On Tuesday, the 7th of August, 146 persons were officially nominated as candidates seeking to be elected on August 27 to represent the people of Jamaica in the country’s 60-seat House of Representatives – the lower chamber of Jamaica’s Parliament.

Both the governing People’s National Party (PNP) and the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) each nominated 60 candidates while the National Democratic Movement (NDM) registered 11 candidates to contest the general election. The Imperial Ethiopian World Federation Incorporation Party signed up nine candidates.

Among the other candidates nominated were: Ras Astor Black of the Jamaica Alliance Movement and Ivuwaqayliz Yuwakhid of the Jerusalem Bread Foundation, in addition to four independents.

Director of Elections, Danville Walker assessed Nomination Day activities as having been a success despite reports of minor skirmishes between supporters of the two major parties. These incidents, he said, were being dealt with by the police.

This election will mark the 15th general election to be held in Jamaica since the granting of universal adult suffrage in 1944.

On July 8, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller announced the date of the general election for Monday, August 27, at the same time naming Tuesday, August 7 as the date for the nomination of candidates.