Bahamas holds rare snap election as voters weigh cost-of-living crisis
Al Jazeera Staff
Voters in the Bahamas head to the polls in a snap election that could give Prime Minister Philip Davis and his PLP a second consecutive term — a rare feat not seen since 1997. The election, called early due to hurricane concerns, is dominated by issues of high living costs, slow wage growth, and rising housing prices. The race has tightened amid revelations about no-bid government contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
A snap election is underway in the Bahamas, where voters are casting ballots to determine whether to grant Prime Minister Philip Davis and his governing Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) a rare second consecutive term.
If Davis wins Wednesday’s election, he would become the first leader of the Caribbean island nation to serve two consecutive terms in nearly 30 years. His main opponent is Michael Pintard, leader of the Free National Movement (FNM).
“Today, we vote to keep The Bahamas moving forward,” Davis wrote on social media. “Protect our progress, sustain our momentum, and secure what’s next. Vote PLP. Choose progress.”
Cost-of-living pressures, sluggish wage growth and skyrocketing housing prices topped voters’ concerns as parties vied for 41 seats in the House of Assembly. The election was originally scheduled for October but was called early by Davis amid worries about holding a vote during hurricane season, according to Reuters.
The Nassau Guardian reported that no political party has successfully formed a government for two consecutive terms since 1997, when FNM’s Hubert Ingraham defeated the PLP for a second straight time.
Davis first took power in a snap election in 2021, and the PLP hopes to again capitalise on its strong majority of 32 seats in the 39-seat legislature. Two additional seats were added for this election on the recommendation of the Independent Electoral Commission, bringing the total to 41.
The Nassau Guardian reported that the campaign saw high spending, along with misinformation spreading on social media and occasionally using artificial intelligence. The newspaper said the race had tightened in recent weeks after revelations about potentially improper government spending, including hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts awarded without tenders.
