PM defends Gov't spending in constituencies ahead of by-elections

Prime Minister Andrew Holness is rejecting claims that the Government is using the public pursue to finance or sponsor by-elections.

Speaking with The Gleaner at Jamaica House last week, Holness dismissed suggestions that his administration was pumping resources into constituencies to win by-elections, noting that these claims were "unfair and not true".

The Government was heavily criticised by the People's National Party (PNP) for announcing a $600 million Junction road rehabilitation programme in St Mary South East at a time when by-elections were called for the constituency. The PNP had accused the Government of using the project to garner votes for its party in the by-elections.

However, the prime minister said that the allocations made in the constituencies that had by-elections were justified.

"In South East St Mary, the allocations that were made there were justified. In North Western St Andrew, the allocations that were made were justified and were in the works long before the election was called, and that is very important."

The prime minister emphasised that the Government could not make allocations as soon as by-elections were called, noting that the money would have had to be programmed in the Budget. "The accusations that have been made are unfair and not true," he insisted.

"When I walked in St Andrew North West in the recent by-elections, there was scarcely a home or community that I visited that the residents did not point out the condition of the road. They weren't saying, 'Fix the roads after the elections.' They were saying, 'Fix my road now'. That's the reality. We are the Government and we have responded to the request of the people."