JAMAICA | PNP Awaits Supreme Court Date for Portmore Parish Constitutional Challenge

MONTEGO BAY, March 29, 2029 - In what may prove to be a pivotal battle over electoral boundaries with general elections looming, the People's National Party (PNP) has won the opening salvo against what they describe as a brazen attempt at gerrymandering by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) government.

After securing an emergency court injunction on Friday, the PNP now awaits the Supreme Court's scheduling of a full hearing on their constitutional challenge to the controversial Portmore parish legislation. The Court's initial order delivers a stinging rebuke to the government, requiring strict adherence to constitutional requirements before the law can take effect.

The challenge, meticulously detailed in Member of Parliament Fitz Jackson's comprehensive affidavit, presents what the opposition calls "compelling evidence" that the government's unilateral boundary changes flagrantly violate Jamaica's constitutional provisions.

With general elections mandated on or before September 3rd, critics argue the government appears determined to force through the establishment of the new parish, constitutional requirements be damned. The rush has raised eyebrows across political circles, with opposition figures suggesting the maneuver reveals a desperate attempt to secure electoral advantage.

Caught in Their Own Words: Evidence of Electoral Manipulation

The PNP's case received unexpected reinforcement from the JLP's own ranks. MP Clifford Everard Warmington's remarkably candid November 2023 statements to Radio Jamaica News, submitted as evidence in the case, lay bare what the opposition characterizes as the government's true intentions:

"When we tek Portmore off of St. Catherine, is a different ball game.... We have what, 41 seats now or 42 seats [on St Catherine Parish Council]? Out of this 42, they [the People's National Party] have 12 in Portmore. We [the Jamaica Labour Party] won two, they won ten. Yet, they won the St. Catherine Parish Council by one seat, even though they carry 10 from Portmore. Now, give them back them PNP 10. Leave us alone over here. And it means that under no circumstances PNP can ever win the St. Catherine Parish Council again. Never again!"

These words now haunt the government's case, with opponents pointing to them as smoking-gun evidence of political calculus driving constitutional overreach.

Electoral Commission Sounds Alarm Over Voter Disenfranchisement

The Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) has not minced words about the profound impact these boundary changes would have on voters. Their analysis paints a disturbing picture of electoral disruption, noting the proposed Portmore parish boundary would affect four constituencies, thirteen electoral divisions, and a staggering 398 polling divisions from St. Catherine parish.

The electoral fallout would include the complete elimination of several polling divisions in Portmore Pines, Greater Portmore North, and St. Catherine South Central, with multiple other polling divisions "cut into pieces" and fragmented across parish lines. This fragmentation threatens to leave thousands of citizens without proper representation, including those in the Hellshire division represented by Councillor Vanrick Preddie, the third claimant in the proceedings.

Constitutional Red Lines

At the heart of the case lies the Counties and Parishes (Amendment) Act, 2025, ostensibly aimed at elevating Portmore to parish status. However, the ECJ itself concluded these boundary changes would violate Jamaica's Constitution, specifically referencing the Second Schedule of the Jamaica (Constitution) Order in Council 1962, which states: "The boundary of a constituency shall not cross the boundary of a Parish as delimited by the Counties and Parishes Act or by any law amending or replacing that law."

The PNP has seized on this assessment, warning bluntly: "Consequently, the Bill, if passed into law and made operational, will immediately be unconstitutional."

Democracy Diminished: Portmore's Unique Rights at Stake

Beyond the boundary disputes, the legislation strikes at Portmore's unique democratic character. Section 8 of the proposed law would repeal the Charter of the Municipality of Portmore, 2015, eliminating what the affidavit describes as "the only electoral regime of its kind in Jamaica" – citizens' right to directly elect their Mayor.

Unlike other municipalities where Mayors are appointed from councilors of the majority party, Portmore residents currently enjoy direct mayoral elections. The bill would strip away this democratic distinction, with the PNP arguing this represents yet another erosion of citizens' rights.

Court Sets Constitutional Guardrails

In Friday's pivotal ruling, Chief Justice Bryan Sykes outlined the government's "unequivocal undertaking" not to implement the legislation until it complies with Section 67 of the Jamaican Constitution. This critical provision stipulates proper procedures for adjusting constituency boundaries, including mandatory consultations with the Electoral Commission of Jamaica and comprehensive boundary reviews.

The interim relief prevents immediate implementation, effectively freezing the government's plans while preserving the constitutional status quo until a full hearing can determine the legislation's constitutionality.

Constitutional Showdown Awaits

As Jamaica inches closer to general elections, the PNP now awaits the Supreme Court's scheduling of the full hearing that will address the substantive constitutional questions raised in the case. This upcoming judicial review will determine whether the Counties and Parishes (Amendment) Act fundamentally violates Jamaica's constitutional framework regarding electoral boundaries.

The case represents a critical test of Jamaica's constitutional safeguards against political manipulation of electoral boundaries. With democracy's guardrails being tested, all eyes now turn to the Supreme Court as the final arbiter in what may become a defining constitutional battle of Jamaica's electoral history.

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