Prime Minister Philip Davis says he is disappointed that despite an overwhelming victory in Tuesday’s general election, too many Bahamians stayed away from casting their ballots.

The Parliamentary Registration Department (PRD) had said that a record 209,264 people had been registered to vote for the 138 candidates, Prime Minister Davis,  said that he is concerned that participation in elections is declining.

Davis led his Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) to a second consecutive five-year-term, winning 33 of the 41 seats, with the remainder going to the main opposition Free National Movement (FNM). The voter turn out has been put at 58 per cent.

“ I’m profoundly grateful to the Bahamian people that together we are reshaping history. Despite the will of the people being so resoundingly expressed in our overwhelming majority in Parliament, it saddens me though that so many Bahamians decided not to cast their vote in the elections,” Prime Minister Davis said as he took his oath of office, becoming the first leader in 30 years to be re-elected for a second consecutive term.

Davis said the decline in voter participation is already being seen around the region and globally.

“Friends, I do not want our country to follow others down that path. Government of the people, by the people, and for the people requires that the people express their views via the vote. But the concern goes deeper.

“Our democracy is founded on the principle that each person has one vote, that every vote is equal, and that every vote counts equally. This speaks to each individual’s place in our society.

“If people don’t participate, if they don’t feel that their vote counts, it suggests that they don’t feel that they have a stake in this society. That sense of belonging doesn’t come merely through the exercise of a vote. It is though a reflection of the day-to-day lived reality of our people.”

Prime Minister Davis ha vowed to use his second term in office as “ my central mission, the need to do all that we can to rebuild that feeling of community, to rebuild an active sense of society.

“This mission is already implied in the promises we have made to the Bahamian people. We must see the promises and ambition outlined in our Blueprint for Progress through the lens of participation and belonging.

“As a government, we will do our part. But it is an obvious truth that all of the changes we seek to bring about are only possible if we work in partnership with the Bahamian people. And so, I invite every single Bahamian to consider this. What part can you play in building not only a future for yourself, but also a future for the country?

“When we talk about providing opportunities to learn, which path can you set yourself on to become your best self? When we talk about providing opportunities to earn, will you commit to full employment and productivity and not waste your God-given talents and skills? When we talk about providing opportunities to own, will you commit to the personal responsibility needed to work towards long-term goals? “

Prime Minister Davis said he is committing his government to playing its part, adding “I trust that you will join us in playing yours in moving forward in a greater spirit of community,  I pray that we will also be guided by some of the fundamentals of Christian belief”.

Meanwhile,  PRD election consultant, Geoffrey McPhee, says if the 58 percent voter turnout is confirmed then that mark a “horrible” collapse in participation, given that the turnout appeared to have fallen below even the 2021 snap election held under COVID-19 conditions.

“58 percent is a blow,” McPhee is quoted as saying by the Tribune newspaper,  noting “we have gone south with respect to excitement about elections. That is really, really, that’s horrible.”

“Based at what we’re looking at now, the numbers are saying that we voted even less (than during COVID). COVID numbers were better than this.  That’s tragic, because with elections, once they miss the election, they don’t feel the urgency to reengage.”

Head of the Organisation for Responsible Governance, Matt Aubry, said  that the apparently low turnout should concern Bahamians regardless of political affiliation.

“We do not believe low turnout automatically means people do not care. In many cases, it may mean people care deeply but do not feel adequately heard, represented, or convinced that participation will lead to meaningful change in their everyday lives.

“During ORG’s voter education work throughout the election season, we heard many comments, particularly from young and first time voters, expressing frustration and fatigue with campaigns that often felt heavily centered around personalities, sensational sound bites, and political cycles, while many Bahamians continue to struggle with very real issues like cost of living, economic opportunity, crime, energy costs, housing, and public trust,”  he added. (CMC)