Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared that his social gathering, the Jamaica Labour Social gathering (JLP) is prepared for the nation’s subsequent native authorities elections, that are due subsequent month.
Holness held a gathering with the social gathering’s senior officers on Sunday, the place he acquired studies on the social gathering’s readiness for an election.
Experiences have been submitted by Chairman Robert Montague, Normal Secretary Dr Horace Chang, Deputy Chairman Dr. Aundre Franklyn, Chairman of Space Council One Desmond McKenzie, and Social gathering Treasurer Aubyn Hill.
In an announcement, Holness mentioned that based mostly on the studies he acquired, he was “assured within the prospects of the Jamaica Labour Social gathering for the upcoming elections, as the inner polling numbers confirmed the Jamaica Labour Social gathering sustaining a powerful lead in a majority of parish council seats.”
The native Authorities elections, that are constitutionally due each 4 years, have been final held in November 2016. They have been resulting from be held in November 2020 however have been postponed because the world was nonetheless grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic — though normal elections have been held in September of that yr.
They have been postponed once more in January 2022 for a similar purpose — COVID-19.
In 2022, for a 3rd time, the native authorities elections have been postponed till no later than February 28, 2024.
Portmore parish standing not an ‘election gimmick’
Holness additionally used the assembly to stipulate some “vital views” on points on the nationwide agenda.
He made it clear that making Portmore a parish was by no means supposed as an election
gimmick or a technique to win Portmore. He famous that the nation is evolving economically,
culturally, and socially. This evolution requires the federal government to make strategic adjustments
to reinforce the event of areas like Portmore, which requires adjustments in definition
and administration to additional its improvement.
Holness mentioned his authorities would by no means search to make use of the folks of Portmore for slender political targets.
Learn extra: Portmore to become a parish by next local gov’t elections, says Jamaican MP
Roads as a ‘political flashpoint’
Within the space of roads, Holness famous that roads have grow to be a political flashpoint the place some individuals really feel that with a purpose to get their roads repaired, they need to protest.
He suggested that roads proceed to be a vital precedence for the federal government. Holness revealed that on the subsequent sitting of Parliament, the federal government would define a consultative course of for communities to contribute to the decision-making on which roads must be repaired of their communities however emphasised that precedence must be given to these roads thought-about to be ache factors in communities.
