The elections on 2 May 2007 turned out once again to be a duel between the two major parties: the ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the opposition Free National Movement (FNM). At stake were the 41 seats in the House of Assembly, which included one newly-created seat.
In the last elections held in 2002, the PLP had a sizeable victory, taking 29 of 40 seats, while the FNM took seven, losing 27. The remainder went to independent candidates.
The main issues in the 2007 elections, which were contested by 111 candidates, were the economy, foreign investment and immigration policy.
Prime Minister Perry Christie of the PLP, who was seeking a second consecutive term in office, called on voters to support his government's economic record, which he claimed had attracted 20 billion dollars of foreign investment. The FNM was led by Mr. Hubert Ingraham, who had been Prime Minister from 1992 to 2002. It argued that the government had done too much to accommodate investors, and insisted the country's land should be leased rather than sold to foreign investors.
The ruling PLP had been under severe criticism due to several scandals, including the residency application of American model Anna Nicole Smith, who lived in the Bahamas until her death in the US in February 2007. The Immigration Minister had been forced to resign, after being accused of having fast-tracked Smith's resident permit.
Against this background, both parties pledged to deal squarely with migration and to take steps to stem illegal immigration to the country.
Over 91 per cent of the country's 150,000 registered voters turned out at the polls.
The final results gave the FNM 23 seats, while the PLP took 18, losing nine. Mr. Christie became the first Bahamian Prime Minister to be ousted after only one term in office.
On 4 May, Mr. Ingraham was sworn in as Prime Minister.
On 23 May, the newly elected House of Assembly held its first session together with the Senate. The Senate comprises 16 appointed members but was convened with three vacant seats due to a row over the allocation of these three seats (see note). On the same day, Mr. Alvin Smith (FNM) was appointed Speaker of the House of Assembly. On 24 May, Ms. Lynn Holowesko was appointed Senate President.
Note:
The Prime Minister designates nine senators, while the leader of the opposition names four. The Governor-General appoints the remaining three on the advice of the Prime Minister, after consultation with the opposition leader. The PLP insisted that these three seats should be given to the PLP pursuant to Articles 39 and 40 of the Constitution, which provide that the Prime Minister must ensure that the balance in the House of Assembly is reflected in the Senate.
On 18 June, two new senators endorsed by the FNM were sworn in, despite the opposition of the PLP. One seat remained vacant as at 4 July 2007. |
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