The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE investigation into what contributed to the disorganisation and chaos surrounding the advanced poll has been completed and forwarded to the Office of the Prime Minister, Acting Parliamentary Commissioner Charles Albury confirmed yesterday.

The report was requested by former Prime Minister Perry Christie after participating in the chaotic May 3 advanced poll, which saw thousands of voters waiting for hours in the sun and others enduring the long queues only to be turned away for various reasons.

At the time, Mr Christie said he was “disappointed” in how the process played out, considering that he had “added personnel” to the Parliamentary Registration Department’s (PRD) roster “with a view to minimising the extent to which we have challenges.”

“I must say that I’m waiting on a report,” Mr Christie said on May 3. “There has to be obviously explanations as to what took place.”

Yesterday, Mr Albury confirmed the completion of the investigation, but declined to comment further on the matter when prodded by reporters, only stating: “I believe that has been forwarded to the Office of the Prime Minister.”

Nonetheless, Mr Albury said the PRD ought to look into securing and utilising modern equipment to assist department officials in performing their duties, and that the government should look into revising and possibly reducing the list of persons currently on the advanced poll register.

“I think the introduction of modern technology in our process is critical, and I also think we have to look again at the advanced poll, because the advanced poll register has increased exponentially,” he said. “And so we have to determine whether that listing of persons who are eligible to vote in the advanced poll needs to be revised or reviewed and reduced, and if it is to remain as it is then we have to compensate for that by having more polling stations on advanced poll day, particularly here on New Providence.

“And that was the major contributing factor to the concern on advanced poll day, that one location for about 6,000 plus voters.”

Last week, election observers deployed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organization of American States (OAS) urged officials to act on repeated recommendations to modernise the process, impose campaign finance regulations, and bolster the independence of the Constituencies Commission.

Both missions zeroed in on the electoral organisation for the advanced poll, and the last minute replacement of the parliamentary commissioner, which was said to have created unease leading up to the May 10 poll, but ultimately did not impact the quality of the election.