By Brent Dean ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ brentldean@nasguard.com:
Progressive Liberal Party Leader Perry Christie said yesterday he is aware of about 30 supporters of the Free National Movement who voted illegally in the Elizabeth by-election. Christie also warned the prime minister about making comments he claimed were intimidating to the five people who voted on protest ballots in favor of the PLP's candidate Ryan Pinder last Tuesday.
"When the prime minister (Hubert Ingraham) speaks about having a list of people who voted illegally, listen, my list is probably 30 right now, without my having made an effort, of FNMs who voted illegally in there," said Christie at a news conference yesterday at PLP headquarters.
Christie acknowledged that it is necessary for the leaders of both major parties to come together to work on improving the rules that govern elections in The Bahamas.
The Elizabeth by-election was the first major test for the Parliamentary Registration Department since the justices of the Election Court said in a ruling that the Pinewood case had exposed "the most egregious failures in the parliamentary system."
That ruling was handed down nearly two years ago by Senior Justice Anita Allen and now Senior Justice Jon Isaacs.
At the time of the controversial Pinewood matter, the judges said, "The parliamentary commissioner failed, for whatever reason, to ensure the integrity of the registration process in Pinewood."
In their 2008 ruling, Allen and Isaacs said it was startling that Senator Allyson Maynard-Gibson (the petitioner) and Pinewood MP Byran Woodside were forced to concede that 85 of 183 votes challenged were unlawful votes.
"Perhaps the time is appropriate for the parliamentary commissioner to comprehensively examine the practices and procedures of the Parliamentary Registration Department with a view to ensuring that what we saw in Pinewood does not re-occur because it threatens to undermine the fundamental basis of our parliamentary democracy," the ruling said.
Despite the ruling, there have been no amendments to the Parliamentary Elections Act, and no major reforms of the election process in the country.
Consequently, both parties have alleged serious improprieties concerning the Elizabeth by-election.
Pinder received 1,499 regular votes to the 1,501 votes FNM candidate Dr. Duane Sands received. However, Pinder would have a total of 1,504 votes, as compared to Sands' 1,501 votes, if the five protest votes for Pinder are allowed.
At a news conference at FNM Headquarters on Sunday, the prime minister said those protest votes would be seriously scrutinized in the Election Court.
"At the end of the day, the court will make a decision. If these persons turn out to be persons that committed perjury or who lied, then there are laws to deal with that. So each of these persons will have to make their own decision on what they want to do. Let go, let be or expose yourself to the other place," said Ingraham, making a clear reference to Her Majesty's Prison.
"In the other place, you go there by yourself, no one goes with you. It's a very lonely place to be."
Christie perceived those comments as a form of voter intimidation by the prime minister.
"The prime minister should not seek to intimidate these people and suggest that because they spoke up for their rights that somehow they are breaking the law. We are concerned about this because it is a continuation of a pattern of intimidation by the Free National Movement and the prime minister," he said.
"I warned about his intimidation during the campaign. I am seriously concerned about the identification of the FNM with a thug culture that appears to dominate what they do in politics. There is no respect for the most basic and elemental aspects of the law and fair play."
While Ingraham said he has hard evidence that four out of the five protest voters were not eligible to vote in the by-election, Christie was confident that the PLP would receive enough protest votes for Pinder to become the Elizabeth MP.
Pinder needs at least three protest votes declared valid to win the seat. If he secures two, a tie would result and a reelection would take place.
"...Going to the Election Court in the circumstances that have now arisen is all about making sure that the way the people of Elizabeth did in fact vote on February 16th is reflected in the final declared result," Christie said.
The PLP leader said that in most instances, the protested voters lived in the constituency for long periods.
"They also say they had been duly registered to vote in Elizabeth," he said. "In fact, they had proper voter's cards."
Their names had been left off the Register of Voters, claimed Christie.
February 23, 2010
thenassauguardian
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
