KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Labour Party was a short while ago declared the winner of the 2016 general election, after claiming 33 of the 63 constituency seats.

The Labourites will now form Jamaica’s new Government, after the People’s National Party only managed to win 30 constituency seats.

The December 2011 election, which resulted in the JLP being voted out of office after just one term, saw a 53 per cent turnout of electors, in which the PNP shocked the nation by capturing 42 of the 63 parliamentary seats. The remainder went to the JLP.

Today’s general election was the 17th since Universal Adult Suffrage in which Jamaicans won the right to vote in 1944 at a time when the country was still under colonial rule.

The Jamaica Labour Party has now won eight elections to the People’s National Party’s nine.

Election winsJamaica Labour Party1944: 22-5-5 (PNP won five seats and independent candidates five)1949: 17-13- 2 (PNP won 13 seats and independent candidates two)1962: 26-191967: 33-201980: 51-91983: (PNP did not contest so it was 60-0)2007: 31-29People’s National Party1955: 18-141959: 29-161972: 37-161976: 47-131989: 45-151993: 52-81997: 50-102002: 34-262011: 42-21