Bahamian general election, 2012

Bahamian general election, 2012
All 38 seats of the Bahamian House of Assembly ; 20 seats needed for a majority
	New Providence Results Family Island Results Grand Bahama Results Colours denote the winning party, as shown in the main table of results
Prime Minister before election; Hubert Ingraham ; FNM	Prime Minister ; Perry Christie ; PLP

Last updated March 12, 2019

A general election was held in the Bahamas on 7 May 2012.^[1] Elections in the Bahamas take place in the framework of a parliamentary democracy, which relies on the first past the post system of voting. This was the first general election in which a third party offered a full slate of candidates along with the two major parties.^[2]^{[ better source needed ]} The opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) won a majority in the election making Perry Christie prime minister.

The Bahamas, known officially as the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is a country within the Lucayan Archipelago. The archipelagic state consists of more than 700 islands, cays, and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, and is located north of Cuba and Hispaniola, northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, southeast of the U.S. state of Florida, and east of the Florida Keys. The capital is Nassau on the island of New Providence. The designation of "the Bahamas" can refer either to the country or to the larger island chain that it shares with the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force describes the Bahamas territory as encompassing 470,000 km² (180,000 sq mi) of ocean space.

The Democratic National Alliance is one of the three main political parties in The Bahamas, formed in May 2011. The interim leader of the DNA is Christopher Mortimer, succeeding the party's first leader and original founder Branville McCartney who resigned following the events of the Bahamian general election, 2017.{Arnithia Komolafe}·° was elected as the party's deputy leader shortly after Mortimer's appointment

A major party is a political party that holds substantial influence in a country's politics, standing in contrast to a minor party. It should not be confused with majority party.

Background

The Free National Movement had defeated the Progressive Liberal Party in the 2007 general election amid a scandal involving the residency status of model and reality television star Anna Nicole Smith and allegations that the PLP's then-immigration minister had fast-tracked her application to live in the islands.^[3]

The Free National Movement is a conservative political party in The Bahamas formed in the 1970s, led by Cecil Wallace Whitfield. The current leader of the party is Hubert Minnis and his deputy is Peter Turnquest. It dominated the General Election held on 10 May 2017, winning 35 of the 39 seats in the Legislature.

Residency is the act of establishing or maintaining a residence in a given place. Residency is a concept which heavily affects the legal rights and responsibilities that are available to a person, including eligibility to vote, eligibility to stand for political office, eligibility to access government services, responsibility to pay taxes, and on and so forth.

Opinion polls

An opinion poll was carried out by Public Domain, a market research and public opinion polling company, between 2 and 12 March 2012 that involved 501 respondents. A sample of this proportion only represented a maximum margin of error of 4.4 per cent. The poll showed that the Free National Movement's (FNM) core support was the highest at 30.5 per cent, followed by the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) at 23.7 per cent, and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) at 16.5 per cent. A total of 12.2 per cent of the sample were undecided voters. Also the poll revealed that the PLP's swing voters constituted 6.6 per cent of the sample; the largest swing voter percentage. They were followed by the DNA ( who had 5.2 per cent swing voters ) and the FNM ( who had 3.7 per cent swing voters ). Therefore, the total support for the FNM was around 34.2 per cent, which was followed by the PLP's 30.3 per cent and the DNA's 21.7 per cent. It should be noted that if any of the two leading parties were to win the support of the entire 12.2 per cent undecided voters, they would win the general election. A question was asked during the polling process that went, According to you, which party will win the next election?. The results were that the FNM would ( at 32% ), the PLP would ( at 32% ) and the DNA would ( at 8% ) win the next general election. The poll also reported that 52% of the electorate was against reelecting the incumbent Free National Movement, while 55.9% opposed electing the PLP and 64.5% rejected electing the DNA.^[4]

The incumbent is the current holder of an office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent(s). For example, in the Hungarian presidential election, 2017, János Áder was the incumbent, because he had been the president in the term before the term for which the election sought to determine the president. A race without an incumbent is referred to as an open seat.

Results

The opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) won a majority in a landslide election victory, taking 30 of the 38 seats in parliament.^[3] PLP leader Perry Christie, who had previously served as Prime Minister, was sworn into office on 8 May 2012, at approximately 4 pm.^[3]

The Progressive Liberal Party is a populist and social liberal party in the Bahamas. The PLP lies on the centre-left of the political spectrum. Philip "Brave" Davis is the leader of the party after Perry Christie lost his bid for re-election as a representative in the 2017 election.

