the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the PeopleвЂ™s National Party (PNP) each nominated candidates in all 63 constituencies. On 8 December, the House of Representatives was dissolved for early elections.ДЄ total of 150 candidates representing five political parties and six independents were vying for seats in 2011. It created three more single-member constituencies, bringing the total number of members in the House of Representatives to 63. Later the same month, the Constituency (Boundaries) Order 2011 was gazetted. Andrew Holness (JLP), was elected JLP leader and became the youngest Prime Minister in Jamaica's history. The following month, the 39 year-old Education Minister, Mr. In September 2011, Prime Minister Golding announced that he would resign as Prime Minister as soon as a new JLP leader was elected, stating that it was the time to make way for new leadership to pursue the economic recovery and transformation programmes he had initiated. In a bid to restructure the economy, the JLP Government sold several loss-making State companies. By 2011, Jamaica's debt had reached nearly US$ 19 billion, or 120 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) and the unemployment rate had risen to 12.9 per cent. The global economic crisis that started in 2008 continued to affect the country's economy. Deputy Speaker Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert succeeded him, becoming the second woman in the country to assume the post. In July 2011, Speaker Delroy Chuck was appointed Justice Minister. The Prime Minister survived a no-confidence vote tabled by the PNP and the JLP renewed its support for the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister admitted his involvement in the lobbying efforts and subsequently ordered an operation to arrest the gang leader, in which nearly 80 persons were killed. In May 2010, the PNP accused the JLP Government of lobbying against the extradition of a notorious drug dealer/gang leader, Christopher 'Duddus' Coke, who had been accused of gun and drug trafficking offences by the US law enforcement authorities. The close results of the 2007 general election spurred the change as the Electoral Commission concluded that a tie would not be resolved. Since the last election in 2007, the number of seats was increased from 60 (an even number) to 63 (an odd number). At stake were 63 seats in the House of Representatives, up from 60. On 4 December 2011, Prime Minister Andrew Holness called parliamentary elections for 29 December, nine months earlier than they were constitutionally due. The nomination form must then be submitted during a four-hour period on nomination day. AnyВ Commonwealth citizenВ residing in Jamaica can vote in the election if they are older than 18 years.В To be included on theВ ballot, a nomination must include the signatures of at least ten eligible voters from the same constituency. T he Representation of the People Act permits the candidacy of voters above the age of 21.

The 63 members of theВ House of RepresentativesВ are elected in single-memberВ constituenciesВ byВ first-past-the-post voting.В There is noВ fixed election dateВ in effect inВ JamaicaВ at this time hence, the choice of election date is theВ prerogativeВ of the Prime Minister. The number of seats increased from 60 prior to the election. The sixteenthВ General ParliamentaryВ ElectionsВ were held inВ Jamaica on 2 December 2011 for all 63 seats in the House of Representatives.

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