The Honourable Andrew Holness is no longer the Prime Minister of Jamaica after suffering recent defeat in the December 29, 2011, general election. He had a very short reign serving as Prime Minister of Jamaica. He was sworn in as Prime Minister on Sunday, October 23rd 2011, and he was Jamaica’s youngest and ninth Prime Minister. Mr. Holness emerged as the ideal person for the position after his parliamentary colleagues put aside their own ambitions to endorse his candidacy to become leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
This was after former Prime Minister Bruce Golding decided to resign from the leadership as Prime Minister.
Andrew Holness: An Introduction
Hon. Andrew Holness (Born July 22, 1972) is a past student of the St. Catherine High School and the University of the West Indies. He is married to Juliette Holness and the couple has two sons, Adam and Matthew
Click Here for Video: Watch Inaugural Speech of the Honourable Andrew Holness
Andrew Holness Career:
- Mr. Holness served as Executive Director in the Voluntary Organization for Uplifting Children from 1994 to 1996.
- He joined the Premium Group of Companies and functioned as a special assistant to Most. Hon. Edward Seaga.
- In 1997, he became Member of Parliament for West Central St. Andrew and served as Opposition Spokesperson on Land and Development from 1999 to 2002.
- In 2002, he switched portfolio to Housing and then Education in 2005. He was sworn in as Minister of the same in September 2007.
- On October 5, 2011, he was declared and supported by the senior members of the JLP as the most suitable candidate to succeed the Prime Minister following is resignation.
- He was sworn in as Prime Minister of Jamaica on October 23, 2011.
- He choose to continue with his portfolio of Minister of Education after the forming of his new cabinet.
Jamaica Election 2011 (JLP 21 – PNP 42)
Mr. Andrew Holiness and the JLP have lost the December 29, 2011 general election after a low voter turnout of 48%. The 2011 bid for re-election started off on uncertain terms. Pollsters were finding it very much difficult to call the elections either ways. After the true results were posted, the JLP was only able to win 22 seats of the total 63 seats. Andrew Holiness respectfully called Mrs. Portia Simpson-Miller congratulating her on her victory. This was the first time Mr. Andrew Holiness contested an election as leader of the Jamaica Labour Party. However, he was re-elected as member of parliament (MP) for is constituency just by small amount of votes.