By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Hubert Ingraham said yesterday he is "not concerned" with the persons who were unable to register to vote on Tuesday because "tardiness is something he does not have sympathy for".
While speaking at a luncheon with the 2012 Carifta team Mr Ingraham said he gave the Bahamian people enough time to register and it is not his fault many chose to wait until the last minute to do so.
"How many times did the Prime Minister of the Bahamas call upon people to register to vote? There has never been a longer process, a more organized process in the history of the Bahamas. For some people you are never going to be on time for them. No, I am not concerned about that at all. Everybody had more than ample opportunity to register. What you ought to do is compare the register of 2002 and 2007. See the difference in the numbers of people who were registered to vote in 2002 and those who were registered in 2007 and then ask yourself the question why?" he said.
"Maybe Mr Christie can answer that because he had a very disorganized event and lots of people didn't register. The 20,000 plus additional people we have registered now are not all new voters. Many of them are persons who didn't get registered the last time because they had no notice at all. There was no time that you can find that the PM or Mr Christie called upon the citizens night after night, week after week to register to vote. He just woke up one morning on a Thursday and you heard him announce the House was closed. This means that people who were not registered up to that day could not vote but this time we have extended it by one day. People had one day longer to register under the FNM than they had under the PLP because the PLP closed the register the Wednesday of Easter week. In our case it was closed on the Thursday of Easter week. So pay no attention to that nonsense about I could have registered and I didn't. Tardiness is not something I have sympathy for."
The Prime Minister's comments came after scores of people on Tuesday attempted to register for the May 7 elections but were told it was too late.
Mr Ingraham also said the government has made provisions for certain groups of people to be eligible to register before May 7.
"We have modernized and updated our laws, so for instance if you get married and wanted to go on your honeymoon you would be able to vote at a pre-poll and have your vote counted on election day. If somebody is on vacation, somebody is going to be hospitalized, somebody is pregnant and expects to have their baby in that period of time, somebody who is a candidate for a constituency in a family island, they and their spouses can vote early," he said.
"People who are going to work for other candidates off the island they can also vote early so one does not have to lose the right to vote simply because you are unable to be here on election day if you are registered to vote. Now you have to go through a process. You apply to the Parliamentary Commissioner and give good reasons and if he accepts it you go on the list and you'll be able to vote."
Mr Ingraham also brushed off criticism that he rushed the elections as "nonsense manufactured by the PLP."
Comments
TalRussell 12 years, 8 months ago
Too late, hard luck on you is about the same arrogant tone this FNM PM has been telling the 60,000 natives who have lost their paychecks under his FNM regime. A repeated theme that has also for five long years inflicted financial misery upon an entire population scattered across Grand Bahama. Mr. FNM regime’s PM did you not know that the runging of the General Elections bell marks the 100th anniversary of Titanic's sinking…As we all know the “unsinkable” wasn’t all the talk she was made out to be, like the FNM regime discovered back in 2002 by the hands of Prime Minister Christie, while he almost sank the FNM as a party, they had managed to sail without their “elite power” for the political dry-docks, to spend the next five years shoving Tommy aide, repackaging PM Ingraham in 2007 to the natives as a less arrogant leader. The more the good senator Dr. Duane talks the more the natives on the street get to see the leaks in this PM’s airtight rule for the past five years over his FNM cabinet ministers and MP’s that has turned grown men into his political potcakes. Is there a hidden message the doc is trying to get out before the natives cast their ballots or is he just a loose mouth? The real humor here is the worst performing FNM cabinet minister is on a public collision in his rebuking one of his own FNM senators. Whoever said Tommy doesn’t bring his own brand of Elections humor to the race…even if its as misguided as his rotten performances as the minister of the people’s security. What has Tommy and Brent done with Comrade Carl, the FNM Party Chairman, of record anyway, cause it sure as hell seems like Comrade Chairman didn’t stay afloat too much longer than after the resignation of Brent from the House? What exactly was the scolding Carl gave to the DPM? One can only guess at the number “new Bahamian citizens” there are among the 20,000 new registered voters the PM talks about? In the end it will be left up to the natives to decide the new Bahamas government, cause the $30 plus million the FNM regime is spending to hold on to power, along with the hundreds of millions they are spending from an already broke public treasury, is not going to guarantee them a victory. Dollar Bills, not matter how many millions and billions, cannot vote.
conian 12 years, 8 months ago
Dont be Tardy and show up at the poles after they have closed. Get my drift?
Without order there is chaos.
TalRussell 12 years, 8 months ago
Comrades it ain’t that difficult to spot the FNM spin hands in the comments posted here. Pre General Election registration is not a requirement in many countries but simple a method to facilitate the holding of more organized elections, allowing those citizens not pre registered to also register at their local Elections office or at their respective polling places on the actual general Elections Day, this guaranteeing that every qualified citizen has the right to cast their vote. Both the FNM and PLP are still operating under the outdated and questionable UBP methods of trying to control votes, favorable to the reigning government of the day. How long since Independence and not only is the UBP still got their hands on the government and all the major contracts and business happenings but also over how the natives get to vote.
moree1966 12 years, 8 months ago
Das my PAPA! All na sayers please sit down yall late AGAIN!
nicholasandrews 11 years, 2 months ago
This means that people who were not registered up to that day could not vote but this time they have extended it by one day.
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manojdada 9 years, 10 months ago
How long ago Independence and not solely is that the UBP still got their hands on the govt. and every one the most important contracts and business happenings however additionally over however the natives get to vote. http://ranklikes.com">buy facebook ratings
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