Politics
Former PM Andrew Holness wins internal election to retain leadership of opposition Jamaica Labor Party – Audley Shaw concedes defeat
“I am ready and willing to join with you,” Shaw told Holness. “This race has made the party stronger, we are energized and we can now move to work to form the next government of Jamaica,” Shaw said.
Party members faced a choice between two men with different styles. Holness has faced criticism he has not been aggressive enough in taking on the popular Simpson-Miller, while Shaw was viewed as more of an outspoken critic.
Holness served briefly as prime minister for two months from October to December 2011 when he succeeded retired Prime Minister Bruce Golding as leader of the JLP.
Apparently riding a wave of popularity, Holness called a general election a full year before it was due, but was upset by People’s National Party in a December 2011 vote focused on the country’s stagnant and debt-ridden economy.
Jamaica’s debt load is estimated at more than 140 percent of its gross domestic product, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the country has grappled with a drop in its international reserves.
