KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaicans have voted and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) now controls central government as well as local government.

Based on preliminary results from the Electoral Office of Jamaica late Monday, the JLP was declared winners in the majority of the divisions in eight of the 13 parish councils.

And, party leader and Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness was in a jubilant mood when he took the stage at Belmont Road, the headquarters of the JLP, which was already pulsating from the party-like atmosphere as members and supporters celebrated victory in today’s polls.

“We are coming from zero to win control of eight, with two still undecided,” Holness said.

Holness, in listing the names of winning councils, got the loudest applause when he called the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation.

He thanked the candidates and the workers and charged that there is no room for complacency.

“JLP is on a mission to make changes necessary to move Jamaica from poverty to prosperity,” Holness said before reminding councillors that councils must transfer economic growth to people.

He said that councillors must ensure they work on behalf on the people and warned that absenteeism will be frowned upon.

When the date was announced for local government election, the PNP vowed that it would retain all 13 parish councils as well as the Portmore Municipal Council, which it had won at the local government poll on March 26, 2012.

In that election, the PNP won 151 divisions and the mayorships of all the councils. The JLP won 75 divisions, while two independent candidates won divisions.

The Electoral Office of Jamaica still has to provide an official tally but based on preliminary results and after 225 of 228 divisions were decided, the JLP was declared victorious in 129 of them to the PNP’s 96.