2017 Bahamian general election

The Free National Movement (FNM) defeated the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) in the 2007 general elections amid a scandal involving the residency status of model and reality television star Anna Nicole Smith and allegations that the PLP's immigration minister had fast-tracked her application to live in the islands.[2]

The composition of the House of Assembly changed during the 2012–17 term. Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham resigned as the leader of the FNM[3] following the party's loss in the 2012 polls and also resigned his parliamentary seat, forcing a by-election in the North Abaco constituency. This resulted in the PLP winning the seat and increasing their total to 30. Subsequently, the PLP lost three seats; Greg Moss left the party to form the United Democratic Party in 2015, while Andre Rollins and Renward Wells defected to the FNM, bringing the PLP's total down to 27 seats.[4]

Members of the House of Assembly are elected from single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post voting.[5] In the 2017 general elections, there were 39 seats up for grabs in the House of Assembly. This was an increase of one seat from the 38 seat total in the previous parliamentary term, which began after the 2012 polls.[6] The majority party then selects the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the Governor-General.[7]

• Progressive Liberal Party (center-left)
  • Prime Minister Perry Christie (Centerville)
• Free National Movement (center-right)
  • Hubert Minnis (Killarney)
• Democratic National Alliance (populist)
  • Branville McCartney
• Bahamas Constitution Party (religious right-wing)
  • S. Ali McIntosh
• Bahamas National Coalition Party
  • Wesley Campbell
• The People's Movement (religious right-wing)
  • Patrick Paul

Controversy arose quickly in the 2017 election campaign when Prime Minister Christie made the comment "Listen, its goin' so good now, God can't stop me now" at his opening rally on the island of Exuma,[8][9] which caused a furious backlash.

The opposition parties decried allegations of rampant corruption in the PLP government,[10][11][12] while it went after allegations of the same thing in the previous government, run by the FNM.[13][14]

Many lamented the descent of the campaign into "gutter politics."[15][16][17]

Infighting in the FNM also caused some controversy. The leader of the FNM, Hubert Minnis, was replaced as the leader of the Official Opposition in the nation's House of Assembly by Loretta Butler-Turner. Butler-Turner served, at one time, as the deputy leader of the FNM party, while Minnis served as party leader. Feuding within the FNM led to a "coup" in late 2016 among FNM parliamentarians in the House of Assembly. As a result, Minnis was removed as the leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Assembly, while remaining as the leader of the FNM party. As the general elections loomed, the FNM revoked Butler-Turner's nomination as the FNM's candidate for the Long Island constituency. Butler-Turner then opted to run as an independent candidate for the Long Island constituency, while remaining as the leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Assembly until its dissolution in April 2017.[18][19][20]

On 7 May 2012, Elections in the Bahamas took place[21]. These elections take place in a parliamentary democratic framework, which relies on votes. This was the first general election where a third party had won the majority. This party was the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) which was behind Perry Christine, making him prime minister. The party was defeated by the Free National Movement the prior election.

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) won the majority by a landslide, Taking 30 out of the 38 seats in parliament. Hubert Ingraham, the Free National Movement[22] (FNM) leader, who was a previous prime minister, was sworn into office on 8 May 2012. The previous Bahamian leader, Hubert Ingraham, retired after his defeat. He served thirty five years, winning re-election seven times.

Perry Gladstone Christie is a Bahamian served as Prime Minister of the Bahamas from 2002 to 2007, and was later re-elected from 2012 to 2017. He is the longest serving Bahamian elected parliamentarian. He led the Progressive Liberal Party, which is the oldest Bahamian political party.

Christie was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Lynden Pindling in November 1974. It is believed that he is the youngest Bahamian to ever be appointed. Later on, Christie received the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) nomination for the Centreville constituency in the 1977 general election. Shorty afterwards, he was appointed Minister of Health and Notional Insurance. In June 1982's general elections, he was re-elected member of Parliament for Centreville, and once again appointed to the Prime Minister's Cabinet for the Minister of Tourism position. As a newly appointed Minister, he greatly improved the Bahamas' tourism. However, in 1984 he was dismissed from the Cabinet. Three years later, in March 1990, Christie returned to the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and was appointed Minister of Trade, Industry and Agriculture by the prime minister.

Christie's duties incorporated the Ministry of Agriculture, Trade and Industry; mining, land studies, oil, fuel, oils and petrochemicals, ventures support, fabricating, relations with The Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation, relations with The Bahamas National Trust, Andros reef and Blue Holes, and the Department of Agriculture, and Fisheries.

In January 1993, after the PLP's annihilation in the August 1992 general decision, Christie was elected Co-Deputy leader of the PLP with duty regarding party activities outside of parliament. After winning in the Farm Road constituency in the general election, he was chosen leader of the PLP at a special convention on 5 April 1997 and delegated as Leader of the Opposition by the Governor-General on 7 April. Christie along these lines succeeded Lynden Pindling, who had driven the PLP since 1956.

Christie and the PLP were defeated in May 2007's general elections[23]. He took 18 seats, against 23 with the Free National Movement. In November 2009, Christie was elected as leader of the PLP, gathering a whooping 80% of the votes over runner-up Bernard Nottage[24]. In the 2012 elections, he was re-elected as prime minister. There have been multiple human rights violations reported under his leadership, but these cases and investigations remain unsolved.