“You Have To Do For Five Islands To Affect One Seat, (MICAL), It’s Impractical”

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Former House Speaker, Halson Moultrie, not mincing words after the long-awaited boundaries report tabled in Parliament Wednesday, recommending the addition of two new seats, St. James, and “Bimini and Berry Islands.”

The number of constituencies that will be contested during the 2026 General Election will now go from 39 to 41.

While the pairing of small islands into one constituency is not new, Moultrie suggests that pairing less populated islands could sometimes work against the citizens that live there.

Halson Moultrie – Former House Speaker

“As is the case with the MICAL constituency, we don’t have air lift between the five islands, you don’t have marine connection, mailbox connection between the island, and it’s a completely impractical circumstance that they have created.”

While it’s not a new practice, Moultire says creating a new constituency by combining several islands could run this particular risk.

Halson Moultrie – Former House Speaker

“And worse still, it causes migration away from that part of The Bahamas, people are moving away to New Providence, Grand Bahama and other places looking for economic benefits, because the political reality of MICAL is [that] the government has to do something in five islands to affect one seat.”

While the moving of boundaries over the years has always been criticized and been referred to as gerrymandering by residents, Moultire says this.

Halson Moultrie – Former House Speaker

“They prefer to invest in Grand Bahama to win five seats, or invest in New Providence to win some of the 24 seats, so the South East Bahamas has suffered for decades now as a result.”