The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis was sworn in for a second consecutive term yesterday after leading the Progressive Liberal Party to a landslide victory on Tuesday, ending a three-decade pattern of Bahamians throwing administrations out after one term.

Mr Davis received his instruments of appointment during a ceremony at Government House after the PLP won 33 of 41 seats in Tuesday’s general election.

Beginning his second term against the backdrop of what appeared to be historically low voter turnout, Mr Davis said he was saddened that many Bahamians chose not to vote.

“Government of the people, by the people, and for the people, requires that the people express their views via their vote. But the concern goes deeper,” he said.

“Our democracy is founded on the principle that each person has one vote; that every vote is equal; and that every vote counts equally. This speaks to each individual’s place in our society.”

“If people don’t participate, if they don’t feel that their vote counts, it suggests that they don’t feel that they have a stake in the society. That sense of belonging doesn’t come merely through the exercise of a vote. It is a reflection of the day-to-day lived reality of our people.

“And so, in this next term, I take as my central mission the need to do all that we can to rebuild that feeling of community, to rebuild an active sense of society.”

Mr Davis said declining voter participation is being seen across the region and the world, but stressed that he does not want The Bahamas to follow that path.

He also said the cycle of short-term governance, fuelled by anger and frustration, had not served the country well. He noted that Bahamians under 45 have not experienced the benefits of a government serving more than one term.

Mr Davis thanked Bahamians for giving him another five years, saying that together they can reshape history.

He also described the election process as “divisive,” saying it was disturbing that some campaigns sought to stoke fear and alarm by undermining trust in key national institutions. He said such actions hurt the country and expressed hope that the damage would not last.

The Free National Movement had repeatedly raised concerns about the Parliamentary Registration Department’s handling of the voters' register and expressed concern that people illegally obtained voters' cards and passports to vote.

Some FNM members also alleged that the PLP directed the Parliamentary Registration Department to act in a non-transparent and unfair manner during the electoral process to weaken the party’s chances of winning.

Mr Davis thanked the thousands of Bahamians who welcomed him into their homes and businesses during the campaign, saying he would never forget the conversations he shared with them.

He also thanked the people of Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador, the constituency he has represented since 1992.