Last Thursday, the Andrew Holness-led Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) caused a political pandemic across Jamaica when it massively defeated the People’s National Party (PNP) in the general election, winning 48 of the 63 constituencies.

The JLP bell has rung, yet again, but this time around it did not just merely ring; it rang resoundingly. Jamaica is now like a plate of callaloo with a ‘tups’ of carrot dressed to the side.

The deafening ring of the bell has awoken us on different levels:

(i) It is the first time that the JLP has ever won consecutive contested elections in the history of our democracy, and this is achieved by the party’s youngest leader to date. With Dr Peter Phillips, opposition leader and PNP president, humbly accepting a terrible loss and indicating that he would demit office, this would make the second opposition leader that Mr Holness would send into retirement — the former being Portia Simpson Miller.

(ii) It represents a new era in our politics in regard to gender. There will now be 14 women from the governing party and four from the Opposition in the House of Representatives. While we are still far from the equality ratio, this is a step in the right direction.

(iii) It is a breath of fresh air to see more young people enter Gordon House. The House will now have a better balance between youth and experience. We now anticipate the naming of the Cabinet to see how well Mr Holness designates the portfolios, especially as he has a larger pool from which to select.

(iv) This election has proved that the notion of a safe seat no longer exists. Although the voter turnout was at a record low of 37 per cent — which is cause for deep concern — there were a number of upsetting defeats for the PNP, among them veterans Drs Fenton Ferguson and Wykeham McNeill, Peter Bunting, whose chance to the lead the PNP was stunted by Rhoda Crawford, and Imani Duncan Price, who failed yet again, just like her older sister Patricia Duncan-Sutherland, to secure a seat in the Lower House. Lisa Hanna’s seat was also a big shocker, as she barely managed to regain it. After all, this is not a beauty pageant.

Marlene Malahoo-Forte has dismissed Dr Andre Haughton in St James West Central. Perhaps the esteemed economist and lecturer should now descend from his high horse and take some classes from the pollsters.

Without wanting to get distracted, one cannot help but notice that the Parliament will now have four duos — Prime Minister Andrew Holness and wife Juliet, Daryl and Ann-Marie Vaz (Portland’s captains), siblings Pearnel Charles Jr and Dr Michelle Charles, and Dr Peter Phillips and his son Mikael.

Throughout the past 55 months, the PNP accused the JLP of campaigning on public relations (PR). However, if there is no substance to your product or service, your PR would be in vain. You cannot ‘PR’ on nothing. The election results have proved that the JLP’s performance and message resonated more with the people of Jamaica. But did the PNP even have a message? The party offered #SweepDemOut, compared to the JLP’s #RecoveryStronger.

Does this gap in the seats mean that Jamaicans are overly satisfied with the JLP’s performance in the previous term? Absolutely not! Notwithstanding, the people have once again bestowed their confidence in Holness and his party to help reshape Jamaica’s future.

Holness knows that this victory comes with great responsibility, as the country has some rough seas to traverse in the next few years. There is a heavy weight of accountability laid upon his shoulders, and this is far beyond performing in the interest of self and party, but more so in the interest of Jamaicans and Jamaica.

The JLP’s manifesto will be its measuring stick at the end of this political tenure. There were tough questions in the recent leadership debate; expect even tougher ones in the next four to five years. Holness’s good stewardship of the country is of paramount importance at this time — an understatement, I know.

The prime minister, during his victory speech last Thursday night, established from the outset his stance on corruption. The people are watching you, Mr PM. Can we finally have government boards that are equipped with competent people who are apolitical, instead of rotating the same people who already have illustrious careers and serve on numerous other boards? Can we rid ourselves of cronyism, nepotism, and impropriety?

Can we build a Jamaica where we become self-sufficient and our young, brilliant graduates will have enough reasons to stay in their country and contribute to its development, instead of one where the brain drain continues to escalate? Can we make Jamaica the place of choice to live, study, work, raise families, and do business?

On a side note, big up to the Electoral Commission of Jamaica and the Electoral Office of Jamaica. Despite the glitches reported, you managed to stage an election during a pandemic, and it was done successfully. All ballots were counted on the same night of the election and a winner was declared before 10:00 pm, unlike in some other democracies.

Bing-a-ling-a-ling… The bell has rung; it is a new dawn in Jamaica.

— Oneil Madden is a PhD candidate in didactics and linguistics at Université Clermont Auvergne, France

Oneil.madden@uca.fr