NO ANTICIPATED TAIWAN PRESSURE ON BAHAMIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L NASSAU 001597 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR RCBUDDEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2016 TAGS: PINR PREL TW BF SUBJECT: NO ANTICIPATED TAIWAN PRESSURE ON BAHAMIAN ELECTIONS (C-AL6-01675) REF: STATE 175636 ¶1. (C/NF) Bahamian elections must be held no later than May 2007, and are expected sooner. Campaigning is underway without any known Taiwanese involvement. For both Bahamian political parties, the potential to open The Bahamas' tourism economy to millions of Chinese tourists, the attraction of Chinese goods to an import-dependent island, and the influence of Chinese-owned Hutchison Whampoa through the Freeport Container Port in Grand Bahama work against any flirtation with Taiwan. ¶2. (C/NF) The Bahamas ruling party, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP),has actively expanded the Bahamas' economic relationship with China, opened an Embassy in China in January, and has accepted Chinese support for construction of a national stadium (with ground breaking expected in January 2007). The PLP has firmly and repeatedly supported a One China Policy and will not reverse its position for upcoming elections. ¶3. (C/NF) The Bahamian opposition party, the Free National Movement (FNM),is usually critical of any PLP activity, but has been supportive of PLP actions toward China. FNM party leader Hubert Ingraham was Prime Minister in 1997 when The Bahamas switched its support from Taiwan and opened diplomatic relations with China. Influential FNM founding member Sir Arthur Folkes was the first Ambassador to China and currently serves as vice-president of the China-Bahamas Friendship Association. Any Taiwanese efforts to lobby FNM support would be Quixotic. ¶4. (C/NF) Post expects no Taiwanese influence on local elections, but will continue to monitor and report as appropriate. HARDT