JAMAICAN Prime Minister Andrew Holness secured a third term in office today following Wednesday’s general election.

Mr Holness’s Jamaica Labour Party won at least 34 seats, while Mark Golding’s opposition People’s National Party secured at least 29 seats in the 63-strong House of Representatives.

Mr Holness will now appoint 13 of 21 senators to Jamaica’s upper chamber of parliament, and the opposition will choose eight others.

Mr Golding conceded defeat, saying he was disappointed in the outcome as he acknowledged the success of his opponent.

Mr Holness said: “This historic third term is not just a win for the Jamaica Labour Party, it is a win for you, the people.

“Thank you for your trust, your faith, and your belief in the vision of a stronger, safer, more prosperous Jamaica.”

Official voter turnout was just 38.8 per cent of the two million registered voters on the island of 2.8m.

This was only slightly higher than the turnout for the 2020 elections during the pandemic.

Under Mr Holness, Jamaica has seen a 43 per cent drop in killings so far this year, marking the most significant decline in decades.

The improvement is largely credited to the current administration’s increase in firearm seizures and a stronger, co-ordinated security force presence across the Caribbean island.

But human rights organisations have raised concerns about the use of alleged illegal detentions, as they call for balanced approaches to protect security and civil liberties.

On Sunday, Mr Holness pledged that his party would double the current minimum wage of $100 (£74) per 40-hour workweek if re-elected.

“We believe in growing the economy so that everyone gets a bigger slice.

“As the economy expands, we must ensure those at the bottom are rewarded fairly, while creating incentives for more Jamaicans, especially our youth, to join the labour force,” he told a recent rally.