VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKG #0232 0841152
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 251152Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7438
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0560
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0554
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 2359
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM J7 MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINGSTON 000232 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR (ACADIEUX, WSMITH, VDEPIRRO) 
INR/IAA (GBOHIGIAN) 
TREASURY FOR IA/WH (ERIN NEPHEW) 
PASS TO CENTRAL AMERICAN CARIBBEAN COLLECTIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR ASEC SNAR KCOR CARICOM IBRD
IDB, CDB, JM, XL 
SUBJECT: JAMAICA: RULING LABOUR PARTY (JLP) CANDIDATE 
EASILY WINS WEST PORTLAND BY-ELECTION 
 
REF: A. KINGSTON 221 (202028Z MAR 09) 
     ¶B. KINGSTON 156 (272047Z FEB 09) 
     ¶C. 08 KINGSTON 1034 (091429Z DEC 08) 
     ¶D. 08 KINGSTON 494 (301353Z MAY 08) 
     ¶E. 08 KINGSTON 409 (091742Z MAY 08) 
     ¶F. 08 KINGSTON 398 (071203Z MAY 08) 
     ¶G. 08 KINGSTON 364 (291558Z APR 08) 
     ¶H. 08 KINGSTON 310 (141908Z APR 08) 
     ¶I. 07 KINGSTON 1336 (042044Z SEP 07) 
     ¶J. 08 KINGSTON 837 (222015Z SEP 08) 
 
Classified By: CDA JAMES T. HEG, Reasons 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1.(SBU)  Ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate Daryl 
Vaz easily defeated the opposition People's National Party 
(PNP)'s Kenneth Rowe in a key by-election in the district of 
West Portland on March 23.  Vaz now will retake his seat in 
Parliament, thus preserving the JLP's narrow 31-28 majority. 
He captured 7,915 votes, or 58 percent of the total, to 
Rowe's 5,626, or 41 percent of the total, with a handful of 
votes going to the Rastafarian candidate Astor Black.  As 
noted reftel (A), such a convincing win in West Portland 
should put the JLP in a stronger position in three other 
districts in which, as a result of ongoing legal challenges 
(reftels), sitting JLP Members-of-Parliament (MPs) may face 
by-elections in coming months: 
 
-- North East St. Ann (Shahine Robinson); 
-- North East St. Catherine (Gregory Mair); 
-- and North West Clarendon (Michael Stern). 
 
Reactions from Leadership 
------------------------- 
 
2.(SBU)  Prime Minister (PM) Bruce Golding, his cabinet, and 
other senior JLP officials had campaigned tirelessly on Vaz's 
behalf in West Portland over the last two weeks.  For her 
part, the charismatic Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller 
(PSM) had maintained a high-profile on Rowe's behalf, going 
door-to-door throughout the district.  Although limited to 
one of Jamaica's smaller constituencies, the contest clearly 
had taken on national dimensions.  Speaking after the results 
had been announced, Golding thanked the people of West 
Portland "for the resolve they have shown," and said "the PNP 
must now hug up to the results of the elections."  Speaking 
on national radio on March 24, PNP General Secretary Peter 
Bunting attributed the PNP's defeat to "a number of factors," 
including "the short time-frame of the campaign."  On the 
same program, JLP Minister of Industry and Commerce Karl 
Samuda extolled his party's "impeccable organization, 
confidence, and positive image" which had led to victory. 
 
The JLP's Momentum 
------------------ 
 
3.(C)  Samuda has a point: in three successive contests ) 
the September, 2007 national election, subsequent local 
elections, and now the West Portland by-election ) the JLP 
has employed organizational skills and media savvy to secure 
victories, while the PNP has relied almost entirely on PSM's 
charisma to attract voters.  In North East St. Catherine and 
North West Clarendon, the JLP's support base may not be as 
strong as in West Portland; however, for the moment the party 
clearly has momentum on its side. 
HEG