(Barbados Today) – The ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has won the Thursday’s general election by a resounding margin according to preliminary results with the main opposition People’ National Party (PNP) extending congratulations to Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
“Let us congratulate them and wish them well,” said PNP,Vice-President, Phillip Paulwell, adding that “it is a shocking defeat”.
The preliminary results show that the JLP winning as many as 50 f the 63 seats in the Parliament and Opposition Leader Dr. Peter Phillips, who has already indicated that be stepping down had thew party lost the election, is reported to have already telephoned Prime Minister Holness offering his congratulations.
Paulwell, who served as the campaign manager, blamed the perceived disunity within the PNP for the defeat, telling reporters the party did not have sufficient time to show the country that “we were united.
‘It is a shocking defeat, we have been therefore, all of us will have to accept full responsibility”.
Pollster Don Anderson, speaking on a television programme here, decribed the defeat as “ a major shift” adding “the writing was on the wall.
“The results are startling,” he said, adding “ there is total dissatisfaction with the PNP right across the board”.