PNP wins close municipal by-elections, JLP retains parliamentary seats

THE People’s National Party (PNP) emerged the happier of the two major political parties when the votes were counted following four by-elections on Friday, but the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) was adamant that it had performed credibly.

As expected, the JLP held on to the two parliamentary seats — Trelawny Southern and St Andrew North West — as its candidates, Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert and Duane Smith, respectively, enjoyed easy victories over independent candidates Lloyd “Mozy” Gillings and Carl Marshall.

But it was the battles in the municipal by-elections in Morant Bay, St Thomas, and Aenon Town, Clarendon, where the two parties clashed that captured the most attention.

When the votes were counted the PNP held on to the Morant Bay Division while it flipped the Aenon Town Division which it had lost, for only the second time, in the February local government elections.