CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR

PLP: Phillip ‘Brave’ Davis

FNM: Gladys Sands

Until 1968, this was two seats. Low population growth merged them into one and we can all be grateful that the persons who name constituencies did not call them the Columbus Isles like the people who organize the Bahama Games did. They were UBP until 68 and then Henry Bowen won the seat for the PLP. Oscar Johnson carried the PLP banner in ’72 only to be unseated by the BDP’s Erwin Knowles 5 years later. But Knowles switched parties, and ran successfully for the PLP in ’82 and ’87 and was appointed Minister of Agriculture before he was forced to resign in scandal during the run-up to the ’92 election. The FNM chose not to contest the bye-election and the PLP’s Mr. Davis was opposed by independent George Wilson. While they were officially boycotting it, as an experiment, the FNM focused on the town of Benetts Harbour to see if they could get the people to vote for Mr. Wilson to send a message to the PLP. With their efforts, Bennetts Harbour went 2 for 1 to Mr. Wilson – ZNS held onto that result, playing elevator music for 25 minutes before they reluctantly gave out the numbers. The PLP retained the seat in the 92 election, but in 97 the FNM picked it up. FNM leader Hubert Ingraham had made a serious effort to defeat his law partner Mr. Davis and the population of San Salvador had grown significantly from workers at the new Club Med. However, in ’02, Mr. Davis was re-elected with a two to one margin of victory.

This cycle sees him going up against Mrs. Sands, who happens to be the daughter of former PLP representative Oscar Johnson. That’s worth a few votes in that seat at least and she’s not new to politics, having been the FNM’s sacrificial candidate in the Over-The-Hill seat of Englerston in ’02. All the same, the advantage is with Mr. Davis as the incumbent and the PLP tilt of the seat. She would need big numbers in San Salvador to make up for the likely loss of Cat Island.

Rating: LIKELY PLP