Carib Scope

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  • Dominican Senate approves air services agreement with Greece

    Dominican Senate approves air services agreement with Greece

    In a move set to reshape air connectivity and bilateral relations between the Caribbean and Southern Europe, the Senate of the Dominican Republic has given final approval to a comprehensive Air Services Agreement with Greece, unlocking new potential for expanded passenger and cargo air links between the two nations.

    The landmark accord was originally signed on November 13, 2025, on the sidelines of the ICAN 2025 international aviation conference, where it was developed as a framework to deepen collaborative work across the aviation sectors of both countries. Beyond basic air service access, the agreement includes progressive provisions that grant carriers from both nations fifth freedom traffic rights for passenger services, allowing airlines to pick up and drop off passengers in a third country before continuing to their destination. For all-cargo operations, the deal goes a step further, offering seventh freedom rights that enable cargo carriers to operate entirely between foreign countries without requiring a connection back to their home nation. It also introduces more flexible operating rules to support widespread code-sharing partnerships between airlines from both signatory states, opening the door for more route options and better scheduling for travelers and shippers alike.

    Championed and advanced by the Dominican Republic’s Civil Aviation Board, the new agreement aligns with the country’s long-term national strategy to cement its status as a leading logistics and tourism hub across the Latin American and Caribbean region. Dominican authorities have outlined clear expectations for the deal: it is projected to open untapped commercial opportunities for both countries, upgrade the Dominican Republic’s global air connectivity network, and create stronger, more integrated diplomatic and economic bonds between Santo Domingo and Athens.

  • Jamaican couple expands Soul Food Caribbean Festival Brand beyond Jamaica

    Jamaican couple expands Soul Food Caribbean Festival Brand beyond Jamaica

    Against a backdrop of surging demand for soul and reggae-focused cultural experiences among the Caribbean diaspora spread across North America and Europe, Jamaican entertainment promoter Fabian Cole — widely known by his industry nickname “Boomas” — is taking his beloved Soul Food Caribbean Festival brand beyond Caribbean borders for the first time. What started as a small, beloved weekly gathering called Soul Food Tuesdays on the island of Jamaica has steadily grown into a full-scale international cultural festival, with already well-received sold-out editions successfully staged in both England and Canada.

    Cole built the entire festival movement around three core pillars that set it apart from other mass entertainment events: timeless classic soul music, immersive authentic Caribbean culture, and one-of-a-kind local culinary experiences that give attendees a true taste of the region. In an interview, Cole highlighted a shifting cultural landscape in his home country that laid the groundwork for the festival’s growth. “Jamaica is globally known for dancehall, but there is a burgeoning soul movement taking root right here right now,” he said. “Audiences connect deeply with the warm vibe and the raw emotional resonance that soul music brings, something they can’t get from other genres.”

    Up next on the festival’s global schedule is the 2026 Canadian edition, scheduled to take place on Canada Day, July 1, 2026, in Markham, Ontario. The upcoming show will headline a stacked lineup of iconic and emerging reggae talent, including legendary Jamaican performer Capleton, fan-favorite Gyptian, and fast-rising young artist D’Yani. Cole explained the choice of Markham’s Esna Park as the event venue, noting its strategic central location in the Greater Toronto Area, ample adjacent parking in the surrounding commercial district, and easy accessibility for attendees traveling from across the region. “It’s a very centralised location, and people can get around easily here,” Cole said.

    Cole shared that early ticket sales for the 2026 Markham festival have already outperformed projections, a success he attributes to the long-standing, deep-rooted appreciation for reggae culture that exists across Canadian communities. Even as the brand expands outward, Cole emphasized that reggae and soul’s cross-cultural appeal remains the foundation of its international traction. “Canadians love reggae music,” he said. “We share that cultural connection, and Canadians have always had a solid grounding and love for reggae.”

