By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis announced last night that a by-election will be held in the Golden Isles constituency after Progressive Liberal Party ratified 14 candidates for the next general election, all incumbents except prominent businessman Sebas Bastian and Senator Darron Pickstock, who aims to succeed the late Vaughn Miller in Golden Isles.

When pressed for a specific by-election date, Mr Davis said it would be revealed “in due course”.

“PLPs,” he said, “I told y’all before, stay alert! Y’all ready? Because tonight, I’m announcing it officially. Golden Isles, a by-election is coming! Family, we ready?”

The rally itself was a political spectacle as the PLP headquarters was blanketed in a sea of yellow and blue as supporters poured in by the dozens, many draped in party paraphernalia such as flags, t-shirts, and glow sticks waving through the night.

The energy built steadily throughout the evening as supporters danced in the aisles, jumped to the beat of Junkanoo rhythms, and erupted into coordinated chants that echoed through the crowd. Every major speaker was greeted with cheers, horn blasts, and rhythmic drumming. As the programme reached its climax, fireworks exploded overhead, lighting up the night sky and sending the already frenzied supporters into a uproar.

Among those ratified were Cabinet ministers Pia Glover-Rolle for Golden Gates, Mario Bowleg for Garden Hills, Fred Mitchell for Fox Hill, Jobeth Coleby-Davis for Elizabeth, Jomo Campbell for Centreville, Myles Laroda for Pinewood, Keith Bell for Carmichael, and Leon Lundy for Mangrove Cay, Central and South Andros.

Also ratified were Leslia Miller-Brice for Seabreeze, Jamahl Strachan for Nassau Village, Mckell Bonaby for Mount Moriah, and Bacchus Rolle for South Beach. Mr Bastian was ratified as the candidate for Fort Charlotte, replacing outgoing MP Alfred Sears.

Mr Bastian, the sole newcomer to frontline politics among the 14, entered the stage to his theme song “If Sebas is Standing by Your Side”. He was joined by Mr Sears, whom he thanked for his service and described as a “buffalo soldier”.

He told the crowd he entered politics because he is a “problem solver” ready to “put the vision to work.” He said: “I am not looking for nothing because I am already blessed with enough.”

The night also featured fiery political messaging, with party veterans drawing contrasts between the PLP and the FNM. Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell sent a pointed message to Fox Hill FNM candidate Nicholas Fox, warning that “cutass is coming”.

Mr Davis devoted a significant portion of his speech to addressing the salary dispute with Bahamas Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson. Without naming her directly, he delivered a forceful defence of his government’s labour record, particularly in education.

“Now, PLPs, let me talk to you straight. Because no one, and I mean no one, is going to play in Brave face. I will say this again: no one is going to play in Brave Davis face,” he said.

He accused the former FNM administration of abandoning unions. “Under the FNM, unions went years without an agreement. Years! Teachers left behind. Nurses forgotten. Public servants ignored.

But when we came to office, we changed that!” he said.

He said his government has raised the minimum wage, restored increments, honoured every industrial agreement, delivered promotions, expanded health insurance, and increased entry-level teachers’ salaries by over $3,000 annually over the past three years. He also noted that his administration approved a retention bonus for teachers that had not been part of the original union agreement.

He then issued a warning to union leaders: “Be careful who you let stand beside you. Don’t let political parties use you as pawns. Not everyone marching with you means you well.”

The Golden Isles by-election will be the PLP’s second since 2021. The first took place in West Grand Bahama and Bimini in 2023 following the death of MP Obie Wilchcombe, a contest the PLP won comfortably. The upcoming vote is expected to serve as a key measure of the governing party’s political strength heading into the next general election.