Job of Jamaica's youngest prime minister ever is up for grabs
| Mexico City
Andrew Holness is already Jamaica鈥檚 youngest prime minister. Could he聽also become the nation鈥檚 shortest-serving?
That 鈥渇irst鈥� is up for grabs in today鈥檚 race in the Caribbean nation,聽as he faces opposition leader Portia Simpson Miller, in what is聽essentially a dead heat.
Both candidates, from the two major parties 鈥� the Labor Party (JLP)聽and the People's National Party (PNP) 鈥� are attempting to blame the聽other for economic woes that have turned Jamaica, the third largest聽Caribbean nation, into one of the world鈥檚 most indebted.
Once one of the world鈥檚 largest sugar producers in the 1800s, this聽nation 鈥� known for its reggae and more recently the deadly violence over聽the extradition of gang leader Christopher "Dudus" Coke 鈥� faces about聽$18.6 billion in debt, more than 120 percent of its GDP. Unemployment聽sits at nearly 13 percent.
Prime Minister Holness has聽only been in office since October, after his predecessor Bruce Golding聽resigned. "Jamaicans are now safer, our economy is stable with a solid聽foundation for job creation," the 30-something Holness said before the race.
Ms. Simpson Miller, who was born into a ghetto in Kingston and is聽known as 鈥淪ista P,鈥� is the more charismatic of the two leaders and聽says she is more in touch with the nation鈥檚 poor. She served briefly聽as prime minister in 2006 and 2007, also as another 鈥渇irst鈥�: Jamaica鈥檚 first female prime minister.
Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, provost and professor of political science at聽York College of The City University of New York, says that the dead聽heat is due, in part, to a lack of distinctive ideological polarization聽between the two main parties. As the two dominant ones, both parties聽are also well-oiled, with veteran operatives and strong bases of聽support.
No matter who wins today鈥檚 race, the next leader will struggle under聽the debt and likely be forced to undertake unpopular measures, such as聽layoffs in the public sector.
Jamaica is most well-known for its tourism. But it moved into the聽international spotlight after former Prime Minister Golding, in a聽backtrack, agreed to extradite Mr. Coke to the US on drug-trafficking聽charges. Seventy-six people were killed as authorities faced Coke鈥檚聽supporters in the slum where he was hiding out. Jamaica鈥檚 gangs have聽long influenced the political system in so-called 鈥済arrison politics鈥澛爄n Jamaica, receiving immunity from politicians in exchange for votes.
The Coke saga could hurt Holness鈥檚 bid today, but he might have the聽upper hand, says Professor Griffith. 鈥淣otwithstanding the economic聽situation, for which they mostly are not responsible, the crime聽situation has improved appreciably, and tourism has been in a growth聽mode.鈥�
