Prime Minister Perry G. Christie, in a brief statement on Tuesday, April 11th, called on the nation to maintain the longstanding tradition of the fair, peaceful General Elections.  He announced that the country would have the responsibility of electing the next Parliament and thereby the next Government of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, on Wednesday, 10th May, 2017.

On Wednesday, 24th May 2017, the new session of Parliament will begin.

See formal statement below:

Statement by The Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie, MP, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
At the Office of the Prime Minister
April 11, 2017

My Fellow Bahamians,

Good morning!

Earlier today, just a short while ago, the present Parliament was officially dissolved.  Every seat in the House of Assembly is now vacant.  It is now left to you, the citizenry of our beloved nation, to decide who will fill those seats in the next House of Assembly.

In doing so, you will also be deciding who will form the Government of The Bahamas for the next five years.  You will make that momentous decision in what I earnestly hope and pray will be free and fair elections, following a spirited but peaceful campaign.  Let us contest the forthcoming elections with all the vigour at our command.  Let us do so, however, with respect for the human dignity of our opponents, and with respect for the traditions we all hold dear.

We are one of the oldest democracies in our hemisphere.  Our Parliament traces its history back hundreds of years.

Let us by our conduct in the general election campaign that officially starts today prove ourselves worthy of the great democratic traditions of free, fair and peaceful elections that have made our country the marvel of nations around the world.

I have every confidence that we shall.

And so, my fellow Bahamians, it’s over to you now.  Together you will decide the way forward.  You will do so in General Elections that will take place throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas on Wednesday, the 10th May 2017.

May Almighty God guide you in this great endeavor, and may Almighty God bless our great nation.

___

Related:
Provost Marshal Reads Proclamation Dissolving Parliament

NASSAU, The Bahamas -- Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade, as Provost Marshal, read the Proclamation dissolving the current Parliament, and the Proclamation of the convening of a new Parliament, on the steps of the House of Assembly in Rawson Square, April 11, 2017. (BIS Photo/Derek Smith)
NASSAU, The Bahamas — Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade, as Provost Marshal, read the Proclamation dissolving the current Parliament, and the Proclamation of the convening of a new Parliament, on the steps of the House of Assembly in Rawson Square, April 11, 2017. (BIS Photo/Derek Smith)