The Tribune

FNM CANDIDATE Desmond Bannister is asking that an official hearing be held into his claims of voter fraud in North Andros within the next 14 days. After the PLP denied flying Nassau and Grand Bahama residents in to register in Mr Bannister's prospective constituency, he revealed yesterday that a list of alleged illegal voters have already been turned over to local officials, and offered to name the political operatives responsible for the scam. Mr Bannister said: "This is an act of deception that can lead to prosecution, and it is an act that we will expose in the interest of protecting our vibrant Bahamian democracy. "We have compiled several lists of such persons. We have provided the first list of names for the administrator in North Andros. There will be more lists." "We have requested that a hearing be conducted within 14 days in accordance with the rights guaranteed to legitimate residents of the constituency pursuant to the provisions of section 21 (2) of the Parliamentary Elections Act." Mr Bannister noted that anyone whose registration has been challenged will have the right to appear before the Returning Officer to prove they live in the North Andros and Berry Islands constituency. "If any of the persons cannot prove that they are ordinarily resident in the constituency, then I expect that the authorities will take appropriate action to prosecute them for the false oath that they have taken." On Tuesday, opposition leader Perry Christie said he would approve of a full investigation of Mr Bannister's claims, dismissing them as an attempt to gain ground after realising PLP candidate Dr Perry Gomez is "ahead of him in polling." Yesterday, Mr Bannister said: "I welcome his comment that the Parliamentary Commissioner should probe the registration process and turn over his findings to the police immediately. "In the spirit of co-operation I am prepared to assist Mr Christie. I am prepared to provide the names of the PLP operatives who have been flying unqualified persons in to Andros free of charge to register to vote in that constituency." He said he has also informed the Parliamentary Commissioner "of the fact that one of the persons who was involved in the process of registering voters in the constituency holds a post of responsibility in the local PLP branch, and has campaigned in her PLP regalia while involved in the registration process. "One need only look at her facebook postings during the time that she was involved in the registration process to see that this person could not be fair, unbiased and dispassionate in carrying out her duties. "There is compelling reason to review the list of persons that she scrutinised for registration, and if any are found to be unqualified, to require her to explain her actions to the police." Mr Bannister noted that North Andros is a very small community, and everyone knows who has been away for years. "Interestingly enough," he said, "the first name that voters in North Andros submitted to the administrator for scrutiny is that of the daughter of the other person who was initially responsible for verifying the residence of persons who sought to register as voters in the constituency. "This person has lived in New Providence for several years and works at a pharmacy in New Providence. I anticipate, in the interest of fairness, that the Parliamentary Commissioner will review her registration documents to see how that person came to be registered in the North Andros and Berry Islands Constituency. "I cannot conceive for the life of me that the mother can truthfully claim that she did not know that her daughter was illegally registered in the constituency. If the mother is the person who verified her daughter's documents so that she could be registered as a voter in the constituency, then she too should receive a visit from the police, as Mr Christie suggested," he said. Mr Bannister said the FNM looks forward to being granted a hearing within 14 days on the first list, and plans to move forward with the other lists immediately after.