STANDING DOWN: PLP does not intend to delay voting despite multiple concerns with electoral process

STANDING DOWN: PLP does not intend to delay voting despite multiple concerns with electoral process
(FILE)

“We will do nothing to stop or prevent the people from exercising their right to vote beginning tomorrow and then next week”

Party threatens legal action again, this time over symbol on ballots

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Despite unresolved concerns regarding the electoral process, Deputy Election Coordinator for the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Valentine Grimes said yesterday that the party will continue to stay its hand on any movement to delay the upcoming polls.

Grimes, along with other PLP election coordinators, met with officials at the Parliamentary Registration Department (PRD) yesterday over concerns that the publication of the party’s symbol appears to be both distorted and faded.

The party had demanded to view the printed ballots to confirm how they look, warning that it was prepared to seek the assistance of the Supreme Court if concerns are not resolved.

However, Eyewitness News understands party representatives were unable to do so.

Grimes said PRD officials sought to assure him that the PLP’s symbol will be clear on the official ballot.

“We will do nothing to stop or prevent the people from exercising their right to vote beginning tomorrow and then next week,” he said.

“We think the country is anxiously waiting to see the end of this government. So, we will not do anything to stop that process.”

Grimes also once again brought attention to the party’s concerns regarding individuals who have been exposed to COVID-19 and who have been placed in quarantine or isolation.

On Tuesday, Minister of Health Renward Wells said the government was exploring ways to allow those individuals to vote.

Wells noted, however, that no final decision had been made yet and health officials have strongly recommended that those people not be permitted to cast their ballots.

However, Grimes said yesterday that special considerations are too late, especially given that elections were called on the Free National Movement’s (FNM) terms.

“They just talk through some issues. In this day and age, you don’t just talk about these issues, you publish what those protocols are,” he said.

“The government has failed to make that happen and I rest the blame at the feet of the government.”

He added: “That’s part of the problem — that this matter has been ill-planned and the execution at this present time leaves much to be desired.

“We are still getting the information we ought to have had a long time [ago]. We don’t know definitely how many polls are gonna be held in each constituency.”

About Sloan Smith

Sloan Smith is a senior digital reporter at Eyewitness News, covering a diverse range of beats, from politics and crime to environment and human interest. In 2018, Sloan received a nomination for the “Leslie Higgs Feature Writer of The Year Award” from The Bahamas Press Club for her work with Eyewitness News.