The Tribune

By CELESTE NIXON Tribune Staff Reporter cnixon@tribunemedia.net THE Democratic National Alliance yesterday denied it has been soliciting "the Haitian vote". In response to a Tribune article, the DNA said it only seeks the votes of the Bahamians, as only Bahamian citizens can vote in the Bahamas. The party acknowledged in a statement that some of its members met with "some Bahamian leaders of Haitian descent" to discuss the party's immigration policies - which have not been altered since being put forward at a DNA town meeting last year. According to the statement the article was "very misleading to the Bahamian public, as it suggests an erroneous statement that the party is underhandedly courting the Haitian vote." Yesterday's Tribune reported that the DNA has now joined the PLP in the race to secure the "Haitian vote", just weeks after blasting the FNM government over the same accusation. According to well-placed sources, the article said, party officers held a series of meetings with members of the Haitian-Bahamian community to "gather voters". The DNA statement said the meeting was an opportunity to explain the party's immigration platform and initiatives. It said: "It was a fruitful meeting and the DNA believes that it successfully explained to all in attendance that a DNA-government intends to adhere to the law, present a referendum to modernise the country's regularisation laws and remove political hindrances and corruption from the Department of Immigration. "At no time did the meeting transform into a plea for votes. Our only focus was to reiterate to the group that the DNA would enforce the laws of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas." Among the policies discussed were: a review of the status of immigrants that have been in the Bahamas for long periods of time and are productive members of society with a view to regularisation, swift consideration of the applications of persons entitled to apply for residency/citizenship and move to regularise the status of children born abroad to Bahamian women by way for referendum.