1980 Jamaican general election

(Redirected from Jamaican general election, 1980)

1980 Jamaica general election

← 1976

30 October 1980

1983 →

All 60 seats in the House of Representatives
31 seats needed for a majority

Turnout

86.91% (

1.70pp)

Party		Leader	Vote %	Seats	+/–
	JLP	Edward Seaga	58.88	51	+38
	PNP	Michael Manley	41.05	9	−38

This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Prime Minister before	Prime Minister after
Michael Manley PNP	Edward Seaga JLP

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v t e

General elections were held in Jamaica on 30 October 1980. The balance of power in the 60-seat Jamaican House of Representatives was dramatically-shifted. Prior to the vote, the People's National Party (PNP), led by Prime Minister Michael Manley, had a 47 to 13 majority over the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), led by Edward Seaga. With the loss by 38 PNP incumbents to their JLP challengers, Seaga's party captured a 51 to 9 majority and Seaga replaced Manley as Prime Minister of Jamaica. Voter turnout was 87%.

Conduct

The elections were marked by gun violence, exacerbated by economic pressure related to IMF austerity, lay-offs of public workers, and blackouts due to a national electric strike. 153 elderly women died in the Eventide Home fire on 20 May, which was suspected, but not proven, to have been started by politically-motivated arsonists.

Results



Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Jamaica Labour Party	502,115	58.88	51	+38
	People's National Party	350,064	41.05	9	–38
	Independents	527	0.06	0	New
Total		852,706	100.00	60	0

Valid votes		852,706	99.07
Invalid/blank votes		8,040	0.93
Total votes		860,746	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		990,417	86.91
Source: Nohlen

References

^ Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p430 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
H.G. Helps (30 October 2012). "The bloody general election that changed Jamaica". Jamaica Observer. Archived from the original on 2023-05-03.
Remembering the Eventide Home fire victims Jamaica Observer, 21 May 2018

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Referendums	1961

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