    Looking toward the future, Cole has ambitious expansion plans for the Soul Food Caribbean Festival brand, with target new North American markets including New York City and Los Angeles. Most importantly, the promoter says he is committed to bringing a large-scale flagship edition of the festival back to his home country. “We’re Jamaican and we built this brand from here, so we definitely have to put on a major staging of the festival in Jamaica,” he confirmed. Cole also dropped a hint about future headliners, revealing that he hopes to bring acclaimed American R&B songstress Keyshia Cole to the Jamaican festival edition in a future year.

  • Lady Da Flame wows Mother’s Day show at UBS Arena

    Lady Da Flame wows Mother’s Day show at UBS Arena

    Thousands of reggae fans packed New York’s UBS Arena for the highly anticipated “Mother’s Day Experience” concert, and the opening performer left an unforgettable mark long before the headlining reggae legends stepped into the spotlight. Emerging artist Lady Da Flame delivered a powerhouse opening set that transformed the building’s growing energy into an electric, communal celebration, setting the stage for a night of soulful rhythm and heartfelt music.

    As concertgoers gradually filled the venue, Lady Da Flame immediately infused the space with warmth, contagious energy, and building anticipation for the evening ahead. During her moving performance of *Goodness of God*, her rich, clear voice echoed across every corner of the arena, drawing the crowd deeper into the experience and softening the mood for the star-studded performances still to come. Audience members swayed in unison to every beat, nodded along to the smooth melodies, and grew louder in their applause with each new track she performed.

    Staying true to the Mother’s Day theme of the event, Lady Da Flame dedicated a moving number to mothers everywhere with *Mama Gave Us Life*. Her soulful delivery resonated with every person in the crowd, winning over dozens of new fans before she transitioned into a dynamic medley of classic and contemporary reggae tracks. The set included reimagined takes on Betty Wright’s *No Pain* and *Second Time* on the 2 Times Riddim, before she leaned into the lover’s rock tradition with hauntingly beautiful renditions of Phyllis Dillon, the Queen of Lover’s Rock’s iconic tracks *Perfidia* and *One Life to Live*. She closed out her opening set with an upbeat, passion-fueled version of Dillon’s *Don’t Stay Away*, pouring raw emotion into every note and cementing the unforgettable tone for the entire night.

    Concert attendees left the set remarking that Lady Da Flame did far more than just open the show – she ignited the collective spirit of the night, perfectly preparing the audience for the headline sets from reggae and soul stars Beres Hammond, Stephanie Mills, and Romain Virgo.

    Fresh off her standout performance in New York, Lady Da Flame is now back in her home country of Jamaica promoting her latest project, the *Journey* EP. According to the singer, the independent release has seen remarkable commercial success since its launch: streaming numbers are consistently high, and the record has charted multiple times across international markets, most notably in the United Kingdom.

    Produced by Rawborn Productions, the EP is led by the standout single *No One Like You (Remake)*, a collaboration with legendary reggae singer Sanchez. The track has already broken into the top ethnic reggae charts in the United States and is earning regular airplay on radio stations across the globe. Lady Da Flame spoke enthusiastically about her experience working with the iconic artist, noting that Sanchez’s extreme talent and professional demeanor made the recording process smooth and natural. “The musical chemistry just cannot be explained,” she shared of the collaboration.

    Additional tracks on the seven-track project include *All Praises To The Most High* and *More Dan Prayer*. More than just a collection of songs, the *Journey* EP reflects Lady Da Flame’s personal spiritual journey and artistic growth, crafted to uplift listeners, energize crowds, and renew spiritual connection for audiences everywhere.

    Lady Da Flame first rose to prominence in global gospel circles for her breakout hit *God Answers Prayers*, which has earned more than 8.3 million views on YouTube alone. The track remains her most successful release to date, accumulating more than one billion total streams across digital platforms. The hit has solidified her standing in the ethnic gospel space, with multiple popular gospel releases earning a loyal fanbase across diaspora communities worldwide.

