The Bahamas goes to polls in three-way battle with immigration a key issue

Voters in the Bahamas head to the polls on Tuesday in a hotly contested general election featuring high-profile candidates such as the former basketball champion Rick Fox. Voters in the Caribbean archipelago are divided over concerns about immigration, especially from neighbouring Haiti, and the rising cost of living, with significant spikes in gas prices caused by war in the Middle East. A record of more than 200,000 people have registered to vote in 41 constituencies as the governing Progressive Liberal party (PLP), the opposition Free National Movement (FNM) and the Coalition of Independents (COI) battle for control of parliament. While third parties have historically struggled to gain parliamentary seats in the Bahamas, political observers are closely watching whether the COI, which has a strong social media presence, can build on the nearly 8,000 votes it secured in the 2021 election. Philip ‘Brave’ Davis is seeking a second term as prime minister for the PLP. Davis, 74, has framed the election as a choice between stability and uncertainty, arguing his administration has guided the country through post-pandemic recovery and record tourism growth. Christopher Curry, an associate professor of history at the University of the Bahamas, said Davis had focused on the argument that changing parties while plans from 2021 were still in progress would destabilise the country. …