The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY General Wayne Munroe dismissed concern over falling voter turnout yesterday, arguing that Bahamians have a right not to vote and that the country’s participation rate remains high compared with other Caribbean nations.

His comment came even though Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis has himself expressed concern about declining participation, saying it is not healthy for democracy and that more must be done to ensure voters feel their voices matter.

Mr Munroe, who lost the Freetown seat to Lincoln Deal in last month’s general election, made the comments at the start of his Budget contribution in the Senate, pushing back against scrutiny of voter apathy.

“I will not be examining what percentage of the registered voters of Freetown voted for Freetown downstairs. He won, that’s it, and that’s that,” Mr Munroe said.

“I would trust that it is simply that, and the reason I say that, Madam President, is we hear a lot about voter apathy. I take the view, Madam President, that a voter can choose what he wishes to do. He can choose to show up to vote, or he can choose not to show up to vote. As many of us have experienced, people go to the polling place, get a ballot and don’t vote for anyone, put an unmarked ballot in the box.

“Some go in the polling place, apparently ten of them, and wrote I love Mr Munroe on their ballot, and it’s not a vote. The right to vote, like every other right, is the right of the citizen to exercise or to not exercise. As a matter of fact, the citizen of The Bahamas is still at an alarming high rate compared to their counterparts in the region.”

Mr Munroe cited turnout figures from several Caribbean countries, saying Barbados recorded 42.4 percent, Jamaica 39.17 percent, Saint Lucia 48 percent and Trinidad and Tobago 53.92 percent.

Free National Movement leader Michael Pintard also seized on turnout during his contribution to the 2026/2027 Budget Debate last week, saying about 66 percent of registered voters cast ballots and more than 70,000 eligible voters stayed home.

Mr Pintard argued that, for a second consecutive election, the government was elected by a minority of eligible voters, saying the trend suggested many Bahamians were dissatisfied with all political parties.

Mr Munroe rejected that analysis and said political parties should accept the results voters delivered.

"I just hope that we can all get past this navel gazing about how many more people could have voted against, and we may have lost even bigger if more people would have come out," he said.

Mr Munroe also said he would remain active in Freetown despite losing the seat.

"I have five years for the people of Freetown to miss what I did for them," he said.

He said he continues to worship at St Margaret’s Anglican Church and that his legal practice remains on the constituency’s border.

He said his office would remain open as a Progressive Liberal Party office, though it would no longer be funded as a constituency office.