THE Prime Minister Andrew Holness has given the clearest indication yet that the local government election will be held by February next year.

The Government postponed the election for a third time when the Bill allowing for the delay was passed in both Houses of Parliament in February this year.

Responding to queries from the Jamaica Observer at a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister on Thursday, Holness intimated that only an unexpected external event could prevent the holding of the election in February 2024.

“The Government intends to fulfill the constitutional requirements and the constitution as it relates to the local government elections…If something happens — an exogenous shock, weather events, then certainly that has to be considered but as it is now, it is the intention of the Government to fulfill its constitutional duties,” Holness said.

The further postponement of the election was met with heavy backlash from the Opposition, who noted that the move was in contradiction to true democracy.

Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding had questioned the constitutionality of another delay and threatened to take the Administration to court if the election were to be postponed for another period.

In his arguments then, Golding referenced the Privy Council ruling in the case brought by the Opposition in Trinidad and Tobago challenging the legality of the postponement of the local government polls there.

In May, the Privy Council overturned the decision of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to postpone local government elections. Local government elections were last held in Trinidad and Tobago in December 2019.

Jamaican legislators had put through the Representation of the People (Postponement of Elections to Municipal Corporation and City Municipalities) Act, 2023, which postponed local government election until February 2024, to allow further time for continued public consultation on draft legislation to enable Portmore to become Jamaica’s 15th parish.

The Bill’s memorandum of objects and reasons also cited the high level of uncertainty in the global economic environment, and the high cost of holding the elections as other reasons for the delay.

The local Government elections, which are constitutionally due every four years, were last held in November 2016. They were due to be held in November 2020 but were postponed as the country was still in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was notwithstanding the fact that a general election was held two months earlier, in September of that year.