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43 Nominated as Voters decide who will lead TCI into Next Decade

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Deandrea Hamilton

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Turks and Caicos, January 19, 2025 – Forty-three men and women have secured nominations for the February 7 General Elections according to the Elections Department of the Turks and Caicos Islands; it reflects a relative decrease in nominee interest despite a constitutional expansion of electable seats in the House of Assembly.

Nomination day was held on Tuesday, January 14, 2025 across the voting districts of the TCI.

Each of the major political parties – the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) and the Progressive National Party (PNP) had 19 individuals officially nominated for the 19 seats now up for grabs in the upcoming runoff.  Ten of those seats are districts, the other nine are for the all-island or at-large contenders.

It is a consequential race which establishes who will govern the islands into the next decade.

The third party, the Progressive Democratic Alliance (PDA) which now enters its third election race has one man who will challenge in the all-island category, which has grown from five seats to nine.

Five independent candidates have nominated this time around, showing a waning interest there as electors continue to cast votes largely for the established political machinery.

In the recent constitutional amendment, which took effect in late November 2024, the concept of appointing four people to the House of Assembly was repealed and replaced.  The four, which came – two from the Governor and one from each major party – will now be elected to serve by the Voters.

Each ballot will feature two distinct sections, according to the Elections Department.  One section will be devoted to the all-island candidates, the other section will be for the constituency or district candidate choices.

Voters will choose nine people in the all-island category and one individual to represent their home constituency.

Forty-three names on a single ballot where you get to choose multiple candidates may seem daunting, but over the years electors have managed the transition remarkably well, though the tallying process was often described as protracted.

It was in 2012 that the Turks and Caicos adopted, constitutionally, this unique style of voting.  It would still employ the first past the post system, which gives the seat to the candidate with the popular vote or most votes at the end of the night.  It now also gave electors the option of choosing more representatives.  That meant someone for the district and five people who ran on a national level.

Previously, Turks and Caicos elections featured 15 constituency seats; often with only two contenders.  One from the PDM and one from the PNP; voters were expected to select one and be done.  Over the years that has brought election victory evenly to these two political camps.  Six election wins for the PDM, the oldest party and six election wins for the PNP, the incumbent party.

Based on the numbers, the dramatic change to elect not one but six MPs presented in the revised, UK-drafted 2011 Constitution Order seemed to be an exciting new prospect.  It followed three-years of UK Direct Rule, when elected representation was put on hold due to jarring allegations of “systemic corruption” in government and abuse of power in governance.

This broadening of the field of who could serve in the house of representatives held the power to not only disrupt the popularity of a two party system but it flung wide the doors of opportunity to individuals who brought independent insight and opted to run unattached to the entrenched parties.

There were 37 candidates in that general election, given the nod by the PDM, the PNP, the PPP (People Progressive Party, which is now defunct) and those who ran as independents.

The November 9, 2012 general election ballot had six constituencies which featured three candidates, four of them offered to the voter two candidates and vying for the five all-island seats available at that time, were 11 individuals.

Voter turnout was nearly 88%; the highest it’s been since the 2011 constitution was enacted.

Four years later, the December 15, 2016 general election saw voter turnout dip by 7% but candidates’ interest in House of Assembly representation boomed with 52 nominees.

It was the election cycle that saw the birth of a new political party, the PDA and a whopping number of independents offered for the five all-island seats.

History shows 31 candidates ran for the 10 district seats with South Caicos fielding the most, at four candidates on the district side of the ballot paper.  In the all-island category, 21 names were presented to the nation.

Fast forward to February 19, 2021 when interest in candidacy dwindled to its lowest, 38 people.

We saw no challenge of the PDA in any of the constituencies and unattached interest came from seven individuals.

Voter turnout also dropped dramatically in 2021 to 75%, reflecting that over 2,000 voters or one third of the electorate did not participate in the vote. While the lower turnout could have been fear linked to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, many leaned toward high voter apathy or disillusionment with the political system.

