By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
SIX days before the general election, Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall confirmed on Thursday that his contract has expired and that he has not sought an extension.
The contract's expiration comes on the heels of intense public criticism of Mr Hall's performance which has been smouldering since last year's gender equality referendum and peaked on Wednesday when the advanced poll for the general elections plunged into chaos.
Despite a public notice indicating there would be two separate polling stations, thousands of voters slated to cast an early vote in New Providence crammed into Kendal G L Isaacs National Gymnasium on Wednesday.
The chaotic scene was compounded by a number of irregularities, such as late ballot boxes, the absence of scores of voter names that were allegedly approved for the early poll and incorrectly dated cards.
When asked to account for the chaotic scenes, Mr Hall said that Wednesday's exercise did not follow his directives, and suggested that the blame should instead be placed on senior officials that he appointed to carry out specific functions. He stated that after working a 24-hour shift getting the ballot boxes packed and dispatched, the boxes for the advanced poll in New Providence left the department at 7.45m headed for the Kendal Isaacs gym.
"It's right for you to ask me that, but as I said I delegated that function to Mr Smith as returning officer. A week or two before we published in the newspaper that the advanced poll would be held at two locations: the gym and the national stadium. Somehow along the way - he can speak to that - the decision was made just to use the gym.
He said: "I gave specific instructions - we all agreed, we'd use two locations, the gym as well as the stadium."
Carl Smith is a permanent secretary at the Ministry of National Security.
Mr Hall also pointed to a surge of hundreds of applications from poll workers seeking to participate in the advanced poll in the days before its deadline, and said that he was advised to accept the applications despite reservations over eligibility.
He would not say who advised him to accept the applications, only that he erred on the side of caution against possible consequences.
"Well, the act says that advanced poll, the whole purpose of the act was to facilitate voting in advance. The police officers, defense force officers and poll workers who will be engaged on election day, thats the purpose of the advanced poll, so that they can be free to focus on the electoral process. The act does not mention nothing about election agents voting at the advanced poll.
He continued: "An election agent is simply an observer to the election. I was advised to accept the applications."
There were 8,537 voters registered for the advanced poll, according to Mr Hall, who said that 6,994 voters were from New Providence, 1,152 from Grand Bahama and 391 from the Family Islands.
Mr Hall told The Tribune at his office on Farrington Road that he would be meeting with Prime Minister Perry Christie shortly after the interview.
Reports circulated on social media last night that the department's Permanent Secretary Harrison Thompson would be appointed to the post; however, both Mr Hall and Mr Thompson could not confirm those reports during the interview.
"Truth be told, my contract expires today, fourth of May," Mr Hall said. “Three-year contract. And of course it's up to the government what they wish to do in my particular situation, but my contract will expire today. I did not seek an extension.”
See Friday’s Tribune for more
Comments
Boydie 6 years, 11 months ago
They had to know this simpleton's time was up and even after the Referendum botch-up he remained in his position. To what end?
jackbnimble 6 years, 11 months ago
I think the whole idea was to call election BEFORE his contract expired (I'm guessing within the first few days of May) because they wanted him there. That plan had a monkey wrench thrown in it when they realised that Carnival was clashing with the election date. The outcry to leave the Carnival dates alone is why the Election is now set for May 10th and Hall's time has expired. God don't sleep!
The_Oracle 6 years, 11 months ago
To sow confusion and mayhem. I hope and pray any attempts at wholesale fraud and ballot manipulation are caught.
Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years, 11 months ago
Ha ha ha.....just can't wait till all hell breaks loose on May 10th when thousands of voters who registered long ago find out their name is not on the register. Keeping the total number of legitimate registered voters to an absolute minimum was necessary to allow for thousands of dead people to vote and even more live people to vote in more than one constituency come election day. My oh my! So now when Christie says, "Well you know that's really a matter you would have to put to Mr. Hall because only he can speak to that", Mr. Hall can in turn say, "Well I wasn't the Parliamentary Commissioner on election day and these are really matters that you should be put to either the new Parliamentary Commissioner or Mr. Christie". And that will about sum up all of the chaos voters can expect to experience on May 10th, without knowing the outcome of the general election until numerous challenges of election fraud are resolved by the courts weeks and possibly months after May 10th! Yes indeed - My oh my!
Seaman 6 years, 11 months ago
Brace yourself for the possibility of people taking to the streets. There is something wrong going on. Mr Hall will spill the beans on somethings that are going on. Look and listen.
