NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) is calling for the establishment of an independent election commission to replace the Parliamentary Registrar Department in an effort to improve fairness in the electoral process and prevent gerrymandering.
According to a statement, the party believes the proposed commission should be responsible for overseeing the licensing of political parties, including their colors, names, symbols, and logos, and for verifying candidate declarations, as well as large cash and in-kind donations. The commission should also have the authority to ban foreign donations and influences.
“They should have an investigation unit to check out everything related to elections and recommend prosecution where necessary,” the statement said.
“They should also have the power to issue fines for abuse of the rules.”
The party is also calling for the creation of a permanent subcommittee to oversee boundary changes, a responsibility the statement said should not be held by “the Prime Minister or a partisan parliamentary committee.”
The DNA suggested that the subcommittee should include surveyors, demographers, and civil society representatives, and that it should draw boundaries strictly based on the latest census data and socio-economic factors. Its recommendations, the statement added, should be presented to the Speaker of the House for ratification by a supermajority vote of Parliament.
“This reform will ensure independence, impartiality, transparency, accountability, inclusivity, and integrity—ultimately restoring voter confidence in the system.”
The statement also said that The Bahamas Election Commission should “manage all general, local, and referendum elections, operate from its own secure premises with advanced ballot protection protocols, allow independent media, political party representatives, and civil society oversight during the destruction of ballots, and lead continuous voter education to counter misinformation.”
