The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Boundaries Commission is expected to table its long-awaited report in Parliament in the coming days, according to sources familiar with the matter, with proposals that include combining Bimini and the Berry Islands into a single constituency.

The Tribune understands the report also recommends creating a new seat in western New Providence by dividing Killarney, a move this newspaper has previously reported. The proposed constituency would reportedly incorporate several existing areas, combining multiple communities under a single electoral boundary.

Killarney MP Dr Hubert Minnis has previously voiced support for splitting the constituency to reflect population growth, insisting the change would not weaken his electoral prospects.

Sources said the report could be tabled as early as tomorrow, when the House of Assembly returns following the Christmas break. Several meetings have already been held this month to finalise the document.

Changes are also expected across several New Providence constituencies, including St Barnabas, Tall Pines, Centreville, Freetown and Garden Hills, which could see polling divisions added or reduced.

Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, who sits on the commission, has told reporters that the body is analysing constituency boundaries with a focus on achieving a fairer distribution of voters.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis last year acknowledged that voter numbers are out of balance in “one or two” New Providence constituencies, saying the matter requires “an anxious look” to determine whether boundaries should be redrawn.

While the law does not prescribe a fixed number of voters per constituency, the Constitution requires that boundaries reflect population size and that significant disparities be justified by clear practical considerations.