GREEN SWEEP - Bro Gad leads JLP to landslide election victory

Andrew Holness asked Jamaicans to give him and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) the green light to governing the country's affairs for the next five years and the people responded in emphatic fashion, retiring several high-ranking members of the People's National Party (PNP) in the process.

Peter Bunting, who challenged Dr Peter Phillips for the leadership of the PNP last year, was soundly beaten by political neophyte Rhoda Crawford in Central Manchester.

Similarly, PNP Deputy Chairman Horace Dalley, Vice-President Dr Wykeham McNeill, six-term general Dr Fenton Ferguson, former Deputy General Secretary Luther Buchanan, and deputy general secretaries Basil Waite and Raymond Pryce were all rejected by the voters.

Lisa Hanna barely survived, winning her St Ann South East seat by 14 votes. However, there was no such luck for Dr Dayton Campbell, who was handled badly by Krystal Lee in North West St Ann.

"Tonight, the victor is the people of Jamaica," said Holness at his party's headquarters. "I am obviously happy to have won, but I want to assure all of you that I do carry this burden with great consideration of the expectations of not just those who elected us, but those who are looking on us for future decisions."

Patrick Roberts, who challenged Holness for West Central St Andrew, was condemned to a fifth straight beating in the seat. Likewise, Joan Gordon Webley lost a fifth election, the fourth in St Andrew East Rural. A record 18 women were elected to the House of Representatives; the brother-sister pair of Dr Michelle Charles and Pearnel Charles Jr; and two husband-and-wife pairs, Andrew and Juliet Holness and Ann-Marie and Daryl Vaz, won their seats.

Mike Henry and Karl Samuda have also joined Edward Seaga as the most successful parliamentary candidates after they both chalked up win number 10.

From yesterday's election, all of Trelawny, St James, Hanover, Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Kingston, St Thomas and Portland is now green.

It is the first time since the P.J. Patterson era that a prime minister led his party to two terms in government.

BIG LOSERS

Peter Bunting

Horace Dalley

Richard Azan

Luther Buchanan

Dr Wykeham McNeill

Dr Fenton Ferguson

Ian Hayles

Dr Dayton Campbell

BIG WINNERS

Rhoda Crawford-- Beat Peter Bunting

Tova Hamilton -- Beat Victor Wright

Tameika Davis -- Beat Ian Hayles

Delroy Slowley-- Beat Basil Waite

Daniel Lawrence --Beat Luther Buchanan

Robert Miller -- Beat Colin Fagan

Moreland Wilson - Beat Dr Wykeham McNeill

George Wright - Beat Dwayne Vaz

Robert Chin - Beat Michael Stewart

Dr Michelle Charles - Retired Dr Fenton Ferguson

Homer Davis - Beat Dr Walton Small

Donovan Williams - Beat Imani Duncan-Price

Phillip Henriques - Retired Richard Azan

Krystal Lee - Beat Dr Dayton Campbell

Dwight Sibbles - Retired Horace Dalley

HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE

Lisa Hanna (PNP) in South East St Ann - 14 votes

Hugh Graham (PNP) in North West St Catherin - 22 votes

Daniel Lawrence (JLP) in Eastern Westmoreland - 8 votes