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The ruling People’s National Party (PNP) has won the 2012 Local Government Elections, gaining 149 seats to the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) 76, with Independents winning the other two.

The elections, which were held on March 26, saw the PNP winning 12 of the 13 parish councils, including the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC). There was a tie in the Trelawny Parish Council with the PNP and the JLP winning four seats each, and the Independent candidate taking the other seat.

In the Portmore Municipal Council, the PNP also took control of the municipality. The contest also saw the ruling party’s George Lee unseating the JLP’s Keith Hinds as the Mayor of Portmore.

This is the second time in three months that the JLP is losing a national election, as on December 29, 2011, the PNP won the General Elections by gaining 42 seats to the JLP’s 21 seats.

“We have done it again,” Prime Minister and President of the PNP, the Most Hon Portia Simpson Miller said last night (March 26).

The Prime Minister said now that the elections are over, the Government can settle down and get on with the country’s affairs. She thanked persons who voted for the PNP and the JLP, emphasising that their action has shown that democracy is alive and well in the country.

The voter turnout was just above 34 per cent according to the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ), way below the 53 per cent of registered voters who turned out to cast their ballot on December 29 last year.

The current number of electors on the voters’ list is 1,648,036, the same number as the November 30, 2011 voters’ list used in the General Elections.