaths in the Caribbean.
That country has joined St. Kitts and Nevis, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, among others, which held elections amid the deadly virus.
Incumbent Prime Minister Andrew Holness has expressed confidence that his party would return to form the government during the campaign trail, where he outlined plans for the country out of the party’s manifesto.
Job creation, expanded daycare services for working mothers; creation of a social pension for the elderly not covered by social security; and Universal Health Insurance coverage were some of the framework platforms that the Holness-led Jamaica Labour Party (JLP has been campaigning on for re-election.
Polls, including opinion polls, have all pointed to the incumbent retaining leadership of the country.
Holness told local media that he was expecting the margin of victory to be larger than the five-seat win his party took at the previous election.
However, the Opposition People’s National Party led by Dr. Peter Phillip is adamant that the JLP would not be in government after today’s (Sept. 3) election.
Phillip brushed aside what the polls showed, indicating to the Jamaica Observer: “Regardless of what the polls say, we are looking at what we see on the ground, and we know what our comrades are saying and therefore we are focused on victory.”
Polling stations opened around the island at 7:00 A.M., or 8:00 A.M. St. Kitts-Nevis time, and long lines were visible at polling stations.
Reports out of Jamaica pointed to citizens and residents having fainted at polling stations due to the slow movement of some of the stations.
The Elections Supervisor told the media in Jamaica that the delay is due to the amount of time it is taking to process the electors.
