The Tribune

The Rt. Rev'd. Laish Zane Boyd, Sr. Bishop of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands WE have a rich legacy of fair and peaceful elections, of which we can all be proud. The advance poll has already taken place and, within a matter of days, we will have general polling to select the government of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas for the next five years. I wish first of all, on behalf of all Anglicans, and the wider community, to express our sincere gratitude to those men and women who have offered themselves as candidates for national leadership. To offer oneself as a candidate is a tremendous undertaking for the individual and for his/her family. We pray for them all and we wish them well. As with any competition, there can only be one winner. History and experience have taught us that, in some cases, at the end of the polls and the final ballot count, a clear winner as not identifiable. In these instances our judicial system has provided the necessary solution. As we approach May 7, I call on all registered voters to make certain that they vote, and vote for the candidate of their choice. I call on everyone to exercise calm, respect, civility, national camaraderie and good judgment. At the end of the day, as the world watches, we would want to have continued in the tradition of peaceful, free and fair elections. God has given us the tremendous gift of this Bahamaland with its beauty, relative safety and a history of mature election-day conduct. Let us keep this tradition going and deepen our electoral culture. I pray for God's continued guidance and protection as we participate in our general elections on May 7, 2012.