KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) –Director of Elections Orrette Fisher has commended the staff of the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) and other people recruited to work during the February 25 General Election.

Nearly 500 EOJ employees, and approximately 26,000 people, who were recruited and trained, worked in the parliamentary polls.

Fisher has also praised the process used to administer the elections, noting that the system “performed creditably.”

He was speaking at a media briefing at the Electoral Commission of Jamaica’s (ECJ) offices on Red Hills Road in Kingston on Monday (February 29), where he provided an update on the election results.

In noting that the election day workers “did extremely well”, Fisher told journalists that he was “satisfied with the way that they performed”.

“I want to publicly thank them for the job and…effort that they made and for the election that they delivered to the country…which I think was credible,” he stated.

“They worked continuously…day and night, whenever required, in order for us to be prepared for this election. So, in terms of the workers and the election, I think given the timeframe within which we had to operate, we exceeded ourselves,” he added.

Fisher said while he was yet to receive all the reports of the various local and international independent observers, “they all gave very high marks (for) the way the system performed”.

As at 8:30 am on Monday, the EOJ had completed the final count of votes in 62 of the 63 constituencies, with the result showing the two main political parties, the People’s National Party (PNP) and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) each winning 31 seats.

Fisher advised that the final count in the 63rd constituency of Western St Thomas, is currently underway at the EOJ’s offices on Duke Street in Kingston, consequent on a decision to “relocate that count to a location outside of the parish (of St Thomas).”

He indicated that 156 boxes are being examined and counted.

“With the final constituency expected to be completed later today (Monday), the Electoral Office is hoping to be able to advise the governor-general of the results by Wednesday, March 2, 2016,” Fisher stated.