Electoral Panorama / Panorama Electoral

Jamaica's ruling People's National Party (PNP) appears to have lost power to the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in yesterday's parliamentary election - the closest vote in the country's history.

Preliminary election results have the JLP prevailing by the narrowest of margins, with 31 seats in the House of Representatives to the PNP's 29. The popular vote was almost evenly divided, with the JLP narrowly ahead of the PNP by 405,215 votes (50.1%) to 402,275 (49.8%), according to Jamaica Elections 2007.

Definitive results are expected in two to three days. If these confirm the preliminary figures, JLP leader Bruce Golding will become the next prime minister of Jamaica, bringing eighteen years of PNP rule to a close. In the meantime, incumbent Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller refuses to concede defeat, citing election irregularities.

One factor that may have played a decisive role in the government's apparent defeat was its perceived slow response to Hurricane Dean, which battered the Caribbean island nation two weeks ago, forcing the postponement of the general election by a week.

Update

The Electoral Office of Jamaica reports the JLP picked up two additional seats in
Monday's vote, for a majority of 33-27 over the PNP, which has conceded defeat in the election.