KINGSTON, Jamaica — The People’s National Party (PNP) says it is confident of victory as it presented its 63 candidates today for the September 3 General Elections.

The party said Andrew Holness and his government have failed to advance a better quality of life for the Jamaican people and their families.

PNP President Dr Peter Phillips said all the party’s candidates have been duly nominated, and called upon the Jamaican people to end the reign of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) government which has been characterised by a “litany of corruption crises and abuse of power”.

He said the time has come for a government for the people, who puts their concerns first and will establish policies to improve their standards of living significantly.

The party said in the last four and a half years of the JLP administration, the country has experienced a record number of murders and violence in many communities throughout the island.

“More than 7,000 of our citizens across the demographic spectrum, have been murdered and many more faced horrific episodes of violence from an expanding registry of violent gangs. The JLP administration has presided over an unprecedented level of nepotism, cronyism, and corruption within the state apparatus, which has resulted in the misappropriation of more than $14 billion of taxpayers’ funds,” the party said.

It added that under the JLP administration, there has been an unparalleled movement of prices on basic food items, and the widening of the gap between the haves and have-nots.

“No amount of public relations gimmickry can camouflage the reality of an increased cost of living for most ordinary citizens,” the party continued.

The PNP said in the coming days, its candidates would make the case against this JLP administration which has brought misery onto the Jamaican society, especially on the most vulnerable among us.

“When the PNP left office, the economy was poised for growth because the macro-economic foundation was stable; inflation was three per cent in that year, the lowest in 40 years; and both consumer and business confidence was trending upwards and positive,” the party said.

“We are confident that on September 3, the people of Jamaica will finally put an end to the continuous episode of corruption and maladministration that has become the hallmark of the Andrew Holness-led JLP government.

“What we have seen is prosperity for a few and total suffering for the majority; we cannot build a society on injustice and inequality,” the PNP said.