North & Central America and Caribbean

Jamaica
Last reviewed: 05 August 2009

Country information

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POLITICS

On 3 September 2007 the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) won the General Election and its leader, Mr Bruce Golding, was sworn in as the country’s eighth Prime Minister on 11 September. He announced his new cabinet on 12 September. The JLP last held office from 1980 to 1989.

The main opposition party is the People's National Party (PNP) The PNP held office from February 1989 to September 2007, under Prime Minister P J Patterson for an unprecedented four terms between 1992 and 2006. Subsequently, Mrs Portia Simpson Miller served as Prime Minister from March 2006 until September 2007.