JLP stayed in after better campaign

The Jamaica Labour Party remained in power by a landslide victory because they ran a far better campaign, was the overwhelming view of people in a poll.

The general election was held on Sept. 3 and the JLP, led by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, won by 49-14 seats ahead of the main opposition party, the People's National Party (PNP).

The poll was conducted by Bill Johnson a week after the election. It found that 20 percent of PNP supporters thought that their party's campaign was not good enough in the country's 18th general election since 1944.

“Jamaicans believe the JLP won the recent election the old-fashioned way — by running a campaign that convinced voters they were doing a good job and were the better party to lead Jamaica for the next five years,” said Johnson whose research team, on a commission from the Jamaica Observer, questioned 1,000 voters island-wide on issues relating to the election.

This was the second consecutive election in which the PNP — once regarded as the most efficient campaigner — has shown poor organisation.

After the February 2016 general election, former Prime Minister Bruce Golding said that the campaign the PNP ran for that vote was the worst he had ever seen from the party.