Progressive Liberal Party (Bahamas)

Progressive Liberal Party
AbbreviationPLP
Party LeaderPhilip Davis
Deputy LeaderChester Cooper
Founded23 November 1953; 71 years ago (1953-11-23)
HeadquartersSir Lynden Pindling Centre
Farrington Road, P.O. Box N-547
Nassau
Youth wingProgressive Young Liberals
IdeologySocial liberalism
Progressivism
Populism
Political positionCentre-left
ColoursGold, Blue
SloganA New Day!
House of Assembly
32 / 39
Senate
12 / 16
Party flag
Website
plpbahamas.org Edit this at Wikidata

The Progressive Liberal Party (abbreviated PLP) is a populist and social liberal party in the Bahamas. Philip Davis is the leader of the party.

History

The PLP was founded in 1953 by William Cartwright, Cyril Stevenson, and Henry Milton Taylor.[1][2] The PLP was the first national political party in the Bahamas.[1]

The party governed for 25 straight years from 1967 to 1992, as well as from 2002 to 2007 and 2012 to 2017. Leading the party to its first victory in 1967 was Lynden Pindling, the country's first Prime Minister.

Perry Christie was Prime Minister of the Bahamas between 2 May 2002 and the 2007 general elections, when the party was defeated by the rival Free National Movement (FNM) which won 23 seats of the 41 seats. The FNM installed leader Hubert Ingraham as the Prime Minister. After defeat and one of its MPs leaving the party since, the PLP held 17 of the 41 seats in the Bahamas National Assembly.

In the 2012 general election,[3] the Progressive Liberals won a solid majority in a landslide election victory, taking 29 of the 38 seats in parliament.[4] Christie was sworn into office on 8 May 2012.[4]

Hubert Ingraham announced his retirement from politics following the defeat of his party.[4]

In September 2021, the PLP defeated the ruling FNM in a snap election, as the economy struggled to recover from its deepest crash since at least 1971.[5][6] The PLP won 32 of the 39 seats in the House of Assembly. The FNM took the remaining seats.[7] On 17 September 2021, the chairman of the PLP Philip Davis was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Bahamas to succeed Hubert Minnis.[8]

Electoral results

Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
1962 Lynden Pindling 32,261 43.9
8 / 33
Steady 8 Steady 2nd Opposition
1967 19,408 45.0
18 / 38
Increase 10 Increase 1st Minority government
1968 29,156 62.8
29 / 38
Increase 11 Steady 1st Supermajority government
1972 28,599 57.9
29 / 38
Steady 0 Steady 1st Supermajority government
1977 35,090 54.7
30 / 38
Increase 1 Steady 1st Supermajority government
1982 42,995 56.9
32 / 43
Increase 2 Steady 1st Supermajority government
1987 48,339 53.5
31 / 49
Decrease 1 Steady 1st Majority government
1992 50,258 44.7
16 / 49
Decrease 15 Decrease 2nd Opposition
1997 Perry Christie 49,932 41.9
5 / 40
Decrease 11 Steady 2nd Opposition
2002 66,901 51.8
29 / 40
Increase 24 Increase 1st Supermajority government
2007 64,637 47.0
18 / 41
Decrease 11 Decrease 2nd Opposition
2012 75,815 48.6
29 / 38
Increase 11 Increase 1st Supermajority government
2017 59,164 37.0
4 / 39
Decrease 25 Decrease 2nd Opposition
2021 Philip Davis 66,407 52.5
32 / 39
Increase 28 Increase 1st Supermajority government

References

  1. ^ a b Nixon, Celeste (8 June 2012). "PLP Founder Cartwright Dies". Bahamas Tribune. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  2. ^ Jones Jr., Royston (8 June 2012). "PLP Co-founder William Cartwright Dies at 89". Nassau Guardian. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  3. ^ "Electoral Calendar – international elections world elections". mherrera.org. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Charles, Jacqueline (8 May 2012). "Bahamas swears in new leader as ex-prime minister calls it quits". Miami Herald. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  5. ^ "The Bahamas Election Results". www.caribbeanelections.com. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. 17 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Bahamas Election 2021: PLP election victory confirmed | Loop Caribbean News". Loop News. 20 September 2021.
  8. ^ McLeod, Sheri-Kae (17 September 2021). "Phillip Davis Sworn in as Prime Minister of Bahamas ". Caribbean News.