WESTMORELAND, Jamaica— Following a nerve-racking magisterial recount which ended in her favour, councillor for the Cornwall Mountain Division Dawnette Foster was sworn in at the first meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation.

Clad in a white jumpsuit, and waving her Jamaican flag, Foster stood and took her oath, smiling from ear-to-ear, as her supporters looked on cheerfully.

Foster, a Justice of the Peace, had a close run with the People National Party’s (PNP) Abigail Malcolm after the initial election results saw Foster winning by 16 votes.

The final count also showed that Foster tipped Malcolm as the margin increased from 16 to 27.

However, the PNP were not convinced and so a battle to the court ensued and Malcolm secured attorney-at-law Clayton Morgan while Foster had Senator Charles Sinclair at the recount.

At the end of the magisterial recount on March 6, Foster was victorious in her quest to be seated in Westmoreland Municipal Corporation.

Foster and her lawyer, King’s Counsel Tom Tavares-Finson, were happy with her victory as they stood outside the Westmoreland Parish Court.

—Kimberley Peddie