Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham is in the 'fight for his life' to retain his long-held seat in the North Abaco constituency, said Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader Perry Christie.
Christie said he thinks Ingraham will be unseated by the PLP's challenger Renardo Curry.
Ingraham has been elected to Parliament for North Abaco for seven consecutive terms.
Christie predicted that not only will Ingraham lose his seat, but the governing Free National Movement (FNM) will lose the May 7 election.
"I have never been a person who thought Hubert Ingraham's seat could be won, except this time," said Christie during an interview with The Nassau Guardian at his Cable Beach home on Wednesday. "This is the first time in all my years that I'm satisfied he is in the fight for his life.
"The North Abaco seat is a seat where we have produced an excellent young candidate who is supported by young people in significant numbers.
"We have a candidate who is stronger than anyone who has [run] there before and who is tailor made for that constituency."
Christie said the large number of registered voters in the country is evidence that the electorate is anxious to vote and ready for a shift in government.
"The challenge for the PLP is to ensure that people see us as representing change, not just the DNA," said Christie, referring to the newly formed third party, the Democratic National Alliance.
"You're going to find a result in this election similar to what has happened to other countries in the region coming out of a recession, that people are anxious to change the government. It's not going to be evident in the polling, but you're going to find that to be a reality.
"You cannot have a situation where so many people are unemployed, hurting, record numbers of murders, usually that translates to people voting against [the government]."
Christie said if the election were held today the PLP would win. The party's challenge will be sustaining the momentum it has garnered during the election campaign until May 7, Christie said.
"We are determined not to be distracted," he said.
"We are determined in this three-week period to present to the Bahamian people what we say we will do for them and why we think it is right for them to vote for us. I believe I have assembled a team of young men and women [who are] second to none.
"This election will be won on the basis of what's happening on the streets. Today we know we have the edge. The challenge will be to hold that edge for three weeks.
"I believe that we are going to win because the Bahamian people will look at everyone and make a decision based on which party has produced the best team and which party has produced the best message."
Christie also reiterated statements made by the prime minister on Monday that young people and women are the key demographic groups a party needs in order to win the next election.
On Monday, Ingraham said that registered female voters outnumbered registered male voters by 20,000. The prime minister also said that young voters between the ages of 18 and 25 represent the largest bloc of registered voters.
More than 172,000 people are registered to vote.

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