  • Airlines set to absorb Spirit Airlines’ passenger demand in the Dominican Republic

    Airlines set to absorb Spirit Airlines’ passenger demand in the Dominican Republic

    When ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines confirmed its exit from the Dominican Republic, industry observers quickly raised questions about potential disruptions to air travel connectivity and ticket pricing for the popular Caribbean tourism destination. But top Dominican aviation officials are moving to calm those concerns, saying the withdrawal will leave only a mild ripple effect across the country’s budget air travel segment.

    Héctor Porcella, president of the Dominican Republic’s Civil Aviation Board, emphasized that while any departure of a operating carrier represents a notable shift for the local market, the route network Spirit once operated will not be left unserved. Multiple existing airlines have already positioned themselves to absorb the vacated capacity, ensuring continuous service for travelers heading to and from the Dominican Republic.

    Porcella detailed that the country’s low-cost aviation sector remains defined by robust competition, with several major players already holding significant market share. U.S.-based budget carriers Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue all maintain active, expanded operations in the Dominican market, alongside fast-growing local low-cost carrier Arajet. Even full-service giant American Airlines, which does not operate as a budget carrier, has the capacity to pick up additional routes and passenger volume that Spirit left behind, he added.

    Official data shows that in 2025, Spirit carried 470,147 passengers to and from the Dominican Republic, accounting for 4% of total passenger traffic between the Caribbean nation and the United States. On five key high-demand routes connecting the Dominican Republic to U.S. cities including Fort Lauderdale, Philadelphia, Boston, Newark and Baltimore, Spirit held roughly 20% of the total market share. According to Porcella, the seats that Spirit made available on these routes can be quickly replaced by competing airlines, a dynamic that will prevent widespread disruptions to ticket availability for leisure and business travelers alike.

    The Civil Aviation Board also noted that Spirit had already projected approximately 260,000 available seats for its Dominican Republic routes in 2026. All of this planned capacity is set to be redistributed across other carriers operating in the market, a shift that will preserve existing transnational connectivity and drastically lower the risk of sudden, significant fare hikes for travelers.

    Porcella highlighted that deep, established competition already exists in the country’s busiest transnational markets, such as the key routes to Fort Lauderdale and Philadelphia. Carriers including JetBlue, Frontier and American Airlines already hold large, established presences in these corridors, meaning they can scale up capacity to meet unmet demand without major delays. This existing market depth, he concluded, will help protect the affordable travel options that have made the Dominican Republic such a popular destination for U.S. travelers for decades.

  • New Plaza Constitución opens in Ciudad Juan Bosch with RD$222 million investment

    New Plaza Constitución opens in Ciudad Juan Bosch with RD$222 million investment

    SANTO DOMINGO – In a formal ceremony marking a key milestone in the country’s planned urban development, José Ignacio Paliza, the Dominican Minister of the Presidency, has officially opened Plaza Constitución, a new 42,200-square-meter public space built in the planned community of Ciudad Juan Bosch. Developed with a total public investment of 222.2 million Dominican pesos (approximately $4.1 million USD), the plaza is designed to serve as both a community recreation hub and a focal point for civic education rooted in the principles of the Dominican Constitution.

    The project, led by the VBC-RD Trust, integrates extensive green infrastructure and community amenities into its design: more than 13,000 square meters of maintained green space, wide paved pedestrian walkways, shaded gazebos, public seating, a modern children’s playground, and an open-air fitness area for residents of all ages. Alongside the plaza inauguration, authorities also opened two newly constructed local roads – Los Amos and Camino Real Nordeste – which required an additional investment of 111.6 million Dominican pesos. The new roadways are intended to cut down on commute times and improve intra-community connectivity for residents of the growing Ciudad Juan Bosch development.

    Speaking at the inauguration event, Paliza emphasized that the dual infrastructure projects align with the national government’s long-term vision for Ciudad Juan Bosch: to develop the area as a national model of intentional, equitable urban development that prioritizes resident quality of life and orderly, sustainable growth. The ceremony drew senior officials from the Constitutional Court of the Dominican Republic and multiple other public agencies, and included a symbolic honor: Paliza was presented with a commemorative medal marking the 60th anniversary of the 1965 Dominican Civil War.

