KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) convened its Central Executive meeting Sunday morning at the party’s Belmont Road headquarters in St Andrew, marking the first gathering of the party’s highest decision-making body since the September 3 general elections.
The emergency session, chaired by Party Chairman Robert Montague, Member of Parliament for St Mary West, focused primarily on developing enhanced strategies to support citizens devastated by Hurricane Melissa. JLP Communication Taskforce Chairman Senator Abka Fitz-Henley addressed media representatives prior to the closed-door meeting, emphasizing the urgency of the recovery efforts.
Despite progress in restoring basic services—with approximately 70% of the population regaining access to running water and 80% having electricity reconnected—Senator Fitz-Henley acknowledged that statistical improvements provide little comfort to those still without essential utilities. The destruction of numerous small businesses has compounded the crisis, requiring immediate and comprehensive intervention.
The governing party recognizes the particular significance of accelerating recovery efforts with Christmas and New Year celebrations approaching. Fitz-Henley stated the JLP’s commitment to ‘bringing as much convenience to the lives of our people as is possible’ during this challenging period.
Prime Minister and JLP Leader Dr. Andrew Holness delivered the keynote address at the meeting, outlining the government’s roadmap for helping Jamaicans ‘build back stronger’ from the natural disaster. The party leadership emphasized that conventional political operations must yield to prioritized disaster response, recognizing their institutional responsibility to stand in solidarity with citizens facing adversity.