The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party chairman Fred Mitchell rejected claims that last week’s advanced poll descended into chaos, even as he conceded that voters faced unacceptable waits and said election officials failed to properly calculate the number of booths, rooms and workers needed.

Mr Mitchell said the long lines caused significant inconvenience, but argued that most people were still able to vote and urged those who were not to return on Election Day.

“I do not want to minimise or dismiss the inconvenience of having to wait in line for five hours to vote,” he said in a voice note yesterday. “No one should have to wait more than 15 minutes in a line. To me, this is a formula that requires simple arithmetic, and it can determine how many booths, rooms and personnel are needed. Clearly, there were defaults in this area.”

His comments came after the advanced poll, held last Thursday, left many voters waiting for hours to vote.

The last vote is believed to have been cast around 10pm at CV Bethel High School — four hours after polling was scheduled to end.

The problems have sharpened scrutiny of the Parliamentary Registration Department’s readiness to manage the far greater and more complex demands of Election Day.

The department said the issues were caused by an “unprecedented” turnout that exceeded projections.

It maintained that it is prepared for the general election, citing plans for more polling stations, additional staff and logistical improvements. It also said a review is underway to address the problems.

Mr Mitchell stressed that the organisation of elections does not fall under the governing party, but under the independent Parliamentary Commissioner’s Office.

“Some are saying the prime minister,” he said. “Ladies and gentlemen, please, know that at this stage no politician can direct an independent parliamentary commissioner what to do, but our PLP representatives have made the point to the commissioner of the reforms that we think are necessary on Election Day to avoid a similar problem on Election Day. Let us hope that this advice is followed.”

Despite the problems, Mr Mitchell framed the turnout as evidence of public commitment to democracy.

“I do not agree there was chaos,” he said. “There were long lines, yes, but with patience, folks got to vote. I apologise for those who didn't get to do so, and I urge them to return on Election Day and vote. Let's look at it this way, the glass is half full. The Bahamian people love to vote, and turned up in high numbers to demonstrate their support of democracy.”

Former Free National Movement chairman Sidney Collie, on the other hand, sharply criticised the conduct of the poll, arguing that the Parliamentary Registration Department appeared unprepared for the scale of participation.

“It is clear based on all of the fundamental errors that have been made, that their team was either not trained properly, or was inexperienced or incompetent,” he said.

Mr Collie said FNM leader Michael Pintard was told by a presiding officer that there were no protest ballots in a ballot box, despite the need to facilitate such votes.

He said he later contacted the Parliamentary Commissioner directly, who confirmed that protest ballots will be will put in every box.

“How,” he said, “can presiding officers running an election, going through the routine of emptying the box and taking an account of the entire inventory, tell the leader of the official opposition that there's no protest ballots in the box? That's one example, clear example of either the presiding officer was not properly briefed, or there's a breakdown somewhere.”

Mr Collie also claimed that some voters with Form L, who were assured their names would be added to the register, were still left off the list even after their information had been submitted in advance.

He said FNM candidates submitted lists of affected voters to the PRD ahead of polling after being asked to do so. However, he claimed many of those people were still turned away on polling day because their names had not been added to the voters’ list.

“If this is going to be the standard of advanced poll elections going forward, a fundamental change in the way the PRD does business, and the entire parliamentary election process, has to be conducted,” he said. “It cannot go on like this in the future.”