JLP's Daniel Lawrence Wins Westmoreland Eastern Magisterial Recount

By: Admin

Image caption: Daniel Lawrence - Contributed photo

Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate for Westmoreland Eastern Daniel Lawrence has been declared the winner of the seat after a magisterial recount.

He polled 4,862 votes to the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Luther Buchanan who received 4,851.

Buchanan was earlier declared the winner after a tie was broken.

Independent candidate Haile MiKa'el received 36 votes.

The win by Lawrence has pushed the government’s majority to 49 of the 63 seats in Parliament.

It also completes a clean sweep of the seats in Westmoreland from the hands of the PNP for the first time since 1980.

Attorneys for Lawrence filed for a recount after Buchanan was declared the winner following a vote by the returning officer in favour of Buchanan to break the tie between the candidates. 

Both candidates had polled 4,834 votes after the official recount.

Independent candidate  Haile MiKa'el had received 43 votes. 

In deciding who would be the next member of parliament, the names of both candidates were placed in an empty ballot box.

The returning officer then pulled a name from the box. 

Buchanan's name was chosen. 

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