Perry Gladstone Christie, PC, MP, is a Bahamian former politician who served as Prime Minister of the Bahamas from 2002 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2017. He is the longest-serving Bahamian elected parliamentarian, representing the Centreville constituency from 1977 to 2017. He is also a former athlete. His Progressive Liberal Party is the oldest Bahamian political party, holding solid majorities in the Bahamian Parliament several times in its long history.

Outgoing Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham announced his retirement from politics following the defeat of his Free National Movement (FNM).^[3] He had served in Parliament for thirty-five years, winning re-election seven times, including 2012.^[3] Ingraham told supporters, "I gave it the best I could and now I've been rejected by the public of the Bahamas...We had no indication from the general public they would go that way."^[3] Ingraham then confirmed his retirement, saying, "I am going to go back to my little law office and enjoy life with my family."^[3]

Hubert Alexander Ingraham is a Bahamian politician who was Prime Minister of the Bahamas from August 1992 to May 2002 and again from May 2007 to May 2012. He is a member of the Free National Movement Party (FNM). Prior to the 2012 election, he was the FNM's Party Leader and was the Member of Parliament for the North Abaco constituency. He served as Leader of the Opposition in the House of Assembly from 2005 to 2007.

The Democratic National Alliance lost the only seat it held in the prior parliament (that of Branville McCartney, its founder and only MP) and elected no candidates.

William Arthur Branville McCartney or Branville McCartney is a Bahamian politician and Barrister of the Inner Temple. Mr McCartney is one of the founders of and the leader of the Democratic National Alliance. He previously served in the Cabinet of the third Ingraham administration, but resigned before the 2012 general elections were called. McCartney is a graduate of Kingsway Academy's class of 1985 and of Holborn College's class of 1989. He holds and LLB Honours Degree and was subsequently admitted to the Bar of England and Wales as well as the Bar of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas in 1990. In 2000 McCartney started his own law firm, Halsbury Law which hosts an annual free legal clinic, the only one in the country opened to the general public.

e • d **Summary of the 7 May 2012 General Election of The Bahamas**
Parties		Total Seats			Votes	Percentage
Parties		Before	After	±	Votes	Percentage
	Progressive Liberal Party	19	29	10	75,815	48.62%
	Free National Movement	21	9	12	65,633	42.09%
	Democratic National Alliance	1	0	1	13,225	8.48%
	Bahamas Constitution Party	0	0	0	96	0.06%
	Independent	0	0	0	1,177	0.75%
Total		41	38	3	155,946	100%
Source:

By constituency

Key

FNM – Free National Movement

PLP – Progressive Liberal Party

DNA – Democratic National Alliance

BCP – Bahamas Constitution Party

IND – Independent

† denotes constituency previously held by candidate's party

†† denotes incumbent candidate and party

All percentages are rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent.

