The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

MOST of the boundary cuts proposed by the Constituencies Commission, and tabled in a draft order, appear to be in eastern New Providence seats.

The most drastic changes, however, appear to be in St Anne’s, Elizabeth and Fort Charlotte, the latter of which is where Progressive Liberal Party leadership challenger Alfred Sears is vying for candidacy.

The Fort Charlotte seat was reduced from 13 polling stations to 11, with one polling station added from Mt Moriah and one polling station folded into neighbouring constituencies of Killarney, Bain and Grants Town, and the new St Barnabas seat, respectively.

According to The Tribune’s review of the draft order, the St Anne’s seat gains two polling stations from Elizabeth for a total of 15 polling stations, and it’s eastern boundary now extends along the coast bounded by Yamacraw Hill Road and the sea - essentially wrapping around the Yamacraw seat.

The Elizabeth seat has maintained 12 polling stations; however, two western polling stations have been folded into St Anne’s, and two polling stations have been added from Fox Hill in the north. Formerly bordered by Barrine Close and Pine Barren Road to the north, the Elizabeth seat now extends to Sea Breeze Drive and Prince Charles Drive. To the northeast, Elizabeth’s boundary follows along the eastern boundary of St Andrews Beach Estate to the sea.

Polling stations in Nassau Village, Pinewood, Seabreeze, South Beach, Southern Shores, Yamacraw, and Carmichael seats appear to be unchanged.

On Eleuthera, the settlements of James Cistern and Hatchet Bay have been moved from North Eleuthera to South Eleuthera. Speaking to ZNS last night, Prime Minister Perry Christie explained that the move was meant to balance the number of voters between the two constituencies.

The Bamboo Town seat still has 14 polling stations; however, one polling station was folded into Golden Gates, and another was added from Garden Hills. The Bamboo Town seat is now bordered by Baillou Hill Road and Zion Blvd in the southeast, and a portion of East Street and Soldier Road in the northeast.

Englerston was reduced from 14 polling stations to 11, with three polling stations folded into Mt Moriah, and four taken to create the new St Barnabas seat. Englerston gained three polling stations from Centreville, extending the constituency to Wulff Road in the north; and one polling station from Garden Hills, bounded by Baillou Hill Road, Orange Blossom Ave, and Beaumontia Ave.

The Fox Hill seat has a total of 12 polling stations, with two polling stations taken from St Anne’s, and one taken from Marathon. To the north, Fox Hill is now bounded by Grasshopper Road, Johnson Road and Step St.

Montagu, now to be named Freetown, was reduced from 14 to 12 polling stations, with two polling stations folded into St Anne’s. Freetown is now bounded St Andrews Drive and Village Road to the south.

Tall Pines gained one polling station from Mt Moriah - bounded by John F Kennedy Dr, Eneas Ave, and Tonique Williams Darling Highway - for a total of 15 polling stations.

Mt Moriah was reduced from 14 polling stations to 12.

The new seat, St Barnabas, 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. It is bordered by Farrington Road, inclusive of Lightbourne Ave, Maxwell Ave, and Haven Ave, Wulff Road, East Street and Thompson Blvd.

Mr Christie tabled the House of Assembly Revision of Boundaries and Re-distribution of Seats Order 2017 during the evening session of the Lower House on Wednesday, but only six copies were distributed to parliamentarians due to a copying error.

The Tribune was unable to determine whether the Killarney seat was affected, as the copy obtained by this newspaper of the area was unreadable.