General elections were held in the Bahamas on 19 June 1987 for all 49 seats in the House of Assembly. The number of seats was raised from 43 prior to the 1987 elections.

Electoral System

Members of the House of Assembly are elected from single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post voting. The majority party then selects the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the Governor-General.

Political Parties

The election was largely a contest between the two major parties: the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the opposition Free National Movement (FNM).

Background & Campaign

In view of the 1987 elections, Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling dissolved Parliament on 12 May.

The main issue during the somewhat bitter one-month campaign was corruption related to drug trafficking, with the opposition Free National Movement (FNM), headed by Mr. Kendal Isaacs, accusing the Government of impropriety in this field. The FNM also pointed to the country's high unemployment and rising drug use.

Results

On polling day, the ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), in power since independence in 1973, saw its House majority slightly reduced. The opposition alleged election irregularities as it lost a number of seats by narrow margins. Sir Lynden, given another five-year term as head of Government, formed a new Cabinet on 28 June.

Voter Turnout

Voter turnout was 87.90%.