By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
THE Constituencies Commission is expected to convene today for a final meeting on its recommendations for boundary changes, which, according to well-placed sources, will call for the addition of only one seat in New Providence.
Constituencies Commission Chair and House Speaker Dr Kendal Major confirmed to The Tribune that the report had been completed last week and sent to opposition member K Peter Turnquest for review.
The Constituencies Commission is comprised of Dr Major; Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs, vice-chair; government members, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis and Jerome Fitzgerald; Official Opposition member East Grand Bahama MP Mr Turnquest; and House clerks Maurice Tynes and David Forbes.
Members are expected to provide feedback at today’s meeting, and subsequently turn it over to Prime Minister Perry Christie.
Dr Major said it was likely that the document would be tabled in the House this week.
The House Speaker did not confirm the contents of the report; however, sources claim that the new seat appears to be the re-emergence of the St Cecilia seat.
That constituency was axed by the Ingraham-led Free National Movement government in 2011, reducing the number of seats from 41 to 38 after the 2012 general election.
The commission used data from the 2010 census that had been extrapolated in a 2016 report prepared by the Department of Statistics, to guide recommendations.
The report, prepared by the Census Section, projected a population increase of 6.9 per cent on New Providence.
Former Progressive Liberal Party Cabinet minister George Smith had called for the creation of additional seats in the Family Islands, specifically splitting the Exuma and Ragged Island constituency into two seats.
Mr Smith, who represented Exuma during the Pindling era, had also asked Mr Christie to select him as the PLP’s candidate for a second Exuma seat.
Comments
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
Good idea for the PLP to create another ghetto seat ............. smh
Greentea 7 years, 4 months ago
One extra minister to pay. One extra pension. One extra office allowance. One extra license plate or car. One extra driver salary. There are costs involved in these decisions which this administration seems unable to reign in. But the good news is that every administration who messed with boundaries- lost the following election. PLP are you going to stay true to form?
empathy 7 years, 4 months ago
We have a population of 377,000 (38 seats) one MP/9,900, Jamaica has 2.8 million (63 seats) one MP/ 44,000, Barbados 286,000 (30 seats) one MP/ 9,500, and the United Kingdom 64 million (650 seats) one MP/ 98,000. Barbados has a very high MP/ population and the Bahamas also has a high MP/ population ratio. Any increase in seats, makes this even higher. Adding seats in New Providence can't be explained by our archipelagic geography.
Given the lack of representation in the house by "Back Bencher" MP's and the expense of an MP to the treasury because of the "perks" (financial and otherwise) given to them, I don't think we can justify adding more New Providence seats. We'd do better by providing constituencies with properly financed Local Governments, where local representatives can administer to local problems. But alas, that would require out-of-box thinking not facilitated by our system of winner- take- all nepotistic political parties which form our governments😒
Alex_Charles 7 years, 4 months ago
you guys realize we had 41 seats in 2007 right? 1 extra minister is not a game breaker.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
We had 49 back in the 1980s ............. and we are going to be paying some high MP pensions (and for what benefit to the country????) ...... MPs and Ministers, PMs retire with full salary as pension and their spouses collect it when they die ....... Lady SLOP is getting the equivalent of 2 PM salaries!!!!!!!!!!
Greentea 7 years, 4 months ago
So? It should be far less. Too many silent do nothings in Parliament. They are so quiet you FORGET they are there. But they collect salaries and a slew of other perks, including health insurance no doubt and pensions for doing absolutely nothing but warming a seat for 8 years. We need to streamline government not make it larger. Cabinet ministers should be capable experts in the respective fields NOT elected officials with no idea about their ministries. What does Maynard know about policing? Brave ever built or design anything?
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
Greentea ............ I agree with you ....... the minimum is 38 at this time ..... and we can do fine with 20-25 based on population and effectiveness
B_I_D___ 7 years, 4 months ago
Set the final boundaries and let people start registering. Not going to register until I know my boundaries are set and not moving...
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
Maybe that is what 100,000 others are telling the PLP Government
Maynergy 7 years, 2 months ago
The people of MICAL has been crying out for someone to hear their plea. Put Inagua and Mayaguana back as one and Acklins and Crooked island and Londg Cay as another . This is where they could have logically make new seats. The stuff that was done is an affront to democracy. Be honest people. Stand Up for your rights.
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