The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday labelled Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis “politically inept”, in response to recent criticisms levelled by the Killarney MP at the Christie administration over delays in the recent tabling of the boundaries report.

Mr Davis, one of two government members who sat on the Constituencies Commission, castigated Dr Minnis for his “stupid comments” on the status, progression and results of the report that was finally tabled in Parliament during the evening session on Wednesday.

Mr Davis spoke to The Tribune on the sidelines of an announcement ceremony for Bahamasair’s new executive management team on Thursday.

Dr Minnis on Tuesday accused the Christie administration of “gerrymandering the constituencies” to gain the best footing ahead of a general election the FNM Leader said the PLP could not win.

In response, Mr Davis said: “As it relates to the Constituencies Commission, we met, we had a judge, the senior judge that was on the committee; we had a member of the (Official) Opposition, Hubert Chipman and two members of the government party, which I was one of.

“We discussed, we reviewed what was happening, the trends in registration, we assessed the trends, the actual numbers that registered for the last election and we also looked at the potential demographic of future voters that was provided to us by the Department of Statistics.

“We looked into all of that and as a result we came up with the boundaries that we did.”

He continued: “So hearing his claims doesn’t upset me because it proves what we in this country are quickly starting to realise; he is not prepared to govern or lead, he is not fit.

“Every concern possible was raised by representatives from his party; we resolved those issues and pressed on. He went on about the time, we tabled it. Now his issue is something new?

“He talks to hear himself. Never does it to resolve a matter. He likes to go on and talk. That is who he is.”

The draft boundaries report called for the establishment of one new constituency, St Barnabas and the renaming of the Montagu seat to “Freetown”.

St Barnabas, as constituted by the report, consists of two polling stations from Centreville, two from Bain and Grants Town, three from Englerston, one from Fort Charlotte, and three from Mt Moriah.

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.

That report, prepared by the Census Section, projected a population increase of 6.9 per cent on New Providence.

Mr Davis yesterday provided further context for the decision.

He indicated that the aforementioned population rise occurred almost exclusively in those communities adjusted to give way for the new St Barnabas.

He added that lower registration numbers in other constituencies to date, gave the impression that the creation of this new constituency would “balance the board”.

This comes as registration numbers continue to show several of these communities as far behind their registration numbers at this time during the 2012 election cycle.

Despite that, however, Mr Davis said: “There was consideration for other places but the issue was again the low voter registration turnout in a lot of those areas.

“We looked at the past registration numbers and we were unable to see the need to make any other changes. But those areas that make up the new constituency, the population shift provided a need for it. The number showed that we could stretch things out there,” added Mr Davis.

Yesterday, Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall said more than 99,000 have registered to vote.