By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRESSURE is mounting for boundary changes in the Killarney and Golden Isles constituencies, with Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) supporters insisting that voter parity must be addressed before the next general election.

Although party officials expect changes, no official from the government or the Constituencies Commission has confirmed any changes or even updated the public on their deliberations.

Sources close to the matter told The Tribune the commission is expected to meet this week.

New voter registration data shows Golden Isles with 7,524 registered voters and Killarney with 7,082, making them the most populated constituencies in the country.

While Bahamian law doesn’t fix a specific voter count per constituency, the Constitution requires boundaries to reflect population size and demands that any major imbalances be backed by compelling practical reasons.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, while in opposition, supported redrawing the lines in Golden Isles and Killarney — not adding new constituencies but rebalancing the existing ones.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be more constituencies, just has to ensure that the lines are redrawn to ensure parity and if that is possible by the present numbers then you have no issues,” he said then.

Killarney MP and former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis remained noncommittal yesterday, saying he awaits the commission’s findings.

Free National Movement (FNM) chairman Dr Duane Sands acknowledged hearing rumors.

He deemed potential changes reasonable, but challenged the underlying motives.

“They can do that but bear in mind that that strategy has not been effective in terms of changing the outcome of elections but if it’s being done to provide equity and fair play then certainly it’s not unreasonable,” he said.

Demetrius Wallace, a PLP executive in Killarney, said boundary cuts are overdue to correct imbalances.

“When a constituency is grown too large and they are parallel to each other they have to make a cut,” he said. “Whenever the cut is made, I think it’s going to favour Mr (Ronald) Duncombe.”

Golden Isles PLP supporter Fredrick Rolle echoed the sentiment, pointing to the MP’s limited reach in such a large constituency.

“It’s the biggest inside New Providence and the budget for all constituencies is still the same, so you make it difficult for it to touch everybody.”

Resident Lashanda Riley agreed, suggesting that a split would enhance local representation.

“If they split, it makes sense because we will have more leaders do more,” she said.

Residents have long voiced frustration about decline and neglect in Golden Isles, raising the stakes for upcoming changes.

Sources told The Tribune that boundary adjustments are also under consideration in other areas, such as West Grand Bahama and Bimini, the latter reportedly growing due to job opportunities.

That constituency now has 6,070 registered voters.

Other densely populated constituencies include Central Grand Bahama, Marco City, East Grand Bahama, Carmichael, Fox

Hill, and Tall Pines — each with more than 6,000 voters. In stark contrast, Long Island has only 1,773; Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador, 1,609; and the Mayaguana-Inagua-Crooked Island-Acklins cluster just 1,340. 

Under the previous Minnis administration, a permanent voter register was introduced due to the COVID-19 crisis. But as election season looms and Prime Minister Davis urges citizens to get ready, doubts about the register’s integrity are intensifying. 

Dr Sands cast doubt on whether any real audit has taken place.

“We’ve had no evidence that that has actually happened,” he said.

He also criticised the government’s handling of citizenship approvals.

“When we look at what has happened with the former minister Bell and the reckless approach that he took to the administration of his post, only to get slapped on wrist and just moved around,” he said.

“So you wonder whether or not the public’s interest is being protected.”

“All of these things are questions that needs to be answered."