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JLP awaits Tufton's decision on seat loss

Published:Sunday | January 1, 2012 | 1:06 PM

The Jamaica Labour Party’s campaign director, Karl Samuda says the JLP will await a decision by its candidate for South West St Elizabeth before making a collective stance on whether to challenge the official results of Thursday’s general election.



The Director of Elections Orrette Fisher has confirmed that Dr Tufton lost his seat. Dr Tufton lost by 13 votes to the Peoples' National Party's (PNP), Hugh Buchanan after the official ballot count yesterday.



Dr Tufton, a deputy leader of the JLP, appeared to have won the seat by 101 votes in the preliminary count, polling 9,426 votes to Buchanan’s 9,325.



However, Mr Samuda says the party will wait to hear whether Dr. Tufton will request a magisterial recount.



In the event that the result stands the PNP would move to 42 seats in the House of Representatives and the JLP 21.



Dr. Tufton, who had won the seat by 1,825 votes in 2007 would also join Robert Montague (Western St Mary) and Clive Mullings (West Central St James) as government ministers to have lost their seats.



Hugh Buchanan is son of the former South West St. Elizabeth MP, the late Donald Buchanan.