KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has strongly rejected accusations from the People’s National Party (PNP) that the September 3 general election was tainted by irregularities, calling the opposition’s stance a refusal to accept defeat.
At a Thursday press briefing held at the JLP’s Belmont Road headquarters, senior party figures — including Dr Christopher Tufton, Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith, and communications team member Abka Fitz-Henley — dismissed allegations of voter suppression and vote-buying as unfounded.
Dr Tufton underscored that the JLP’s campaign leaned on policy, performance, and leadership, not illicit tactics.
“A political party cannot simply invent claims to justify losing. If the PNP believes otherwise, let them bring evidence — or stop misleading Jamaicans,” he said.
Johnson Smith went further, describing the PNP’s continued complaints as “political mischief.” She noted that the opposition accepted the results on election night yet has since attempted to sow doubt, particularly regarding Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s St Andrew West Central constituency.
“Their statements are baseless and frivolous,” she argued, adding that no formal recounts were sought — an option available under electoral law.
The JLP also criticized PNP President Mark Golding for visiting multiple constituencies outside of his own on election day, a move the governing party claims breaches the Representation of the People’s Act.
Final vote tallies confirmed the JLP securing 35 seats compared to the PNP’s 28 — a result the JLP says reflects the will of the electorate.
