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Marco City will be watched closely in the upcoming general election, and at the center of it is Michael Pintard.

The Free National Movement leader is seeking a third consecutive term as Member of Parliament for the Grand Bahama seat, a break from the constituency’s long-standing pattern of turnovers.

This time, the PLP has put forward Edward Whan, a businessman from Freeport, while the Coalition of Independents is represented by Jillian Bartlett. It raises familiar questions about vote splitting and whether third-party candidates can meaningfully disrupt the two-party race.

Historically, Marco City has switched between the FNM and the Progressive Liberal Party every election cycle, making sustained dominance rare.

The seat has moved from Pleasant Bridgewater (PLP) to Zhivargo Laing (FNM), then to Greg Moss (PLP), before Pintard’s back-to-back victories.

Pintard first won the seat in 2017 and held it again in 2021, where he secured 2,340 votes, comfortably ahead of PLP candidate Curt G. Hollingsworth, who received 1,359. Third-party and independent candidates, including those aligned with the Coalition of Independents, collectively drew a smaller but notable share of the vote.

Still, the focus remains on Pintard.

As both incumbent and party leader, his candidacy carries weight beyond the constituency. A third win would solidify his local political strength but also show momentum for the FNM nationally. A loss, however, would raise immediate questions about the party’s path to government.

Before Bahamians head to the polls, Leader of the Coalition of Independents, Lincoln Bain sought to refute claims that his party plagiarized architectural drawings.

Bain took to social media to clarify plagiarism claims after drawings of a hospital and airport purportedly designed by a candidate of COI made the rounds on Facebook that appeared in Google searches.

Bain said on Wednesday night, the drawings were “only templates” used by his party to present the concept to the public. He accused others of being “mischievous” in an attempt to discredit the party.

The party’s Tall Pines candidate Kendall Richardson, an architect and the purported designer of the drawings agreed with Bain, stating that he purchased the architectural software and was given rights to the drawings that he “reconstruct[ed]” and “made his own.”

In earlier social media posts, Bain boasted of his party’s plan for the “new Bahamas” showing the drawings while claiming they were designed by Richardson.

“The plans are already drawn…He has already designed the hospital. It’s called Health city…There’s going to be spas, things to lower your stress. It’s going to be traditional medicine mixed with alternative medicine.

“We meticulously went through every single room of this hospital…Your candidate was in every single evening planning the new Bahamas…We went through every single part of this, what’s going to happen, where it’s going to happen. This was drawn by our visionary Kendall Richardson.”

Richardson deleted the drawings from his Facebook page after the accusations of plagiarism were levied against him.

Bain and his party have garnered hundreds of followers on social media since promising that his party, if selected by the people, will give one acre of land, $100,000 dollars, and a stimulus package of $2000 to each Bahamian.

It remains to be seen if he can turn followers into voters, as third parties in the country have never been successful at the polls.

The North Andros candidate for the  Coalition of Independence Wellington Roberts dropped his bid for election and jumped ship to join the Progressive Liberal Party.

In a viral post, 36-year-old Roberts is seen dressed in PLP attire while campaigning with the opposition party.

Roberts is a self-proclaimed comedian and a known critic of the Free National Movement and the Progressive Liberal Party and has spoken publicly against the two major political parties.

He jumped to social media fame during a protest Down Town when furloughed Atlantis workers demonstrated for severance pay. Roberts was arrested for inciting unrest and disorderly behavior.

His decision to join forces with the PLP has provoked a response from the COI who confirmed the resignation of Roberts.

“Many people are weak and will sell out their nation for a bowl of porridge,” the party said.

The COI led by Lincoln Bain, is a newly formed party that has branded itself as an advocate of the country’s natural resources, and said, despite Roberts’ resignation, the party will “remain committed to standing with and for Bahamians who are dissatisfied with the state this country is in.”

However, Roberts has since released a short statement on social media claiming his decision was  made “in the best interest of myself, family and country.”

Roberts was in court on Tuesday for trial and maintained a not guilty plea to the charges levied against him. Magistrate Samuel McKinney is set to make a ruling on the matter next month.

