JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) Leader Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has scoffed at claims by the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) that it will take three and possibly four of the nine seats now held by his party in Kingston and St Andrew.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer on Saturday, chairman of the PNP’s Region Three Dennis Gordon said the party is poised to take Kingston Central, St Andrew East Rural, and St Andrew Eastern from the JLP, while “the battlefield for us is West Rural St Andrew and the last numbers we have seen put Comrade Joan Gordon-Webley ahead of her opponent [Juliet Cuthbert Flynn].”

But speaking with journalists after being nominated for a seventh-consecutive election in St Andrew West Central, Holness argued that the PNP’s claims do not make sense.

“The PNP, at this moment, is desperate and you will see that they are prone to hyperbolic statements and they will say things that if you reflect on it, doesn’t make sense. There is no data that show there is anything of substance to back those claims.

“The truth is, my wife, the Speaker of the House [of Representatives Juliet Holness] is a very strong candidate in East Rural [St Andrew]. Like myself she has ingrained herself into that constituency. The people there see her as family and she sees them as family,” said Holness.

“Minister Fayval Williams [St Andrew Eastern] has worked very hard. The PNP would want to underestimate — they do that at their own peril,” added Holness.

He told journalists that the JLP expects to win the September 3 General Election but, “when you go into any campaign you prepare to win, you prepare to lose”.

“Right now we have worked very hard, there is no question about that. The PNP cannot contest us on performance so if you go by the logic that Jamaicans are logical people, reasonable people, and they vote on performance, then you know what the outcome is.

“But elections are also emotions — how people feel and what people expect to come, and even based on expectations you can’t pull your expectations out of the air, and out of promises, you have to also base your expectations on what the Government has done, what they have achieved,” said Holness.

He added: “And again, if you go by logic, and even if you pair that with your emotions, you must conclude that this Government, the Jamaica Labour Party Government, led by myself, supported by all the members and ministers, has done very well.

“You can’t compare us to perfection, you have to compare us to what other political parties have done, and what other governments have done, and if you do that comparison the Jamaica Labour Party, by all measure, by all reason, should be the next Government of Jamaica on the 3rd of September.”

Jamaica Labour Party Leader Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, flanked by supporters and members of the security forces, hails supporters with the party’s victory salute as he makes his way from the nomination centre on Waltham Park Road in St Andrew West Central Monday afternoon. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

A Jamaica Labour Party supporter predicting a third term in Government for the Dr Andrew Holness-led party as she waited on him to emerge from the nomination centre on Waltham Park Road Monday afternoon.