    Plaza Constitución is now the latest addition to a growing network of large public amenities in Ciudad Juan Bosch, all designed to encourage community participation, support local cultural activity, expand accessible recreation options, and foster greater civic engagement among the area’s growing population.

  • Mbappe, Dembele head up France squad for 2026 World Cup

    Mbappe, Dembele head up France squad for 2026 World Cup

    PARIS, France – Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, French national team head coach Didier Deschamps has officially announced his 26-man roster for the tournament, with superstar forward Kylian Mbappe set to lead the side in what will be Deschamps’ final major competition in charge.

    The 2018 World Cup-winning coach, who will step down from his post following this summer’s tournament, delivered a largely predictable squad list when speaking to reporters Thursday, with few unexpected calls or omissions that shook up pre-tournament speculation.

    Despite sustaining a thigh injury last month that forced him to sit out several critical closing matches of Real Madrid’s La Liga campaign, 27-year-old Mbappe has secured his place in the squad and is widely expected to wear the captain’s armband for Les Bleus. He will anchor a star-studded attacking unit that also includes reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, Paris Saint-Germain’s exciting young prospect Desire Doue, and Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise.

    One of the most notable first-time call-ups goes to 22-year-old playmaker Rayan Cherki, who capped a standout debut season with English Premier League side Manchester City by earning his spot in the World Cup roster. On the defensive end, Arsenal’s William Saliba, another French talent plying his trade in the Premier League, has been tapped to bring physical stability and organizational leadership to the backline.

    Only four players from Deschamps’ 2018 World Cup-winning squad in Russia will return for this edition: full-back Lucas Hernandez, defensive midfielder N’Golo Kante, Mbappe, and Dembele. Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser stands as the only uncapped player included in the final selection, a surprise rise for the young shot-stopper who has impressed domestically this season.

    Deschamps emphasized in an interview with French broadcaster TF1 that roster construction prioritized collective fit over individual talent, saying: “It’s a squad. Not necessarily the 26 best players. It’s about balance and how the team comes together.”

    A handful of high-profile players missed out on selection, most notably Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga and Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier. Chevalier moved to the Parc des Princes in a high-profile summer transfer from Lille last year, but has failed to unseat the starter and now sits as second-choice at the club. Deschamps acknowledged Camavinga’s likely disappointment, noting the midfielder struggled through an injury-plagued season with limited playing time at his club. “I’ve got decisions to make and a squad to put together,” he added.

    Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike was also not considered for selection, after a season-ending Achilles injury ruled him out in April. For Deschamps, this announcement marks the seventh and final major tournament squad he will select as France’s head coach, ending a 14-year tenure in charge of the national side. Addressing speculation about his post-tournament plans, he downplayed concerns: “It’s been part of my life for 14 years running. But if people are worried, I’m not retiring [from public life]. I’ll have a life of my own. The World Cup is the most important thing right now.”

    France will kick off their Group I campaign on June 16 against Senegal, before subsequent group stage matches against Iraq and Norway as they aim to lift their third World Cup title in 18 years.

    ### Full 2026 France World Cup Squad
    **Goalkeepers**: Mike Maignan (AC Milan, Italy), Robin Risser (Lens, France), Brice Samba (Rennes, France)
    **Defenders**: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa, England), Malo Gusto (Chelsea, England), Lucas Hernandez (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Theo Hernandez (Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool, England), Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace, England), Jules Kounde (Barcelona, Spain), William Saliba (Arsenal, England), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich, Germany)
    **Midfielders**: N’Golo Kante (Fenerbahce, Turkey), Manu Kone (Roma, Italy), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan, Italy), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid, Spain), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
    **Forwards**: Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco, France), Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City, England), Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Desire Doue (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich, Germany), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid, Spain), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace, England), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan, Italy)

  • Residents of Draxhall Country Club frustrated with board over ‘poor governance’

    Residents of Draxhall Country Club frustrated with board over ‘poor governance’

    A simmering conflict over mismanagement and lack of transparency has erupted into open crisis at the exclusive Drax Hall Country Club gated community in Jamaica’s St Ann parish, where disgruntled homeowners say years of flawed governance have created a toxic living environment that has pushed multiple residents to sell their properties and prompted one homeowner to file a major lawsuit seeking accountability.