After a noteworthy bi-partisan victory on changes to the Constitution, the 2024 amendments gave voters more to consider.  More candidates for which to cast a vote, more years for political parties to serve and more ministers to carry out country affairs, among other things.

Voters can select a total of ten individuals to serve in what will now be the Parliament of the Turks and Caicos Islands.  That’s four more votes to be carefully chosen by colouring in an oval next to the name of the candidates of one’s choice.  One constituency, nine all-island.

The excruciating wait for returns and results on the choices of now 9,353 registered voters – an increase of 772 electors – will be cut significantly as ballots will now be tabulated, electronically.

Electronic voting makes its debut in the Turks and Caicos Islands on February 7, 2025 and when the results come in, whomever is named the winner in each of the 10 districts and whomever makes it as among the top nine finishers in the All-Island category will go on to comprise the Parliament for the next five years.

Bahamas News

Don Jr. Bahamas Wedding to Proceed Without President Trump

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USA, May 22, 2026 – Donald Trump Jr. is expected to marry Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson this weekend in The Bahamas, but despite speculation surrounding the high-profile ceremony, the exact location remains tightly guarded.

Multiple U.S. media outlets report the couple selected a private island in The Bahamas for what is being described as a small, intimate Memorial Day weekend wedding with roughly 50 close friends and family members in attendance. So far, no publication has publicly confirmed which Bahamian island or cay will host the ceremony, though reports consistently describe it as a secluded and heavily private setting.

The secrecy has only fueled curiosity in a country made up of more than 700 islands and cays, many of which are favored by wealthy international visitors for destination weddings and luxury retreats.

On Friday, President Donald Trump confirmed he will not attend the ceremony, citing international tensions and responsibilities at the White House.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump Family, his soon to be wife, Bettina, circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America, do not allow me to do so.”

Earlier in the week, Trump had indicated he would “try and make it,” but acknowledged the timing was “not good” because of ongoing tensions involving Iran.

Donald Trump Jr., 48, became engaged to Anderson, 39, in December 2025 at Camp David after about a year of dating. This will be his second marriage.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Bahamas News

Over a Week Later, Bahamians Still Waiting on Full Election Numbers

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The Bahamas, May 22, 2026 – More than a week after Bahamians voted in the country’s 2026 General Election, complete official constituency voting figures still have not been publicly released by the Parliamentary Registration Department.

While winners have been declared across the country’s expanded 41-seat Parliament, no centralized official breakdown showing constituency vote totals, turnout percentages, rejected ballots or margins of victory appears to have been published publicly.

The Progressive Liberal Party is widely reported to have secured 33 seats, while the Free National Movement won eight seats, according to tallies carried by several media houses, including the Nassau Guardian’s election tracker and other regional reports.

Still missing, however, are the underlying numbers which would allow the public to independently assess voter participation levels across the country’s 41 constituencies.

That absence is drawing increasing attention following an election already marked by concerns over long lines, advanced polling confusion, voter register complaints and questions about election administration.

Unofficial turnout estimates circulating in local media place national voter participation near 58 percent. If confirmed, that would represent the lowest voter turnout in modern Bahamian general election history.

Historically, The Bahamas has recorded strong election participation rates, with turnout often exceeding 80 percent in previous decades. But participation declined sharply in 2021, when official turnout fell to roughly 65 percent — at the time considered historically low.

Now, the Coalition of Independents says it plans to challenge aspects of the election process in Election Court and is escalating its criticism of the handling of the vote.

In a sharply worded statement issued to media, Coalition Leader Lincoln Bain announced the party will boycott the opening of Parliament, insisting the election was “flawed from start to finish.”

The Coalition claims the country cannot “celebrate ceremony while justice is ignored,” arguing that unresolved election concerns continue to hang over the legitimacy of the process.

