Jamaican polls close, voters await results

By Jim Loney

KINGSTON (Reuters) - Jamaicans faced down long lines at polling stations, threats of violence and the fringes of a hurricane to vote on Monday in an election that could bring a quick end to the tenure of Jamaica's first woman prime minister.

Pre-election polls indicated a narrow victory for the opposition Jamaica Labour Party, which would end 18 years in power for the People's National Party, led by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller since early last year.

Rain from the fringes of Hurricane Felix soaked parts of the island as the powerful storm churned 250 miles to the south. Large sea swells flooded the road to Kingston's airport but the hurricane appeared to have little of its feared impact on election day.

The vote had already been delayed a week by Hurricane Dean, which hammered the island 15 days ago.

Polls closed at 5 p.m. local time (6 p.m. EDT) but officials said anyone in line would be allowed to vote.

Election director Danville Walker called turnout "quite robust" despite a few glitches including delayed poll openings and one incident of gunfire near a Kingston voting station. A JLP supporter told TV Jamaica that gunmen wearing the orange shirts of the PNP drove up and opened fire.

But the Caribbean island of 2.8 million people appeared to largely escape election day violence, after at least 10 people died on the weekend in shootings that provided a tense reminder of past political violence.

Thousands of police and soldiers were assigned to keep the peace. Camouflage-clad troops carrying rifles were seen at some polling stations.