The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe yesterday warned against interfering with voters exercising their right to cast their ballot at the polls, days after Coalition of Independents leader Lincoln Bain urged Bahamians who meet non-English speakers at polling stations to report them to COI agents.

Mr Bain said people who cannot speak the Queen’s English should not have a passport and urged Bahamians who encounter such people to notify the COI. He said the party would keep a proper record if it needs to go to an election court, where, he said, “the battle begins.”

“When you get in that election lines,” he said, “talk to the person in front of you, talk to the person in the back off you. If they cannot speak the Queen’s English, they should not have a passport. When you get to that door you let us know.”

Mr Bain made the comments last week outside the Parliamentary Registration Department, where he and COI supporters gathered to express doubt on the integrity of the upcoming general election.

Heightened scrutiny of the electoral process also comes as the Davis administration has faced renewed criticism over what some have called an “immigration crisis in the country,” a claim the government has strongly rejected.

Yesterday, Mr Munroe said anyone who follows Mr Bain’s advice risks being arrested and barred from voting.

“Do not listen to that foolish advice unless you have a will not to vote if you want your vote to count,” he said. “You will not interfere with anybody else exercising their right to vote. If you do, you will be the one who is not able to vote because you will be in custody.”

Mr Munroe maintained that Bahamian elections and voter registration are conducted in English. He said the only provision for translation or similar assistance is for people who are hearing impaired.

The exchange also comes amid heightened concern over voter fraud following a number of document fraud arraignments.

Mr Munroe lauded efforts to crack down on the issue, noting that people have been using fraudulent cards to obtain other forms of identification.

He said he has not been advised of anyone presenting fake documents to the Parliamentary Registration Department and that it is unlikely that people with fake voter’s cards would be able to vote due to safeguards in place.

“When you turn up at the polling place, if you have a fraudulent voter’s card, they will look for the counterfoil,” he said. “When they do not find a counterfoil to match what you produce, the likelihood is, if it's someone else's, the likelihood is you yourself will end up in custody.”