Among the concerns raised by the COI are:

  • allegations of voter register irregularities;
  • claims that the voters register remained open after Parliament was dissolved;
  • accusations of vote buying;
  • concerns tied to the Pinewood constituency race;
  • alleged constitutional breaches involving undeclared government contracts;
  • and alleged conflicts of interest involving gaming operators serving in Cabinet.

The Coalition also referenced allegations surrounding criminal influence and drug-related claims connected to political operations, while calling for what it describes as a “serious local investigation.”

In its statement, the COI said there has been “no proper public accounting, no local investigation announced, and no Commission of Inquiry launched into these matters.”

The group is now demanding a formal Commission of Inquiry into the conduct of the election and related allegations.

Bain said the boycott of Parliament is “not a boycott of democracy” but instead “a stand in defence of democracy.”

The statement further argues that Parliament itself must be protected from “corruption, conflicts of interest, criminal influence, and electoral fraud.”

So far, election authorities have not publicly indicated when complete certified constituency voting figures will be formally released.

And that delay is becoming increasingly significant because the missing data includes the very numbers needed to understand whether Bahamians truly disengaged from the electoral process in record numbers.

If unofficial turnout estimates are accurate, it would mean voter participation in 2026 either matched or fell below the historically low 2021 election turnout — despite The Bahamas recording one of its largest voter registration totals ever, with more than 209,000 people listed to vote.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Health

Grand Turk Residents Fear Norovirus-Linked Cruise as Health Ministry Approves Docking

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Turks and Caicos, May 22, 2026 – Residents in Grand Turk raised concerns last week after a cruise ship previously linked to a major norovirus outbreak was cleared to dock in the Turks and Caicos Islands days after passengers were reportedly denied disembarkation in The Bahamas over health fears.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak sickened 115 people — including 102 passengers and 13 crew members — during a voyage which ran from April 28 to May 11. The illnesses involved symptoms commonly associated with norovirus, including vomiting and diarrhea.

The outbreak became public on May 7 and quickly triggered concern across the region.

Authorities in Nassau reportedly refused to allow passengers off the vessel because of public health concerns connected to the outbreak.

That decision later fueled anxiety among some Turks and Caicos residents when the ship proceeded to Grand Turk on May 15.

Residents’ concerns were not without cause.

Norovirus is a highly contagious viral illness often associated with cruise ships, hotels, schools and other environments where large groups of people share close quarters. The virus primarily causes sudden vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and nausea, and spreads rapidly through contaminated food, water, surfaces and person-to-person contact.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most healthy people recover within one to three days, but norovirus can become serious — and occasionally fatal — for elderly individuals, young children and people with weakened immune systems because of severe dehydration. While the overall fatality rate is considered very low, the CDC estimates norovirus contributes to hundreds of deaths annually in the United States, mainly among vulnerable populations.

The Turks and Caicos Ministry of Health and Human Services had said in a press statement on May 15, it believed the risks had been effectively neutralized before the vessel arrived in Grand Turk.

In a statement issued Thursday, the Ministry said the ship had already returned to Florida, where passengers disembarked and “comprehensive sanitization and deep-cleaning procedures were completed” before operations resumed.

The Ministry also stressed that its Public Health Team maintained “close and continuous communication” with the ship’s medical personnel, Carnival Cruise Line officials and stakeholders at the Grand Turk Cruise Centre before approving the docking.

Routine inspections and standard port health procedures were also carried out, according to officials.

The Ministry further reassured the public that there were “currently no public health concerns” associated with the vessel’s arrival.

Still, the situation once again highlighted the delicate balancing act Caribbean nations face between protecting public health and sustaining tourism economies heavily dependent on cruise arrivals.

Officials are now encouraging vendors, taxi operators, tour companies and businesses to continue practicing strong sanitation and hygiene measures as an added precaution.

Residents were also reminded that frequent handwashing remains one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of norovirus and other infectious illnesses.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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