1989 Jamaican general election
Jamaica
9 February 1989 (1989-02-09)
All 60 seats in the House of Representaitves
Turnout78.38% (Increase 75.70pp)
PartyLeader % Seats +/–
PNP Michael Manley 56.60 45 New
JLP Edward Seaga 43.32 15 −45
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Prime Minister before Prime Minister after election
Edward Seaga
JLP		 Michael Manley
PNP

General elections were held in Jamaica on 9 February 1989. The result was a victory for the People's National Party, which won 45 of the 60 seats. Voter turnout was 78%.[1]

They were the first seriously contested elections since 1980, as the PNP had boycotted the 1983 snap elections to protest the refusal of the ruling Jamaican Labour Party to update the electoral roll amid allegations of voter fraud.

Prime Minister Edward Seaga announced the election date on 15 January at a rally in Kingston,[2] with the emergency conditions caused by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 forcing an extension of the parliamentary term beyond its normal five-year mandate.[3]

Campaign

The election date and tone of the election were shaped in part by Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall in September 1988 and decimated the island. The hurricane caused almost $1 billion worth of damage to the island, with banana and coffee crops wiped out and thousands of homes destroyed. Both parties engaged in campaigning through the distribution of relief supplies, a hallmark of the Jamaican patronage system. Political commentators noted that prior to the hurricane, Edward Seaga and the JLP trailed Michael Manley and the PNP by twenty points in opinion polls. The ability to provide relief as the party in charge allowed Seaga to improve his standing among voters and erode the inevitability of Manley's victory. However, scandals related to the relief effort cost Seaga and the JLP some of the gains made immediately following the hurricane. Scandals that emerged included National Security Minister Errol Anderson personally controlling a warehouse full of disaster relief supplies and candidate Joan Gordon-Webley distributing American-donated flour in sacks with her picture on them.[4]

The election was characterized by a narrower ideological difference between the two parties on economic issues. Michael Manley facilitated his comeback campaign by moderating his leftist positions and admitting mistakes made as Prime Minister, saying he erred when he involved government in economic production and had abandoned all thoughts of nationalizing industry. He cited the PNP's desire to continue the market-oriented policies of the JLP government, but with a more participatory approach.[5] Prime Minister Edward Seaga ran on his record of economic growth and the reduction of unemployment in Jamaica, using the campaign slogan "Don't Let Them Wreck It Again" to refer to Manley's tenure as Prime Minister.[6] Seaga during his tenure as Prime Minister emphasized the need to tighten public sector spending and cut close to 27,000 public sector jobs in 1983 and 1984.[7] He shifted his plans as elections neared with a promise to spend J$1 billion on a five-year Social Well-Being Programme, which would build new hospitals and schools in Jamaica.[8]

Foreign policy also played a role in the 1989 election. Prime Minister Edward Seaga emphasized his relations with the United States, a relationship which saw Jamaica receiving considerable economic aid from the U.S and additional loans from international institutions.[9] Manley pledged better relations with the United States while at the same time pledging to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba that had been cut under Seaga.[6] With Manley as Prime Minister, Jamaican-American relations had significantly frayed as a result of Manley's economic policies and close relations with Cuba.[10]

The personalities of the two party leaders helped shape the 1989 campaign. While Seaga was portrayed as a good manager with a cold public demeanor, Manley was perceived as a person with suspect managerial skills but exceptional personal magnetism. Seaga summarized the two personalities by saying, "Some people prefer to have a husband who will provide for them and give them security. Others are looking for a lover to give them joy."[6]

Results

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's National Party473,75456.6045+45
Jamaica Labour Party362,58943.3215–45
Independents6280.0800
Total836,971100.00600
Valid votes836,97198.99
Invalid/blank votes8,5141.01
Total votes845,485100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,078,76078.38
Source: Nohlen