edit

Electoral District Total votes	Candidates				Incumbent
Electoral District Total votes	FNM	PLP	DNA	Other	Incumbent
Bain & Grants Town 4,962	John Bostwick II 1,754 (35.35%)	Bernard Nottage 2,856 (57.56%)	Rodney Moncur 333 (6.71%)	Mario Clarke (IND) 19 (0.38%)	Bernard Nottage
Bamboo Town 4,952	Cassius Stuart 1,661 (33.54%)	Renward Wells 1,940 (39.18%)	Branville McCartney 1,022 (20.64%)	Craig Butler (IND) 329 (6.64%)	Branville McCartney
Carmichael 4,769	Darron Cash 2,063 (43.26%)	Daniel Johnson 2,157 (45.23%)	Theofanis Chochinamogulos 527 (11.05%)	Glen Rolle (IND) 22 (0.46%)	Desmond Bannister
Cat Island, Rum Cay & San Salvador 1,480	Michael Pintard 693 (46.82%)	Philip "Brave" Davis 778 (52.57%)	Shawn Francis 9 (0.61%)		Philip Brave Davis
Central & South Abaco 2,967	Edison Key 1,490 (50.22%)	Gary Sawyer 1,235 (41.62%)	Roscoe Thompson 242 (8.16%)		Edison Key
Central & South Eleuthera 2,775	Howard Johnson 1,326 (47.78%)	Damian Gomez 1,392 (50.16%)	William Hunt 57 (2.05%)		James Ingraham
Central Grand Bahama 5,202	Neko Grant 2,505 (48.15%)	Julian Russell 2,354 (45.25%)	Howard Grant, Jr. 343 (6.59%)		new district
Centreville 4,853	Ella Lewis 1,601 (32.99%)	Perry Christie 2,950 (60.79%)	Celi Moss 302 (6.22%)		new district
East Grand Bahama 4,758	Peter Turnquest 2,239 (47.06%)	Tanisha Tynes 2,060 (43.30%)	Ferline Bridgewater-Thomas 402 (8.45%)	Philip Thomas (IND) 57 (1.20%)	new district
Elizabeth 4,372	Duane Sands 1,925 (44.03%)	Ryan Pinder 2,049 (46.87%)	Charlene Paul 385 (8.81%)	Jay Armbrister (IND) 13 (0.30%)	Ryan Pinder
Englerston 4,806	Caron Shepard 1,576 (32.79%)	Glenys Hanna Martin 2,962 (61.63%)	Nicholas Jacques 219 (4.56%)	S. Ali McIntosh (BCP) 18 (0.37%) Paul Rolle (IND) 5 (0.10%) C. Rashard Amahad (IND) 7 (0.15%) Alexander Morley (IND) 19 (0.40%)	Glenys Hanna Martin
Exumas & Ragged Island 2,697	Phenton Neymour 1,235 (45.79%)	Anthony Moss 1,355 (50.24%)	Floyd Ambrister 94 (3.49%)	Colin Miller (BCP) 8 (0.30%) Reginald Smith (IND) 5 (0.19%)	Anthony Moss
Fort Charlotte 4,620	Zhivargo Laing 1,975 (42.75%)	Andre Rollins 2,126 (46.02%)	Mark Humes 519 (11.23%)		Alfred Sears
Fox Hill 4,370	Shonell Ferguson 1,571 (35.95%)	Fred Mitchell 2,448 (56.02%)	Kendal Smith 351 (8.03%)		Fred Mitchell
Garden Hills 4,512	Brensil Rolle 1,913 (42.40%)	Kendal Major 2,181 (48.34%)	Kelphene Cunningham 382 (8.47%)	Paul Moss (IND) 36 (0.80%)	Brensil Rolle
Golden Gates 4,822	Winsome Miller 1,556 (32.27%)	Shane Gibson 2,831 (58.71%)	Allsworth Pickstock 435 (9.02%)		Shane Gibson
Golden Isles 4,614	Charles Maynard 1,813 (39.29%)	Michael Halkitis 2,220 (48.11%)	Farrell Goff 581 (12.59%)		Michael Halkitis
Killarney 4,598	Hubert Minnis 2,434 (52.94%)	Jerome Gomez 1,642 (3,571%)	Prodesta Moore 522 (11.35%)		Hubert Minnis
Long Island 1,729	Loretta Butler-Turner 979 (56.62%)	Alex Storr 531 (30.71%)	Mario Cartwright 219 (12.67%)		Lawrence Cartwright
Mangrove Cay & South Andros 2,037	Ronald Bostfield 532 (26.12%)	Picewell Forbes 794 (38.98%)	Wayde Forbes 85 (4.17%)	Whitney Bastian (IND) 626 (30.73%)	Picewell Forbes
Marathon 4,408	Heather Hunt 1,907 (43.26%)	Jerome Fitzgerald 2,164 (49.09%)	Karen Davis 337 (7.65%)		Earl Deveaux
Marco City 5,112	Norris Bain 2,287 (44.74%)	Gregory Moss 2,528 (49.45%)	Tolonus Sands 284 (5.56%)	Leslie Minus (IND) 13 (0.25%)	Zhivargo Laing
Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay 1,325	Sidney Collie 650 (49.06%)	V. Alfred Gray 672 (50.72%)	Jamarl Chea 3 (0.23%)		V. Alfred Gray
