Jamaica Labour Party Leader, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has signalled his readiness for a battle to retain leadership of the Government after the votes are counted in the next general election.

Addressing a fund-raiser staged by Portland Members of Parliament, the husband-and-wife pair of Daryl and Ann-Marie Vaz in St Andrew Wednesday night, Holness boasted that his Administration has done well so far and indicated that he is prepared for a battle to keep the country on that trajectory.

“We are in a competitive democracy and I like the competition of democracy. That is what riles me up and gets me ready to go. Bring on the competition,” declared Holness as he ended a brief address at the annual function staged by the two MPs to raise funds for the welfare programmes in their constituencies.

According to Holness, he has told his colleagues in his close circle that the JLP does not seek power for power’s sake because “Power without purpose is oppressive”.

He said when he faces the people to say he wants them to give him the authority to take care of their affairs it is not for self-aggrandisement or ego.

“It is because I have a deep and passionate vision about how we can build Jamaica and I see where the country is doing well. Everyone sees from the outside the big changes that we have made. We are on that runway [and] we are gathering the momentum to take off.

“That cannot be disturbed by a political cycle and it is, therefore, incumbent on me to push hard to the people to get the points across to the people, to show the people the dangers of veering from the course but yet to keep the vision and the flame of hope alive,” added Holness.

With several prominent members of the business community in attendance, Holness declared that his Administration has done amazingly well given the challenges it has faced.

“There is no other Government that can claim to have faced a pandemic. There is no other Government that can claim to have faced all the climate events that we have faced. There is no other Government that can claim to have faced the massive supply challenges that we have had with inflation and other supply shocks, and there is no other Administration that has managed these challenges as we have.

“No doubt these challenges have also brought some hardship to the people and have created frustration in the people’s minds, but this Government is not shying away from the challenges and we will confront the people with the true story, with the real issues and we will grapple together with them and we will come to an understanding as to what is in the best interest of the people,” said Holness.

He declared that based on the work done by Daryl in Portland Western and Ann-Marie in Portland Eastern, he has no doubt that they will retain the seats in the next general election and urged other political representatives, including those on the People’s National Party benches, to elevate the level of representation they provide to the people.

“So I’m working hard and I am happy to have Daryl and Ann-Marie working hard in their constituencies representing the people, as will all members of the Jamaica Labour Party work hard to win the confidence of the people,” said Holness.

The next general election is constitutionally due by September of next year though it is widely believed that Holness will select a date long before the deadline.

However, he has already indicated that he does not intend to go to the polls this year.