The boundaries commission proposal
Sources have confirmed that the governing Free National Movement (FNM) is proposing to reduce the number of seats in the House of Assembly to 38 – the constitutional minimum – for the next general election. If the FNM sticks to this position, it would be a good thing.
We have long argued that there are too many seats in the current House (41) based on our population size (350,000). If the constitutional barrier did not exist, it would be easier to cut that number further. In Sir Lynden Pindling’s final election as prime minister in 1992 there were 49 seats in the House – an unjustifiable number.
The boundaries commission is expected to report to Parliament within a few weeks with its recommendations. We are very near to a general election, one likely to be called for early 2012. As of Monday, 136,615 people were registered to vote, according to the Parliamentary Registration Department. It is estimated that approximately 160,000 people are eligible to vote. With this announcement, and subsequent moves towards the election in the months to come, the rest of the electorate interested in voting will register, likely bring the total on the final voters’ list above the 150,684 voters who registered to vote in 2007.
If the governing side is able to finalize these cuts within the projected time frame, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham should be commended for concluding this part of the electoral process early. The boundaries commission reported late in the process under the administration of Perry Christie in 2007, causing some confusion.
Ingraham is likely aware of the recent record of ‘boundary cutters’ and he is not wasting time with this exercise which is essentially governed by the prime minister. In the last four general elections, the prime minister who cut the boundaries lost three out of four times (1992, 2002 and 2007). Too much significance is placed in this process in a modern Bahamas.
There are certain ethnic or historic communities that support parties for all manner of complex reasons. For example the residents of the old Shirlea in Palmdale support the FNM and not the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP). The residents of Englerston support the PLP and not the FNM.
However working class residents of the newer parts of New Providence, such as those residing in the southwestern part of the island, are less loyal. Constituencies such as South Beach and Carmichael go back and forth. These are swing areas and more and more of them are emerging.
It could be reasonably argued that there are currently 10 swing seats in the current configuration. These voters are worrying about crime, the economy, the roadwork and leadership. They are open to the best argument put forward by the best suitor. A wise leader or party should seek to present the best message to this group rather than wasting time in dark rooms cutting boundaries.
The next step for the parties once the boundaries are finally set is the finalization of their candidate slates and the presentation of their manifestos. Too often in Bahamian elections, manifestos come late and they are either too vague or too rambling.
Each party should put forth transformative ideas on crime, immigration and the economy in a coherent and digestible form. Then, the candidates and parties should state their cases on the campaign trail.
For the voters, this is your time to select a legislature and an executive. Take it seriously. It is a mighty task. At the minimum, we must all be engaged with the process and register to vote. Scrutinize them carefully. The men and women you chose to write the laws and govern will have extraordinary powers.
An election is nearly upon us.
Nov 09, 2011
