Politics
Bermuda elects new govt on Monday – polls suggest that Premier Cox facing defeat
Bermuda Premier Paula Cox (l) and Opposition leader Craig Cannonier. PHOTO/File
Bermuda elects a new government this week on Monday. The lastest opinion poll suggest that the incumbent Premier Paula Cox could be heading for a crushing defeat.
According to the poll published in the daily newspaper – the Royal Gazette- the One Bermuda Alliance (OBA) holds a double-digit lead over the ruling Progressive Labor Party (PLP).
The faltering economy will certainly be on the minds of most people when they cast their ballots, according to the poll, which suggests a high turnout by the more than 40,000 registered voters among the island’s 65,000 residents could be on the cards.
The PLP, which swept the now defunct United Bermuda Party (UBP) from power in 1998, is seeking a fourth term in office but does so against a backdrop of rising unemployment (10 percent, according to new government statistics) and a national debt which has ballooned to US$1.4 billion as the island struggles to get out of a four-year recession.
A leading local investment advisory firm, Anchor Investment Management, predicts the island will remain in recession through 2013.
While more than two-thirds of voters believe the economy is the most important issue facing Bermuda, more than 50 percent of them think it is heading in the wrong direction.
According to the poll, the One Bermuda Alliance is seen as the party best able to bring about an economic recovery, despite the fact it is contesting its first general election.
