Andrew Michael Holness, ON, MP (born
22 July 1972) is a Jamaican politician who has been the Prime Minister of
Jamaica since 3 March 2016, following the 2016
Jamaican general election.[1] Holness previously served as
prime minister from October 2011 to 5 January 2012. He succeeded Bruce Golding as prime minister, and
decided to go to the polls in the 29 December
2011 general election in an attempt to get his own mandate from
the Jamaican electorate. He failed in that bid, however, losing to the People's National
Partyled by Portia Simpson-Miller,
with the PNP gaining 42 seats to the Jamaica Labour Party's
21. Following that defeat, Holness served as Leader
of the Opposition from January 2012 to March 2016, when he once
again assumed the position of prime minister.[2] In 2020, The Labour Party won a
landslide in another general election, and on September 7th Holness was sworn
in for another term as prime minister.[3]
Holness is the youngest person to have been
elected and reelected prime minister in Jamaica's history. He is also the first
prime minister to have been born after Jamaica gained
independence in 1962.[4]
Early life[
Andrew Holness is a graduate of St. Catherine
High School and of the University of
the West Indies, where he pursued a Bachelor of Science in
Management Studies and a Master of Science in Development Studies.[5] In 1997 he married Juliet
Holness (née Landell), an accountant, whom he had met as a student
at St. Catherine High School during the 1980s.[6][7] The couple have two children,
Adam and Matthew.[8]
Holness served as Executive Director at the
Voluntary Organization for Uplifting Children from 1994 to 1996 and then joined
the Premium Group of Companies, acting as a special assistant to Edward Seaga.
He is a member of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church.[9]
Political career[edit]
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 Education in September
2007.
Prime
Minister of Jamaica[edit]
He succeeded Bruce Golding as both leader of the
Jamaica Labour Party and prime minister on 23 October 2011, making him the
ninth person to hold this office. As prime minister, he chose to retain the
education portfolio.
2011
elections[edit]
Main article: 2011
Jamaican general election
On 5 December 2011, Mr Holness called the
next election for 29 December 2011. The JLP campaigned in their strongholds and
Holness highlighted the four years of JLP government with accomplishments, such
as economic growth and crime reduction which the JLP says the PNP failed to do
during their eighteen years rule of the country. The JLP, however, lost at the
polls to the People's National Party, which gained a large majority of 42 to
the JLP's 21 parliamentary seats.
2016
elections and re-appointment as Prime Minister[edit]
Main article: 2016
Jamaican general election
On 25 February 2016, the Jamaica Labour
Party, led by Andrew Holness, won the general election with the JLP winning 32
seats compared to 31 seats for the incumbent People's National
Party. His wife Juliet also won a seat in parliament, the first time
a prime minister or opposition leader and their spouse sat in the Parliament of Jamaica together.[10]
2020
elections[edit]
Main article: 2020
Jamaican general election
On 3 September 2020, the Jamaica Labour Party,
led by Andrew Holness, won the general election. The JLP won 48 seats, as
compared to the 15 seats for the People's National
Party.[11] He was sworn in for another
term on 7 September 2020.
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