    For successive boards of the community’s Homeowners Association (HOA), dysfunction has been the norm, according to Dr. Tanika O’Connor Dennie, a homeowner and former 2021 HOA board member who has been a leading voice for reform. She told Jamaica’s Observer Online that the pattern of exclusion and opaque decision-making stretches back to her tenure on the board, when the newly selected chair unilaterally cut off all other board members from shared official email accounts, blocking access to financial records and core community updates. A small clique of five board members held informal pre-meetings to pre-determine outcomes on key votes and decisions, shutting out the two members pushing for open communication and full transparency, she explained.

    That culture of closed-door governance has carried over to the current board chaired by Andrew Sewell, O’Connor Dennie alleges, with financial records restricted to a tiny circle of insiders. Critics who demand accountability and transparency are targeted with personal attacks rather than professional responses, she claims, while board members improperly use official community resources for personal gain and conduct association business via private email accounts to avoid public scrutiny.

    The HOA’s election process is also rigged to entrench the current clique in power, according to O’Connor Dennie. Board members rely on a proxy voting system that allows them to canvass disengaged homeowners who do not participate in the community’s WhatsApp group and are unaware of ongoing disputes or governance issues. In many cases, insiders effectively select their own candidates by securing blank proxy votes from uninformed residents, she says, ensuring they retain control of the board year after year.

    Beyond the procedural dysfunction, homeowners say the HOA’s mismanagement has left critical long-standing infrastructure issues unresolved, putting the community’s reputation and property values at risk. A key perimeter wall was damaged years ago, O’Connor Dennie notes, and despite repeated resident requests, no repairs have been completed. Unnecessary spending has also drained community funds that could have been allocated to critical repairs, while qualified board members who could drive progress have been pushed out over personality conflicts.

    Another resident, Sandra Williams, pointed to a recent 35 percent jump in monthly maintenance fees over a short period that has left homeowners paying far more with no visible improvements to community services. Maintenance fees have risen from $8,500 to $13,000 Jamaican dollars in recent increments, Williams says, but residents have no way to track how their money is being spent. She questioned a $420,000 monthly landscaping contract, noting that most on-site work is completed by the community’s own employees, with only a single external worker performing basic lawn mowing. Residents who ask for details about spending are harassed and gaslit on community chat groups, she says, while long-overdue repairs to the community’s main access road remain unfinished.

    Williams added that widespread frustration has already driven residents away, with some selling properties at below-market rates just to escape the toxic environment created by ongoing governance conflicts. Many absentee homeowners choose only to rent out their properties rather than engage with the HOA, she says, after growing tired of fighting for reform that never comes. Repeated formal complaints and letters to the HOA board have yielded no changes, leaving most residents feeling powerless to address the issues.

    Misha Powell, an attorney and Drax Hall homeowner who practices in the United States, has taken matters into her own hands, filing a 2025 lawsuit against Draxhall Country Club Limited and multiple current and former HOA directors over ongoing breaches of governance rules. The lawsuit is currently working its way through the Jamaican court system, and Powell says her goal is to force HOA leaders to adhere to legal and procedural rules, and to make clear that unaccountable governance can result in personal financial penalties for directors.

    Powell echoed other residents’ claims of critical unresolved infrastructure issues, including the collapsed perimeter wall. She alleges that the board was warned of structural weaknesses in the wall years before Hurricane Melissa brought it down, and has since refused to commission a structural engineer to assess and repair the damage, leaving that section of the community perimeter compromised. She also pointed to a raw sewage issue that she flagged for the board more than four years ago, when she was still a director. At the time, the board reached out to the community developer, Jamaica’s National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), and other experts to develop a repair plan, but when the next board took over, the issue was abandoned entirely and no work has been completed to date.

