Coalition of Independents

Coalition of Independents
Abbreviation	COI
Party Leader	Lincoln Bain
Deputy Leader	Dr. Veronica McIver
Founded	April 2021;4 years ago (2021-04)
Ideology	Social liberalism Populism
Colours	Aquamarine, Gold & Black
Slogan	IT'S TIME FOR THE NEW BAHAMAS
House of Assembly	1 / 39
Website
Coalition Of Independents Website
Politics of The Bahamas Political parties Elections

The Coalition Of Independents (abbreviated COI) is a populist and social liberal party in the Bahamas. Lincoln Bain is party leader.

History

Bahamian Evolution was co-founded by Lincoln Bain, Charlotte Green, and Cara Ellis. The organization gained attention through documentaries Bain wrote, produced, and directed. These documentaries sparked widespread discussions about the value and potential of the country's natural resources and sparked public concern. ^[1]

In March 2021, Bishop Walter Hanchell invited independent candidates and third-party representatives to discuss forming a coalition. The group agreed to collaborate, selecting a name and drafting a mission statement. Bain was elected as the leader. The Coalition of Independents officially launched in April 2021. ^[2]

In April 2025, COI achieved a significant milestone when Iram Lewis, the Member of Parliament for Central Grand Bahama, announced his decision to withdraw from the Free National Movement (FNM). This move made Lewis the first sitting MP to represent COI. Lewis cited "an erosion of trust, lack of support, and a sense of unease over the direction his former party has taken as elections draw nearer". ^[3]

2021 Electoral results

COI contested 32 out of 39 seats and secured 6.2% of the total votes, nearly 8,000, outperforming the more established Democratic National Alliance (DNA). ^[4] Despite winning no seats, the party continued to campaign on its platform of empowering Bahamians and advocating for equitable access to resources.

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Progressive Liberal Party	66,407	52.59	32	+28
	Free National Movement	46,030	36.45	6	–27
	Coalition of Independents	8,388	6.64	1	1
	Democratic National Alliance	1,497	1.19	0	0
	United Coalition Movement	590	0.47	0	New
	Kingdom Government Movement	530	0.42	0	New
	Grand Commonwealth Party	260	0.21	0	New
	Bahamas Constitution Party	120	0.10	0	0
	Righteous Government Movement	61	0.05	0	New
	Faith that Moves Mountains Party	18	0.01	0	New
	Bahamian Way Forward Movement	11	0.01	0	New
	Independents	2,359	1.87	0	0
Total		126,271	100.00	39	0
Registered voters/turnout		194,524	–
Source: CLEA

References

1. "More than 200 supporters flood Rawson Square in natural resources protest". 19 November 2020.
2. "About Lincoln Bain". THE INDEPENDENTS.
3. Turnquest, Ava (2 April 2025). "'IRAM RESIGNS: Central GB MP leaves FNM for Coalition of Independents'". The Tribune. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
4. "RISE OF THE COALITION: COI captures six percent of vote; outperforms DNA in first run". 21 September 2021.

External links

• www.coalitionofindependents.com