PastorTroy 6 years, 11 months ago
He's just the 'fall guy', this is part of a plan to cause chaos and dysfunction to steal an election, these Chin Chins don't give up. Don't think this it's a mistake that the Armed Forces of the Bahamas are being 'taken care of', it's part of the plan when you screw the public who is going to protect you? If this criminal gang enterprise along with the Chinese criminal gang prevails May 10, I see a Military Coup d Etat in the near future for the Bahamas, masterfully generated by our next door neighbor, the communist thieves nemesis.
Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years, 11 months ago
Don't worry about things getting out of hand on election day or after the elections. Christie's yellow friends have ensured the police force and defense force have been well stocked on a gratis basis with military riot gear, taser guns, rubber bullet guns, tear gas canisters, helmets, plastic see-through shields, Bradley type armored vehicles, etc., etc.
Sickened 6 years, 11 months ago
This is how dictatorships start. They intentionally mess up elections and then they ask for more time and then change the rules to 'make it better' and then you realize there's no more elections - just a military presence.
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 11 months ago
Well those tanks from China are right in time.
Alex_Charles 6 years, 11 months ago
Rigged....
Seals the deal for the PLP victory. With the promises Christie made, we are going to see a horrendous deficit for this year and the next fiscal year starting next month.
We won't recover, the economy can't grow fast enough to keep track with our increases in spending.
banker 6 years, 11 months ago
I am not worried about a military coup d'etat. I welcome it. Then as they are all getting cozy, all someone has to do, is to tweet to Donald Trump when he is at dinner in Mar-a-Lago, and remind him that his hero Ronald Reagan invaded Grenada. He needs a quick win and victory so the first thing you know, is that the US Marines are landing on Cable Beach, and the 101 Screaming Eagles are parachuting into Baha Mar. They will round up all of the PLP's and incarcerate them in Guantanamo Bay, including the Swindling governor general woman.
And then we will have democracy restored and we can start over. Bring it on. I'd love to see an aircraft carrier at Prince George Wharf.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 11 months ago
Hall already spilled the beans ......... the PLP top brass twisted his arm to stuff the advanced poll with ballots that cannot be accounted for when these boxes are later distributed to the constituencies next week Monday ..... The Cat Island Voodoo Man did this last election, so all of the PLPs want to do it now
bahamiangoddedd 6 years, 11 months ago
This is no surprise. First, we had the issues from the referendum and then we had the surge of last minute registration, we all know the register was not ready. I lay the blame firmly at the foot of the Prime Minster. He was warned that the register was a mess, he could have delayed calling elections for a few weeks to sort out those issues. Hall has his share of blame but the Govt should have waited.
I have never seen a bunch of people so eager to get FIRED!
Seaman 6 years, 11 months ago
You all must remember...... Mr Christie is done even if he wins. The other top brass know that to. They will simply remove him from power.....he may even remove himself. They see him as a old done leader who has nothing left to give. They will simply do as they wish without answering to him or any one else. The man has served his Country, time to enjoy his time he has left on this earth. A PLP victory may spell disaster for the poor and middle class Bahamian.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 11 months ago
Christie needs the hangman's noose for what he has done these past five years
Godson 6 years, 11 months ago
Now if there is found to be corruption in the early poll voting ballots, it simply means that no one would be held accountable; although there would be the clearest evidence of culpability.
I have to give them credit for forward thinking. The PLP has got this down to a science. Notwithstanding their cleverness, stay tune for the 'Hands of The Lord God of Hosts'...
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 11 months ago
What was the AG doing in Hall's office?
What baffles me more than anything is why he stays. He must know that the only reason they have him there is because they believe he's a complete screw up and they can intimidate him to do whatever they want.
Sickened 6 years, 11 months ago
This Hall guy is going to be spending months and plenty $$$ sitting with his lawyers as he prepares to sit in front of a commission of inquiry into this electoral process. He thinks he got stress now!!!!
Reality_Check 6 years, 11 months ago
It should be clear to all by now that Minnis if he should be so lucky as to become PM would never call for a Royal Commission of Enquiry. As Mudda_Sic put it, Minnis, Symonette and D'Aguilar would be much too pre-occupied refilling the bountiful trough (public purse) with new government taxes, fees and borrowings so that they could begin drinking heavily from it for their own benefit.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 11 months ago
Hall has been replaced .......... Hall was the Fall Guy ........ But the bigger issue is that ..... Do senior civil servants who are appointed by the GG/PSC or the PM/LOTO etc have the testicular fortitude to be able to resist the urge to bow to political pressure and compromise their integrity for further promotion???? ........... We like to talk bad about the low level civil servant, but the real problem is at the top of the civil service (where positions are almost always hand-picked)
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