1962 was a long awaited election year. Hostile political lines had been drawn between the governing United Bahamian Party and opposition Progressive Liberal Party. Voting cycles were every seven years then. Today, it is every five.
Actually, general elections were not scheduled until 1963, but as the political war of words had been inflamed to boiling point, elections were brought forward to November 1962.
This particular election year, would become a significant one. 1962 was an historical year for women’s suffrage. In November, Bahamian women voted for the first time in Island history.
The Bahama Islands, in 1962, was still very much a Colony of Great Britain. Britain’s representative, in the form of a colonial Governor, then Sir Robert Stapledon, still controlled —with and without the advice of the ruling party head—- all access to crown land.
Fort Lauderdale News and Sun Sentinel, SUNDAY 16th SEPTEMBER 1962
Opposition PLP members called for autonomy and transparency; while the governing UBP claimed the country was the best, economically speaking, than it had ever been.
Key political issues, going into the November 1962 elections, centred on economic control of crown land, rising costs of living, increasing unemployment among the negro population and growing class disparities.
Winners and losers would be tallied in the election booths.
Cyril Stevenson (PLP) says send delegation to England to demand Bahamian control of its own Crown Land
Number of building permits issued for first two months of 1962
Committee appointed to consider changing name of Hog Island
Widow of murdered policeman receives deed to a lot of land on Soldier Road owned by L. Walton Young
Taffia (illegally brewed rum) smuggler caught
3,000 watch 25 baptised at Western Esplanade
