Opposition wins Jamaica poll

MONTEGO BAY – The main opposition Jamaican Labour Party won a close election, ousting the Caribbean nation’s first woman prime minister, according to preliminary results.

But Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller refused to concede defeat after officials said the JLP won 31 out of 60 parliament seats in Monday’s election, against 29 for her People’s National Party (PNP). Sporadic violence marred the vote which also went ahead amid a tropical storm warning as Hurricane Felix passed by.Simpson Miller said the PNP would call for recounts and that at least three PNP candidates would file legal challenges accusing their rivals of being ineligible because they hold dual US-Jamaican citizenship.”We are conceding no victory to the Jamaica Labour Party,” said Simpson Miller, who became prime minister in March 2006, succeeding PJ Patterson who stepped down after 14 years in power.The apparent victory of the JLP led by Bruce Golding would end a streak of five straight defeats to the PN.Nampa-AFPSporadic violence marred the vote which also went ahead amid a tropical storm warning as Hurricane Felix passed by.Simpson Miller said the PNP would call for recounts and that at least three PNP candidates would file legal challenges accusing their rivals of being ineligible because they hold dual US-Jamaican citizenship.”We are conceding no victory to the Jamaica Labour Party,” said Simpson Miller, who became prime minister in March 2006, succeeding PJ Patterson who stepped down after 14 years in power.The apparent victory of the JLP led by Bruce Golding would end a streak of five straight defeats to the PN.Nampa-AFP