The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

THERE are reports that voting at the advanced polls at the Kendal G L Isaacs National Gymnasium got off to a rocky start.

The Tribune also reported that there were issues at several embassies abroad.

Someone posted on Facebook that some Bahamian students were turned away by officials at an embassy in a Caribbean country because their names did not appear on the voter registration, even though they have their voter cards. I am hoping for a much smoother process on May 10. If the situation that occurred during last year’s referendum on the constitution were to repeat itself, I would be gravely concerned and suspicious.

I don’t trust this PLP government and its hangers-on who are employed in the government. The latter have much at stake in this election just like PM Perry Christie and his Cabinet.

I would like to know how many civil servants who are sympathetic to the PLP are working at the polling stations. I hate questioning the integrity of civil servants, but the way this country has been managed over the past five years one cannot take anything for granted.

In the past few weeks, PLP chairman Bradley Roberts publicised sensitive information from the Customs department about FNM candidates Howard “Ricky”Mackey and Dionisio D’Aguilar. In all likelihood, Roberts obtained that information from either someone in Customs or some other civil servant who would have been privy to the said information.

Obviously, the PLP has its fair share of sympathisers within the civil service who do not want to see an FNM government. The PLP senses that its popularity has diminished greatly.

The party has promoted hundreds of RBDF and RBPF officers in order to win this election. It has promised free electricity and many of its campaign generals are alleged to either be threatening civil servants who are FNMs or are handing out grocery and money like it’s Christmas.

The FNM must remain vigilant. The party must keep a hawk eye on the voter registration to insure there are no instances of voter fraud. Failure to do so may result in the 1987 election repeating itself.

In that election, the PLP, led by the late Sir Lynden O Pindling, gained 48,339 or 53.3 per cent of the votes cast. The FNM, led by Sir Kendal GL Isaacs, gained 39,009 or 43.2 per cent of the votes cast. The PLP won 31 seats; the FNM 16 seats.

In that election, there were reported cases of gross irregularities. Put bluntly, many election historians believe that the PLP stole that election. Sir Kendal should have been the PM that year, thus ending the Pindling reign. The PLP’s image was severely tarnished, due to the 1984 commission of inquiry into drug trafficking in The Bahamas. That coupled with Brian Ross’ explosive report titled “A Nation for Sale” led many to believe that the PLP’s time in office would end in 1987.

The FNM’s nonchalant approach annoyed many of its supporters, who wanted the party to aggressively contest the results. Based on all that had transpired between 1982-1987, they just could not bring themselves to accept the election results. And they had very good reasons not to do so.

This country has been rocked by one scandal after another this term. Allegations on top of allegations of government funds missing with no accountability at Urban Renewal, Social Services and the Ministry of Finance; FNMs being systematically victimised; Cabinet ministers being caught up in conflicts of interest; the PLP kissing up to the Numbers Boys; suspicious nolle prosequis; members of the judiciary being harassed by PLP operatives, Peter Nygard’s impunity; the PM giving us the middle finger, etc.

I just cannot see how the PLP will pull this election off in an honest fashion. The FNM is on the cusp of victory. It cannot allow the PLP to cheat its way to victory. The 1987 election simply cannot be allowed to repeat itself. Dr Hubert Minnis and the FNM leadership must not follow the nonchalant example of Sir Kendal, if there is even one hint of election irregularity.

THE WHISTLEBLOWER

Nassau,

May 3, 2017.