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| Jamaica has a democratically elected government and has a long tradition of choosing its government (national and parochial) by constitutionally free elections - every three years for parochial and five years for national. The system of government is based on the Westminster Parliamentary model, as is the constitution of the country. The judiciary exists as an independent arm of the government and there are constitutional provisions to protect the rights of citizens. There are two major political parties, The People’s National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). The People’s National Party forms the Government as of January 2012. |
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| Profile of the Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller, O.N., M.P. |
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The Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller was sworn in as Prime Minister of Jamaica on January 5, 2012. Previously, she had been Prime Minister from March 2006 to September 2007, after having served for 17 years as a Cabinet Minister with portfolio responsibility for Labour and Social Security; Tourism; Local Government, Community Development and Sport. She was conferred with the Order of the Nation in May 2006.
Mrs. Simpson Miller has a distinguished record of service at the regional and international levels: she is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders (an international network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize on women’s issues); vice president of the Organization of American States’ High‐level Inter‐American Network on Decentralization, Local Government and Citizen Participation; Chairperson of the Caribbean Forum of Ministers responsible for decentralization, local government, community development and citizen participation, and board member of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum. She has also been a member of the Board of Trustees of CIFAL (an international training centre for governmental authorities) in Atlanta, Georgia.
In March 2007, Mrs. Simpson Miller was awarded the International Olympic Committee’s World Women and Sport Trophy for her outstanding dedication to women in Jamaican Sports – both athletes and administrators.
The leading architect of Jamaica’s Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism Development, Mrs. Simpson Miller has been tireless in promoting and strengthening urban renewal and community development, leading to fundamental reforms in local government.
As Minister of Labour and Welfare, she presided over a significant expansion of Jamaica’s Overseas Work Programme and under her watch; the National Insurance Scheme was transformed into a major component of the government’s social protection system. She was also instrumental in establishing a Labour Chair in the University of the West Indies, Department of Government.
In 2009, she received the Distinguished Award for her dedication and commitment to urban renewal and community development from the Mayor, City of Miami and also the Bureau of Women’s Affairs Award for outstanding contribution to the advancement of women’s affairs in Jamaica. Mrs. Simpson Miller was also invited to sit on the board of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and is presently a member of that board.
The Honourable Prime Minister holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Administration, and an Honorary Doctorate from the Union Institute and University of Cincinnati, Ohio, and has participated in the Leaders in Development Executive Programme at the JFK School of Government, Harvard University. |
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| The People's National Party (PNP)
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| Jamaica Labour Party (JLP)
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The People's National Party (PNP) was founded in 1938, by Norman Washington Manley.
The Party, from its inception, maintained a continuous agitation for constitutional reform. The PNP consistently supported internal self-government for Jamaica and dominion status within the Commonwealth.
After the elections of 1944, the PNP was the official Opposition in the House of Representatives until the election of 1955, when it became the majority party. The party won 18 of the 32 seats in the House, and this number was increased after they won the by-election in February 1956.
In the general elections of July 28, 1959, the Party won 29 of the 45 available seats in the House of Representatives. The leader of the Party, Norman Washington Manley, was formally appointed Premier on August 14, 1959.
The People's National Party (PNP) was defeated in the 1962 General Elections held to determine Jamaica's first Government on the achievement of Independence. The Party walked away with only 19 of the 45 seats in the House of Representatives. The PNP after seven years as the Government of the Country again formed the official Opposition in the House.
In the general elections held in 1972, under the leadership of Norman Manley's son Michael Manley, the PNP promising social and economic reform defeated the JLP winning 37 seats to the JLP's 16 seats. The PNP again returned to power in 1976.
In 1980 the then Prime Minister Michael Manley called an early election. The election held in that October resulted in the defeat of the ruling Party - the PNP.
The People's National Party was led to a convincing victory in the 1989 general elections by Michael Manley taking 45 of the 60 seats in the House of Representatives. The party then won three successive elections (1992; 1997; 2002).
The People's National Party led by the then Prime Minister the Most Honourable P.J. Patterson won the general elections in 2002 with a 34 seat majority. He retired from politics in March 2006 and was succeeded as Party President and Prime Minister by Portia Simpson Miller, Jamaica’s first female Prime Minister.
The PNP led by the Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller forms the opposition having won 27 seats to the JLP's 33 in general elections held on the 3rd of September, 2007.
The PNP led by the Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller now forms the government having won 41seats to the JLP’s 22 in general elections held on the 29th December 2011.
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The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) was founded by Alexander Bustamante in July 1943.
In the general elections to the House of Representatives under the new Constitution in December 1944 it won a sweeping majority and gained control of 24 seats in the House.
As a result of the 1949 general elections the party won 19 of the 32 seats. However, in the 1955 elections, the party lost the majority obtaining only 14 of the 32 seats in the House.
The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) successfully campaigned for Jamaica's withdrawal from the Federation of the West Indies, which was decided in a referendum held in September 1961. At the general elections held in 1962 to determine Jamaica's government into Independence, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) emerged victorious, obtaining 26 of the 45 seats in the House.
In 1967, Alexander Bustamante retired shortly before the JLP once again won the general elections. He was succeeded by Donald Sangster whose sudden death brought the appointment of Hugh Shearer, a prominent trade unionist, as Prime Minister.
The Jamaica Labour Party was defeated in the 1972 general elections winning only 16 seats in the House of Representatives and again in the 1976 elections.
In October 1980, the then Prime Minister, Michael Manley, called an early election which resulted in an overwhelming victory in favour of the JLP led by Edward Seaga.
The JLP continued as the governing party until 1989 when again the Peoples National Party (PNP) was elected to govern the country.
The Jamaica Labour Party won 26 out of 60 seats in the general elections of 2002, failing for the fourth successive time to win in the general elections. Edward Seaga stepped down as leader of the party in February 2005 and was succeeded by Bruce Golding.
The JLP led by the Honourable Orette Bruce Golding now forms the Government having won 33 seats to the PNP's 27 in general elections held on the 3rd of September, 2007.
The JLP led by the Honourable Andrew Holness now forms the opposition having won 22 seats to the PNP's 41 in general elections held on the 29th December, 2011. |
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| >>Cabinet Ministers |
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Jamaica has a long agricultural tradition and a reputation for producing some of the finest agricultural products in the world, largely due to the unique combination of climate and soil type – Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee is regarded by connoisseurs as the best in the world. There are over 503,000 hectares of land available for agricultural use and opportunities exist for productive investment in growing andandproducing exotic fruits and vegetables, production of sauces and other agro products as well as ornamental horticulture and aquaculture. and producing exotic fruits and vegetables, production of sauces and other agro products as well as ornamental horticulture and aquaculture.
