Embattled Jamaican Pm Awaits Election Verdict

Jamaica went to the polls yesterday after a tight election campaign battered by a hurricane, political violence and economic woes.

Portia Simpson Miller, the country's first female prime minister, was battling to keep her job amid signs of voter fatigue after 18 years of rule by her People's National party.

Opinion polls put the opposition Jamaica Labour party, led by the veteran politician Bruce Golding, narrowly ahead.

Few policy or ideological differences divide the parties but, as the challenger, Mr Golding has promised bold attempts to kickstart the economy, create jobs and fight corruption.

About 1.3 million people are eligible to vote for the Caribbean island's 60-member parliament.

To shore up its popularity, the ruling party appointed Mrs Simpson Miller, 61, its leader 18 months ago, calculating that her humble origins and common touch would secure a fifth consecutive term.

The prime minister, widely known as Sista P, retains widespread affection. But confidence has been eroded by party scandals, violent crime and sluggish growth. When Hurricane Dean swept through coastal regions last month she was accused of hiding in a bunker.

"History hinges on a monumental vote today," the Gleaner, a leading daily, said yesterday. It predicted that the leader of the losing party would step down.

At least 17 people were reportedly killed in political violence in the run-up to the election. Yesterday seemed relatively calm, with soldiers and police guarding polling stations to prevent a repeat of the shootouts of previous election days.

Germane Reid, a 26-year-old guitar player, waved a small Jamaican flag as he headed into a school in the capital Kingston to cast a vote for the Labour party. "We really need a change. The country is really rough," Mr Reid said, citing a lack of job opportunities.

In another part of the city a ruling party supporter, Tony Brown, 43, said the prime minister deserved more time. "Give her a chance to finish," he said.