    Powell is now calling on Jamaican policymakers to introduce comprehensive, national legislation to regulate gated communities and strengthen oversight to protect homeowners, particularly as more Jamaicans living overseas plan to return to the country for permanent retirement and residency.

    As of press time, Observer Online reports that multiple attempts to reach HOA chair Andrew Sewell via phone and text for comment on the allegations have gone unanswered.

  • Lifting Cuba blockade ‘simpler’ way to help than aid, says president

    Lifting Cuba blockade ‘simpler’ way to help than aid, says president

    HAVANA, Cuba – In a pointed rebuke of Washington’s latest policy toward the Caribbean island, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel publicly called on the United States Thursday to abandon its decades-long economic blockade of Cuba, arguing that lifting the restrictive trade measures would address the country’s deepening hardship far more effectively than the conditional aid package recently proposed by US authorities.

  • Kintyre Holdings expands manufacturing capacity with new chemical plant and water bottling assets

    Kintyre Holdings expands manufacturing capacity with new chemical plant and water bottling assets

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica-based investment firm Kintyre Holdings Limited has closed a strategic $40 million-plus all-equity acquisition that adds three key operational assets to its fast-growing manufacturing subsidiary, BOLD Manufacturing & Distribution. The transaction encompasses a functional chemical manufacturing facility, a fully outfitted five-gallon water bottling plant with integrated purification technology, and an existing white label production contract for chemical manufacturing, marking another major milestone in the subsidiary’s rapid expansion trajectory.

    Unlike many early-stage acquisitions that require years of ramp-up to generate income, all newly purchased assets are already revenue-generating, company officials confirmed in a Thursday press release. The acquired chemical plant will immediately support production of industrial and consumer chemical products, which will be distributed through existing partner Miracle Corporation alongside a pipeline of new distribution agreements being developed across high-priority regional markets.

    The addition of the five-gallon water bottling operation expands BOLD Manufacturing’s growing presence in Jamaica’s expanding domestic water distribution market, building on a separate acquisition the firm announced in recent months. That earlier purchase added a fully automated small-format bottling facility capable of end-to-end production of 500ml, 750ml, and 1-litre bottled water. Industry projections estimate the new small-format plant can support $75 million worth of 500ml bottled water output per month, cementing BOLD’s status as a fast-rising competitor in Jamaica’s manufacturing and consumer goods sectors.

    Taken together, the two acquisitions have allowed BOLD to transition to a fully vertically integrated manufacturing structure, cutting direct production costs significantly while boosting operational efficiency, production scalability, and end-to-end product quality control.

    Adrian Smith, Kintyre’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer who also serves as head of BOLD Manufacturing & Distribution, highlighted that the subsidiary has already begun generating revenue from the new assets, with products already on retail shelves across Jamaican markets. “We remain extremely bullish on expanding our manufacturing capabilities and delivering high-quality products to consumers while building a scalable and sustainable operation,” Smith said. “These acquisitions position us to lower operating costs, strengthen our supply chain and accelerate our long-term growth strategy.”

    Smith emphasized that Kintyre’s core strategy centers on building tangible, income-generating assets that deliver sustained value for shareholders while expanding domestic manufacturing capacity across Jamaica. Donovan White, a director on Kintyre Holdings’ board, said the leadership team has already met all performance targets laid out for BOLD Manufacturing last year, earning full board confidence.

    “The Board of Kintyre Holdings is very satisfied with the direction the company is headed in, and BOLD Manufacturing is meeting the targets that were presented to the board of directors last year,” White noted. “We continue to support and advise the leadership team of Kintyre as the company builds out a diversified investment holding company with strong growth potential.”

    Kintyre officials confirmed the firm is in the final stages of rolling out its expanded manufacturing operations, and remains optimistic that divisional revenue will continue to strengthen in coming quarters. The latest round of acquisitions aligns with the holding company’s long-term vision of building a diversified portfolio of high-performing businesses across manufacturing, consumer goods, and industrial sectors across the Caribbean.