(Roberts is seen on the right in featured photo)

In a crowded race, more than five candidates are vying for the position of Prime Minister. These candidates want to lead the Bahamas in a post-pandemic era. The economy needs a revival and the country’s health system needs restoration, both of which have suffered since the start of the COVID19 pandemic.

Who is the best leader for the job?

Here are the leaders of political parties, vying to win the hearts of Bahamians.

Dr Hubert Minnis

Minnis is the incumbent running for the position of prime minister, a post he has held since 2017. The 67-year-old is the parliamentarian for the Killarney constituency. He was a gynecologist and obstetrician before becoming a politician. In 2007, Minnis was elected to Parliament and served as Minister of Health and eventually became leader of the party where he faced many internal conflicts.

After his victory at the polls, Minnis’ leadership was challenged following the devastations caused by Hurricane Dorian in 2019 that destroyed Abaco and parts of Grand Bahama, two economic hubs of the Bahamas.

His greatest test has been the COVID-19 pandemic that forced lockdowns and curfews, resulting in a depressed economy and lost jobs. While some have criticized the lockdowns and curfews imposed by the Emergency Order, some have praised Minnis’ handling of the pandemic and his rollout of the vaccines.

Philip Davis

Davis is the leader of the official opposition party, the Progressive Liberal Party. The 70-year-old is a lawyer and serves as the Member of Parliament for Cat Island and San Salvador. Many people have criticized the poor conditions of these islands where Davis has served since 2002, due to its lack of infrastructural developments.

Davis served as Deputy Leader of the PLP in 2012 and became leader of the party after his party’s defeat at the polls in 2017.

Davis has been a strong opponent of the Emergency Order and criticized the lockdowns and curfews imposed by the government. He has been described as the “flip-flopper” who changes his views on government policies to suit his talking points.

Arinthia Komolafe

Komolafe is the leader of the Democratic National Alliance, a position she inherited in 2019 after the resignation of its interim party leader. The 41-year-old became the first woman to lead a political party.

She is a banker and lawyer and was a former member of the Progressive Liberal Party. Komolafe has recently faced conflicts within her party that became public in recent months. Some have questioned her ability to lead a country due to her gender and her marriage to a foreigner.

This year, she was detained by police for an illegal protest held in Parliament Square which some have called ‘gender bias.’

She has received praise for her enlightenment and communication skills.

DNA is the third viable option for voters, but the party has lost its spark. It will be the third time the party goes to the polls after the 2012 and 2017 election results.

In 2012, the party received 13,000 votes and received 7,537 votes in 2017.

Lincoln Bain

Bain is a controversial talk show host turned politician. Bain has sought nomination from two political groups, FNM and DNA, but was not successful. He formed the Coalition of Independents in 2021, a party that accrued independent candidates to run in the upcoming General Election.

Bain initially formed an activist group, Bahamian Evolution which lobbied for Bahamians to benefit from the country’s natural resources, but it has since morphed into a political group.

Bain opposes the COVID19 vaccines and led protests to oppose government policies. His campaign has been mainly social media based as he seeks to expose corruption. He has attracted a large social media following.

Bain promises Bahamians that if he is elected, he will ensure each Bahamian receive $100,000.

It remains to be seen if he can turn followers into voters.

Cassius Stuart

Stuart founded the Bahamas Democratic Movement but he later dissolved the party after joining the FNM in 2011.

The businessman has since left the FNM and restarted his party. Stuart seems to have no momentum but says he has a plan to move the country forward.

Three days after Prime Minister Hubert Minister announced an early election, he allayed fears, assuring voters of the polls’ safety as the country battles the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a national address on Sunday, Minnis call on all eligible Bahamians to vote.

Minnis said advance voting privileges will be afforded to people 65 years and older, which will reduce the number of people at the polls on the same date.

The big picture

An early election will be on September 16, eight months before schedule.

It will particularly be an interesting election since the Bahamas is in the middle of a pandemic and Bahamians have never had to vote amid a pandemic.

Politicians will face the challenge of holding campaigns and rallies to reach voters. Minnis reiterated the Emergency Order which stipulates that all campaigners must be in groups of five and fully vaccinated.