The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) held on by a single vote as the magisterial recount for the Rae Town Division ended yesterday, giving the ruling party control of the most-prized local government authority, the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) council.

The win by second time councillor for the division, Rosalie Hamilton, came as no surprise to the JLP; however, as its most experienced pollsters, including Mayor of Kingston-designate Senator Delroy Williams had predicted Monday night, despite the People’s National Party (PNP) candidate Shawn McGregor picking up a number of the 68 rejected ballots from the November 29 final count, Hamilton would hold on by at least a single vote.

Hamilton scored 1,884 votes to McGregor’s 1,883 in a dramatic recount which ended close to 11:00 am at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court, Sutton Street,with all 72 boxes counted. The result maintained the 21-19 majority for the JLP following the final count a day after the November 28 local government election.

Hamilton represented the Rae Town Division from 2003 to 2012, when she was defeated by the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Ann Marie Morrison. The division is one of two in Kingston Central, which is represented in the Parliament by the PNP’s Ronald Thwaites.

“The people of Rae Town know that when it comes to representation I always deliver, and they have put their confidence, faith and trust in me, and I will deliver,” Hamilton said.

PNP General Secretary Julian Robinson, responding to the result, said that the party was disappointed, but convinced that it did the right thing in seeking a recount.

“The fact that the margin was reduced from 21 to one vote justifies the reason for going ahead with the magisterial recount,” Robinson said.

Senator Williams, who was selected by the JLP caucus last weekend as its choice for mayor, confirmed last night that the swearing-in of the 40 councillors elected to the new council would take place tomorrow at midday at the KSAC’s Church Street office.

The new mayor represents the Seivwright Gardens Division in Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s St Andrew West Central constituency. His deputy will be Winston Ennis, who represents the Waterloo Division in Justice Minister Delroy Chuck’s St Andrew North Eastern constituency. Both have been councillors since 2003.

The last time the JLP controlled the KSAC was in 2007, the same year the party returned to Government after being shut out by the PNP for 18 1/2 years. The mayor at that time was Desmond McKenzie, the veteran councillor from Kingston Western, who is now the minister of local government and community development.

In 2007, the JLP won the KSAC by 23 divisions to 17, but lost by 26-14 divisions in March 2012 after the PNP was returned to office. That was eventually adjusted to 25-15 in 2013, after the JLP’s Beverly Prince won the Cassia Park Division from the PNP in a by-election.

But, despite yesterday’s victory, Rae Town, which includes the JLP stronghold of Southside and sections of the PNP’s Tel-A-Viv in the heart of downtown Kingston, is expected to be in the news again this weekend when the Supreme Court is expected to make a ruling on the JLP’s position that the petition for the magisterial recount was invalid, as it was made to the court after the four-day deadline had passed.

President of the Senate, Tom Tavares-Finson, who was one of a number of attorneys representing Hamilton in the recount, said that the party’s lawyers have already presented their case for a judicial review to clarify the timing issue and expect a decision by weekend.

The issue also affected the recount in Moneague, St Ann, where the court ruled that the petition was valid, although it was made after the four-day limit

Senator Williams, who also serves as the executive director of the JLP’s head office at Belmont Road, told the

Jamaica Observer yesterday that, while he was satisfied with the process of the recount, he was disappointed that the courts had allowed the petition which, the party insists, was filed after the deadline. He said that the JLP wanted the issue clarified by the court.

Williams also said that the vision of his Administration would be based on the concept that Kingston must be the capital city of the Caribbean.

“Our leadership will be seeking to stimulate economic development through increased growth and job creation, by combining our synergies with the Government’s economic priorities, including the redevelopment of downtown Kingston,” Williams said.