Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness was sworn in on Tuesday for his fourth tenure as Jamaica’s head of government, making history as the first Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader to secure three consecutive electoral victories. In a wide-ranging address at King’s House, St. Andrew, he appealed for national unity after a fiercely contested September 3 General Election, calling on Jamaicans to put aside political divisions and focus on building a stronger nation.
Holness, whose JLP won 35 seats to the People’s National Party’s (PNP) 28, extended an olive branch to Opposition Leader Mark Golding, urging collaboration on key national issues, particularly constitutional reform and Jamaica’s transition to a republic.
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“The elections are over. We must reunite and refocus on the business of the nation. Regardless of the outcome, we must choose Jamaica,” Holness said. “I extend my hand to the Opposition to create a space for the national interest; let us partner together to complete the work we started on making Jamaica a republic.”
Jamaica’s push to become a republic has been debated for decades, with momentum growing after Holness established a Constitutional Reform Committee in 2023. In December 2024, the government tabled the Constitution (Amendment) (Republic) Bill in Parliament. But the PNP has since boycotted talks, insisting the republic issue must also resolve Jamaica’s final appellate jurisdiction—whether to replace the U.K. Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice. Holness said achieving consensus was vital, framing the matter as a national goal rather than a partisan fight.
Holness highlighted his administration’s achievements since 2016, including reducing Jamaica’s debt-to-GDP ratio from 120% to 62%, cutting unemployment to record lows, and lowering crime levels. Still, he stressed these were only the foundation for broader national transformation. “We have stabilized the ship, set the destination, and laid the foundation upon which we must now build a greater vision,” he said. “Our people are too talented, our culture too rich, and our geography too strategic for us to stop short of greatness.”
He announced the launch of the SPEED (Streamlining Processes for Efficiency and Economic Development) Task Force, designed to modernize government services by digitizing transactions, streamlining approvals, and cutting bureaucratic delays. Holness argued this would boost productivity while tackling corruption.
Holness also warned that economic growth would mean little if Jamaica failed to confront its entrenched culture of violence. While homicides are at their lowest levels in decades, he said social violence remains a pressing threat. “We must go beyond fighting crime to fighting the culture of violence itself,” he declared. “This requires the partnership of the whole society—families, schools, churches, businesses, and communities—to restore civility, discipline, and respect.”
Looking outward, Holness pledged to elevate Jamaica’s standing on the world stage, leveraging its cultural influence and democratic record to attract investment and strengthen international partnerships. “Economic strength must be matched by diplomatic strength,” he said. “Jamaica must not only consume ideas from the world, but shape them—whether in trade, technology, climate, or culture.”
Holness, who first assumed office in 2011, has now secured his place among Jamaica’s longest-serving leaders. His successive wins mark a rare period of continuity in a political system long dominated by alternating power between the JLP and PNP. With a new mandate, Holness pledged to lead an inclusive, consultative administration and urged Jamaicans to move past the “thrill of victory and agony of defeat.”
“Our history is too proud, our culture too rich, and our future too full of promise for us to allow division to hold us back,” he said. “Now is the time to choose Jamaica.”