  • Incumbents see vote totals rise as COI support surges at polls

    Incumbents see vote totals rise as COI support surges at polls

    Fresh off Tuesday’s general election in The Bahamas, unofficial vote counting reveals a mixed political landscape where long-serving and sitting parliamentarians have largely held onto their seats, while a rising third party has gained significant traction across multiple constituencies. According to preliminary data compiled and reviewed by The Tribune, many incumbent MPs from both the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Free National Movement (FNM) not only retained their electoral districts but also grew their raw vote shares compared to the 2021 general election. At the same time, the Coalition of Independents (COI) has recorded substantial gains in nearly every constituency tracked, marking a notable shift in voter sentiment toward alternative political options.

    One of the clearest examples of incumbent growth can be found in the Elizabeth constituency, where PLP incumbent JoBeth Coleby-Davis secured a decisive re-election victory. Across 14 polling divisions, Coleby-Davis captured 2,308 votes, a 22 percent increase from her 2021 total of 1,893 votes when she first ousted then-FNM incumbent Duane Sands. This cycle, she defeated FNM challenger Heather Hunt, who finished with 1,285 votes. Even in this solidly PLP-held seat, the COI saw its support more than double: candidate Donna Dorset Major took 544 votes, up from just 204 votes the party earned in Elizabeth in 2021.

    In Bamboo Town, PLP incumbent Patricia Deveaux successfully defended her seat against FNM chairman Duane Sands, though her vote total dipped slightly to 1,716 from 1,790 in 2021. Deveaux defeated Sands, who earned 1,352 votes, in a high-profile contest that pitted the sitting MP against the FNM’s top party official. For the COI, candidate Maria Daxon — who ran in the constituency in 2021 — saw her support jump nearly 80 percent, rising from 378 votes to 677 this cycle.

    Veteran PLP politician Glenys Hanna Martin secured a historic sixth consecutive term in Englerston, capturing 1,913 votes across 10 polling divisions. While her total was down from 2,249 in 2021, she still won by a wide margin over FNM candidate Heather McDonald (348 votes) and COI contender Faith Percentie (385 votes). The FNM’s vote share in Englerston fell from 498 in 2021, while the COI more than doubled its support, growing from 163 votes to 385 in this election.

    Across multiple FNM-held constituencies, incumbents also grew their support, matching the trend seen in PLP-held seats. In St Anne’s, FNM incumbent Adrian White retained his seat with 2,346 votes, up from 2,007 in 2021. PLP challenger Keno Wong earned 1,402 votes, an increase from the 1,253 votes the PLP took in the district in 2021, while the COI’s Graham Weatherford earned 346 votes, nearly doubling the party’s 2021 total of 172. In Sea Breeze, PLP incumbent Leslia Miller-Brice boosted her vote total from 2,448 in 2021 to 2,911 this cycle, defeating FNM challenger Trevania Clarke-Hall, who earned 929 votes (down from the FNM’s 1,090 in 2021). The COI’s William Knowles took 565 votes, more than doubling the party’s 2021 total of 276 in the district.

    This pattern of growing incumbent support and rising COI support also extends to Grand Bahama, the country’s second-most populous island. In East Grand Bahama, FNM incumbent Kwasi Thompson increased his vote total from 2,090 in 2021 to 2,342 this cycle, edging out PLP challenger Monique Pratt, who earned 1,912 votes — an increase from the PLP’s 1,686 votes in 2021. COI candidate Dexter Edwards earned 498 votes, up from 372 for the party in 2021. In Marco City, FNM leader Michael Pintard secured re-election with 2,534 votes, up from 2,340 in 2021. His PLP challenger Edward Fields II earned 1,399 votes, down from the PLP’s 2,021 in 2021, while COI candidate Jillian Bartlett increased the party’s vote total from 298 in 2021 to 365 this cycle.

    As unofficial counting continues, the preliminary results highlight two key takeaways from the 2024 general election: sitting MPs from both major parties have largely retained their hold on their constituencies, even as the COI has emerged as a competitive alternative that has expanded its voter base across every region of the country.