Montagu 4,750	Richard Lightbourn 2,227 (46.88%)	Frank Smith 1,999 (42.08%)	Benjamin Albury 514 (10.82%)	Graham Weatherford (IND) 10 (0.21%)	Loretta Turner
Mount Moriah 4,746	Tommy Turnquest 2,013 (42.41%)	Arnold Forbes 2,262 (47.66%)	Wayne Munroe 471 (9.92%)		Tommy Turnquest
Nassau Village 4,692	Basil Moss 1,518 (32.35%)	Dion Smith 2,308 (49.19%)	Christopher Mortimer 834 (17.77%)	Simon Smith (BCP) 32 (0.68%)	new district
North Abaco 4,130	Hubert Ingraham 2,235 (54.12%)	Renardo Curry 1,856 (44.94%)	Sonith Lockhart 39 (0.94%)		Hubert Ingraham
North Andros & Berry Islands 2,445	Desmond Bannister 1,168 (47.77%)	Perry Gomez 1,192 (48.75%)	Randy Butler 85 (3.48%)		Vincent Peet
North Eleuthera 3,520	Theo Neilly 1,787 (50.77%)	Clay Sweeting 1,686 (47.90%)	George Taylor 47 (1.34%)		Alvin Smith
Pineridge 4,637	Kwasi Thompson 1,808 (38.99%)	Michael Darville 2,635 (56.83%)	Osman Johnson 194 (4.18%)		James Thompson
Pinewood 4,419	Byron Woodside 1,763 (39.90%)	Khaalis Rolle 2,231 (50.49%)	Wellington Woods 409 (9.26%)	Elkin Sutherland (IND) 16 (0.36%)	Byron Woodside
Seabreeze 4,556	Carl Bethel 1,897 (41.64%)	Hope Strachan 2,095 (45.98%)	Alfred Poitier 543 (11.92%)	Brenda T. Harris (BCP) 21 (0.46%)	Carl Bethel
South Beach 4,450	Monique Gomez 1,785 (40.11%)	Cleola Hamilton 2,029 (45.60%)	Wallace Rolle 619 (13.91%)	James Williams (BCP) 17 (0.38%)	Phenton Neymour
Southern Shores 4,342	Kenyatta Gibson 1,762 (40.58%)	Kendrick Dorsett 2,080 (47.90%)	Madeline Sawyer 500 (11.52%)		new district
St. Anne's 4,337	Hubert Chipman 2,348 (54.14%)	Gregory Burrows 1,532 (35.32%)	Prince Smith 457 (10.54%)		Brent Symonette
Tall Pines 4,451	Karen Butler 1,549 (34.80%)	Leslie Miller 2,516 (56.53%)	Dario Terrelli 386 (8.67%)		new district
West Grand Bahama & Bimini 5,191	Pakesia Parker 2,233 (43.02%)	Obediah Wilchcombe 2,877 (55.42%)	Rodger Rolle 81 (1.56%)		Obediah Wilchcombe
Yamacraw 4,522	Dion Foulkes 1,856 (41.04%)	Melanie Griffin 2,292 (50.69%)	Maurice Smith 374 (8.27%)		Melanie Griffin

Source = http://www.bahamaselections.com/BahamasElections2012ResultsSummary.pdf

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References

↑ "Electoral Calendar – international elections world elections". mherrera.org. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
↑ McCartney and DNA makes political history . feeport.nassauguardian.net. The Guardian Business. 19 April 2012. Web.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Charles, Jacqueline (8 May 2012). "Bahamas swears in new leader as ex-prime minister calls the quits". Miami Herald . Retrieved 8 May 2012.
↑ Dames, Candia. "FNM and PLP in Statistical dead heat."The Guardian Business. 29 March 2012.n. pag.Web. 15 April 2012

External links

Nassau Guardian: 2012 Election results map of the Bahamas

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[1] "Electoral Calendar – international elections world elections". mherrera.org. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2011.

[2] McCartney and DNA makes political history . feeport.nassauguardian.net. The Guardian Business. 19 April 2012. Web.

[mherald-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Charles, Jacqueline (8 May 2012). "Bahamas swears in new leader as ex-prime minister calls the quits". Miami Herald . Retrieved 8 May 2012.

[4] Dames, Candia. "FNM and PLP in Statistical dead heat."The Guardian Business. 29 March 2012.n. pag.Web. 15 April 2012

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