First published in The Tribune on Monday, January 28, 2008 under the byline, Young Man’s View.
THE recent election court verdict reveals that the Bahamas’ electoral process and the parliamentary registration procedures are seriously flawed and are in desperate need of a complete overhaul. The PLP’s failure to ensure a smooth election has created a state of stupefaction and has left the country in a precarious position, where politicians/citizens continue to bicker about an election outcome almost a year later, with little fulfillment of their legislative agenda.
Last Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that Byron Woodside (FNM) was the duly elected MP for the Pinewood constituency, having defeated former MP Allyson Maynard-Gibson on May 2nd and again following a recount of the ballots.
Subsequent to the court’s decision to conduct a recount and to disqualify 110 votes, Mrs Gibson, who was the Attorney General at the time of the election, cheekily and disingenuously claimed that “the system was corrupted” and that she was “hoping that we all as Bahamians move quickly to address this issue as quickly as possible, so that we can see the integrity of the system restored.” Mrs Gibson must be suffering from amnesia, since it was her government that called the election!
In the words of PM Hubert Ingraham, there was a “reckless disregard for our parliament democracy” as 100 Bahamians were disenfranchised and utterly confused because of the ineptitude, incompetence and the late boundary changes of the hapless cabal that formerly governed the country.
Following the outcome of last Monday’s recount, former PM Perry Christie stated that the failures and deficiencies of the electoral process revealed a threat to the nation and clearly undermines the government. However, Mr Christie must be mindful that he was PM at the time.
It was Mr Christie and his party who set the election date, dissolved parliament and established the boundary lines. Indeed, it was Mr Christie’s dithering that is partially to blame for the bedlam and polarized political atmosphere that has engulfed our society since May 2, 2007.
Under Mr Christie, the election was poorly executed and Bahamians were hurried to the polls. In referring to Mr Christie, PM Ingraham explained:
“Under his watch, the constituencies order was not made until 26th March, 2007. The polling divisions order was made the following day, and he dissolved the House of Assembly eight days later on 4th April, 2007.”
The former government effectively gave the Parliamentary Commissioner and his staff eight days between the changing of boundaries and the dissolution of the House to prepare for the election. Frankly, the former government’s slothful and tardy decisions left the Parliamentary Registrar in a mad dash to adjust the boundaries, distribute 150,000 voters cards and place voters in the revised constituencies.
The politically motivated gerrymandering before the last election seems to have been intended to create confusion, much like the strategy used by the late Sir Lynden Pindling in making the boundary cuts for the 1987 general election. The present DPM, Brent Symonette, who sat on the Boundaries Commission, refused to sign off on the boundary changes which appeared to be littered with irregularities, inconsistencies and did not adhere to the constitutional timeline as it was too late.
In discussing the election, Ivoine Ingraham said:
“The PLP brought confusion, trying to repeat what happened in 1987. They were trying neutralize the Ingraham momentum, as they spoilt boundaries in Fox Hill, Yamacraw and Elizabeth. They also added a piece of Nassau Village onto Pinewood, effectively sacrificing Hope Strachan by interfering with the boundaries to save Allyson. They didn’t bag on the people voting FNM. If it hadn’t been for those changes, Hope would have won her seat and Allyson would have had a greater loss.”
Continuing on, Mr Ingraham said:
“Unless the PLP are suckers for punishment, they would see the precedent set by the Pinewood case and see that the result of Marco City won’t alter anything. I can’t see why they should continue. If their goal was to prove inconsistencies in the election, they have proven that—Marco City would only confirm that, nothing more!”
Ivoine Ingraham, who was the FNM’s Regional Coordinator for the East during the General Election further questioned the boundary cuts in that district, stating:
“The PLP seems to have grabbed out their stiletto and started carving to come up with these cuts. There are questionable circumstances about Fox Hill as the late Thaddeus McDonald, who was allegedly handpicked by the incumbent MP to be the returning officer, oversaw over 200 names that showed up and were challenged during the voting. Fox Hill, Elizabeth and MICAL could all have been challenged in court, but Mr Ingraham was a good sport and decided that he would accept the results and move on.”
Bribery seems to have been a notable feature in the lead up to the election, as voters cards were doled out to foreigners such as Manani Taylor, who allegedly paid a crooked official $1000 and was issued a card without presenting identification or documents. The availability of voters’ cards to foreigners is a reflection on our society, which is pervaded by a tip (money) culture and a treasonous but insatiable drive for materialism.
It is not feasible for the parliamentary register to be open to voter registration a year and a half in advance as it increases the chances of fraudulent activity since persons can register under deceased or fictitious names and/or people may relocate.
What happened to the 41,000 fake ballots that were allegedly printed before the election? Is it possible that the apparent gerrymandering and lateness of the register, combined with allegations of fake ballots being used were indicative of an overall plan to steal the election? Was the alleged 41,000 fake ballots an intentional and illegal ploy to increase the vote share of certain candidates and rig the electoral process?
According to the Wikipedia encyclopedia, “election fraud is probably as old as elections themselves. The first suspicion dates back to 471 BC in the Athenian democracy. Archaeologists found 190 pieces of broken pottery used there as ballots with only 14 different handwritings. Essentially, in national elections, successful election fraud can have the effect of a coup de’tat or corruption of democracy.”
The Bahamas electoral process operates under the premise that voters choices are confidential, made on a secret ballot. However, while voting alone in a booth is more socially accepted than voice-voting, the ballots used locally are not quite secret, as it is possible to link the ballot paper to a voter.
The Bahamas’ electoral process is almost identical to that of the UK, in that, as Wikipedia states, “each ballot paper is individually numbered and each elector has a number. When an elector is given ballot paper, their number is noted down on the counterfoil of the ballot paper (which also carries the ballot paper number).”
In 2002, Supreme Court Chief Justice Sir Burton Hall ruled that the attachment of voters card number to a voters’ ballot was undemocratic and violated a voter’s right to privacy as is mandated by the constitution. Sadly, the ruling was overturned in the Court of Appeal by Dame Joan Sawyer. By contrast, in the US the ballots are truly anonymous.
In the aftermath of the chaos of the 2007 General Election, do we need to bring in international observers?
Furthermore, I watched the celebratory gathering of jubilant FNMs at the RM Bailey park subsequent to last Monday’s recount in favor of the FNM. Quite honestly, I was most disappointed with the charade at the park as speaker after speaker gloated and only sought to berate the former PM, without stating much of the new government’s plans or articulating a vision for the country. For me, it amounted to nothing more than a gloat fest!
The election debacle should also teach future candidates the value of effective neighborhood canvassing. Moving forward, radical reforms must be made to the electoral process, for example, an accurate register should be produced through ground work in the communities; setting new and precise guidelines for determining someone’s eligibility to vote; implementing new ballot systems or electronic voting; organizing alternative means to count votes; proposing fixed boundaries and holding a referendum to change the constitution to stipulate a fixed election date.
The PLP must accept its defeat at the polls. It is time that our politically polarized country heals and gets out of election mode. The government must get on with the people’s work of ensuring that the country sustains a viable economy and in tackling the pressing social ills that are plaguing our nation.