By constituency

Constituency Jamaica Labour Party People's National Party Independents
Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes %
Kingston Western Edward Seaga11,74481.79 Clinton Davy2,61518.21
Kingston Central Olivia Grange5,75843.02 Ralph Brown7,62756.98
Kingston East & Port Royal Granclett Cadienhead2,39219.17 Michael Manley10,08480.83
St. Andrew West Rural Kenneth Baugh8,07449.70 Claude Clarke8,17050.30
St. Andrew Western Lee R. Clarke7,22341.13 Onel Williams10,29858.64 Don Jenkins400.23
St. Andrew West Central Ferdinand Yap10,45844.39 Arnold Nicholson13,10255.61
St. Andrew East Central Merlene Heholt4,08826.61 Arthur Jones11,27673.39
St. Andrew South Western Royland Williams3962.09 Portia Simpson18,57797.91
St. Andrew Southern Earlston Spencer5,09225.60 Hartley E. Jones14,79874.40
St. Andrew South Eastern Ryan G. Peralto5,37145.41 Easton W.X. Douglas6,44454.48 Jasmin A. Brown140.12
St. Andrew Eastern Edmund Bartlett6,80254.85 Oswald S. Seymour5,59945.15
St. Andrew North Central Karl Samuda7,01757.70 Shirley-Ann Eaton5,14442.30
St. Andrew North Western Derrick C. Smith5,39251.10 Jepthah V. Ford5,15948.90
St. Andrew East Rural Joan A. Gordon-Webley6,68651.10 E.G.G. Barrett7,07048.90
St. Thomas Western Errol Anderson9,39054.55 Ronald G. Lampart7,82245.45
St. Thomas Eastern Pearnel Charles7,93051.12 Franklyn Sephestine7,46248.10 Roosevelt S. Barrant1220.79
Portland Eastern Dennis M. Wright6,42642.21 H. Sam Lawrence8,79957.79
Portland Western St. Clair O. Shirley5,97746.60 Errol F. Ennis6,84853.40
St. Mary South Eastern Alva Ross6,47646.94 Harry G. Douglas7,31953.06
St. Mary Central Neville G. Murray4,16631.68 Horace A. Clarke8,98368.32
St. Mary Western Hyacinth M. Knight6,52041.77 Terrence D. Gillette9,08958.23
St. Ann South Eastern Kern Christian3,29026.65 Seymour Mullings9,05673.35
St. Ann North Eastern Patricia Pink6,22739.51 N.W. Manley Bowen9,53260.49
St. Ann North Western Ernest A. Smith6,63946.35 Burchell Whiteman7,68453.65
St. Ann South Western Neville Gallimore6,91659.45 Newton Richards4,71740.55
Trelawny Northern Keith E. Russell6,87440.49 Desmond Leakey10,10359.51
Trelawny Southern Brascoe L. Lee5,66249.24 Lyndel L. Frater5,83750.76
St. James East Central Godfrey G. Dyer4,59844.84 Violet Neilson5,65655.16
St. James North Western Charles E. Sinclair6,10841.10 Carl E. Miller8,75358.90
St. James West Central Winston Watt5,16540.30 Patrick Rose-Green7,65159.70
St. James Southern Ephraim A. Morgan3,85831.39 Derrick F.L. Kellier7,98064.93 Princess E. Vernon4523.68
Hanover Eastern Franklin D. Jackson5,26944.02 Aston S. King6,70055.98
Hanover Western Horace Chang6,09641.54 Benjamin A.L. Clare8,57858.46
Westmoreland Western Russell O. Hammond4,33533.12 Kenneth McNeill8,75566.88
Westmoreland Central Carlton C.C. Jones4,32435.03 Enoch C.K. Blythe8,02164.97
Westmoreland North Eastern Astil Sangster4,33137.47 Headly Cunningham7,22962.53
Westmoreland South Eastern Percival LaTouche3,99936.00 P.J. Patterson7,10864.00
St. Elizabeth North Western Neville B. Lewis6,65652.13 Caswell Daley6,11147.87
St. Elizabeth North Eastern Hugh A. Dawes5,43337.53 Sydney R. Pagon9,04262.47
St. Elizabeth South Western Derrick Sangster6,47846.41 Donald B. Buchanan7,47953.59
St. Elizabeth South Eastern Jeremy A. Palmer6,14442.95 Derrick A. Rochester8,16257.05
Manchester Southern Lloyd G. Bent5,60439.41 Douglas Manley8,61560.59
Manchester Central Cecil Charlton6,65547.41 John Junor7,38452.59
Manchester North Western Stafford S. Haughton4,42036.21 Dean A. Peart7,78763.79
Clarendon North Western Audley Shaw6,67547.63 Calvin S. Lyn7,33952.37
Clarendon Northern J.A.G. Smith6,13546.65 Horace Daley7,01553.35
Clarendon North Central Errol A. Dunkley6,42956.77 N.C. Bachelor4,89543.23
Clarendon Central Lester Michael Henry6,76851.85 Donnal M. Scott-Bhoorasingh6,28648.15
Clarendon South Western Arthur H.W. Williams4,78836.56 O.D. Ramtallie8,30763.46
Clarendon South Eastern Hugh Shearer7,29950.01 Emanuel Cousins7,29549.99
St. Catherine North Western John Franklyn3,95930.78 Robert D. Pickersgill8,90459.22
St. Catherine South Western Michael A. Williams7,04444.88 Rudyard E. Lawson8,65255.22
St. Catherine Southern Thomas Tavares-Finson7,84848.52 Hugh Small8,32551.48
St. Catherine Central Bruce Golding12,06263.77 Vincent L. Edwards6,85236.23
St. Catherine South Eastern Jeanette Grant-Woodham5,65140.83 Carl Rattray8,18959.17
St. Catherine East Central Ruby C. Walcott5,07034.22 Keith D. St. A. Knight9,74465.78
St. Catherine West Central Enid Bennett6,34054.70 Enoch L. Blake5,25045.30
St. Catherine North Eastern Anthony S.R. Johnson5,74055.49 Phyllis Mitchell4,60444.51
Source: Electoral Commission of Jamaica

References

  1. ↑ Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p430 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
  2. ↑ "JAMAICA ELECTION SET FOR FEBRUARY". The New York Times. 17 January 1989. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  3. ↑ Tom Lansford (2014) Political Handbook of the World 2014, p717 ISBN 1483333272
  4. ↑ "Showdown in Jamaica". The New York Times. 27 November 1988. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  5. ↑ Garrity, Michele and Picard, Louis A. "Policy Reform for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean", p. 39. ISBN 4274900991, 9784274900990.
  6. 1 2 3 "Personalities Of Candidates Key Issue In Jamaica Election". Archived from the original on 2016-09-19. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  7. ↑ "Jamaica Gleaner News - On development and losing elections - Sunday | March 14, 2010". Mobile.jamaica-gleaner.com. Retrieved 2016-09-24.
  8. ↑ "Jamaica Gleaner - Missed opportunities: From old partners to new partnerships - Sunday | January 11, 2004". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2015-05-07.
  9. ↑ Ronald T. Libby (1990). "The United States and Jamaica: Playing the American Card" (PDF). Latin American Perspectives. pp. 86–109. Caribbean Crisis and Global Restructuring
  10. ↑ "Jamaica - Relations with the United States, Britain, and Canada". Retrieved 19 September 2016.
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