The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

HOUSE Speaker Halson Moultrie has been appointed chairman of the Constituencies Commission and Supreme Court Justice Deborah Fraser is expected to serve as its deputy chairman, it was revealed in the House of Assembly yesterday.

Other committee members include Health Minister Renward Wells, Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister Michael Pintard and Progressive Liberal Party Deputy Leader Chester Cooper.

The appointments were revealed by Speaker Moultrie in Parliament yesterday, who noted that committee members received their letters on Friday.

He said the move allows for the group to begin its work. However, he did not reveal when the commission is expected to meet.

The Constitution mandates that the Constituencies Commission review the number and boundaries of constituencies in The Bahamas at least every five years and report on whether changes should be made, such as creating additional constituencies or expanding or restricting existing ones.

Boundary changes proposed by former members of the Constituencies Commission in 2017 introduced a new constituency named St Barnabas and the renaming of the Montagu seat to Freetown.

There are currently 24 constituencies in New Providence; five constituencies in Grand Bahama; and ten in the Family Islands.

The nature of the commission’s work is largely a secret, as the law pertaining to it does not specify in detail how members should determine the way constituencies should be composed.

In the Speech from the Throne delivered shortly after the May 2017 general election, the Minnis administration promised to constitute an independent Electoral Commission and Boundaries Commission, introduce term limits for prime ministers and introduce a system of recall for non-performing members of Parliament by referendum.

The government also promised campaign finance reform, however these pledges have not yet been delivered.

Asked about these unfulfilled promises by the media in July, shortly after Speaker Moultrie said the commission members had been selected but not yet named, Dr Minnis said the government still believed in its manifesto promises.

“The government still believes in trying to follow through with as much of the mandate that we have in our manifesto,” Dr Minnis told EyeWitness News in July. “Of course you know, we were thrown off by Dorian and we were also thrown off by the pandemic but we will still try to make up as much as possible.”

When asked if it was realistic to expect legislation on these promises, given that they require referenda, Dr Minnis told the media outlet: “I would have to sit down with Cabinet colleagues, we will look at the manifesto, see what we have not delivered on, what has been derailed, the delivery etc, and see what we can move forward with as quickly as possible.”

In January, Attorney General Carl Bethel told a local daily it was not likely that the government would implement a fixed election date during this term because the issue would become “extremely political” as the next general election nears.

Mr Bethel also pointed out that this would require a referendum.