BBC News Online: Despatches

Jamaica's ruling party wins election

The general election in Jamaica has been won by the ruling People's National Party. Results are still being compiled, but it's clear that the party has won a landslide victory. Although there was some violence, officials said that compared with previous elections, polling had passed off peacefully. From the Jamaican capital, Kingston, Malcolm Brabant reports:

P J Patterson made it clear that the record third successive election victory of his People's National Party heralded a new beginning for Jamaica, one of the most violent nations in the western hemisphere.

He said he wanted a kinder, gentler society. "We have to live in peace with one another," he said.

Following the trend set by America's President, Bill Clinton, and Britain's Prime Minister, Tony Blair, he called for an end to confrontational politics and offered to involve the defeated parties in the process of nation building.

Addressing a celebratory rally in Kingston, he said he wanted to guide and inspire the Jamaican people to a higher level of national achievement. Given that this has been the most peaceful election in recent memory, the path towards reconciliation should be a little smoother.

There were only isolated pockets of violence and intimidation.

Jamaica's leading election monitor, Dr Alfred Sangster, claimed that the comparatively peaceful atmosphere had been made possible because the country had united behind the national soccer team, the so-called Reggae Boys, as they fought their way through to next year's World Cup finals in France.

Observers believe the relative calm of the election has created a new foundation of stability for Jamaica which may enable it to attract new investment, reduce unemployment and bring down the high crime rate that most experts say is inextricably linked to poverty and deprivation.

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