Government Politics of Jamaica

Last elections: February 2016

Next elections: 2021

Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by governor-general, Sir Patrick Linton Allen (2009–)

Head of government: Prime Minister Andrew Holness

Ruling party: Jamaica Labour Party

After a violent campaign, the general election in October 2002 was largely free of violence. In a closer-fought contest than in 1997, the People’s National Party (PNP) won an unprecedented fourth successive victory with 34 seats and 52% of the votes and P J Patterson was returned as prime minister. The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) took the remaining 26 seats.

Following his return to the JLP in 2002 (he had left the JLP in 1995 to found and lead the National Democratic Movement), in 2005 Bruce Golding succeeded the party’s veteran leader Edward Seaga as party leader; Seaga had been leader in government and opposition for 31 years.

Professor Kenneth Hall succeeded Sir Howard Felix Cooke as governor-general in February 2006 and Portia Simpson Miller succeeded Patterson as prime minister when he retired after 14 consecutive years in office in March 2006.

In the September 2007 general election, the opposition JLP, led by Golding, won a narrow victory with 33 seats and 50.1% of votes, while PNP took 27 seats and 49.8%. There was a 60% turnout.

Dr Patrick Allen succeeded Sir Kenneth Hall as governor-general on his retirement in February 2009.

On 25 September 2011 Bruce Golding announced his retirement as JLP leader and prime minister. In early October 2011 the JLP chose education minister Andrew Holness as its new leader and Holness was sworn in as prime minister on 23 October. At 39 he was the country’s youngest ever prime minister.

The PNP won the early general election of December 2011, securing 42 of the 63 elective seats (increased from 60 since the 2007 election) and 53.0% of the vote; the JLP took the balance of 21 seats and 46.3%. Only some 53% of the registered voters cast their vote. PNP leader Portia Simpson Miller was sworn in as prime minister for a second time.

In the February 2016 general election 32 seats were won by the JLP (50.1% of the votes), giving Andrew Holness a narrow victory over Simpson Miller and the PNP, which won 31 seats (49.7%).