The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Chairman Sidney Collie accused Prime Minister Perry Christie of pretending to “exhibit accountability” by appointing Acting Parliamentary Commissioner Charles Albury a day after Sherlyn Hall’s contract expired.

He questioned why Mr Christie would make staffing changes to the Parliamentary Registration Department days before the next general election, instead of providing the vital government department with adequate resources a long time ago.

The government announced on Friday – five days before the general election – that Mr Albury would serve as acting parliamentary commissioner until the post is substantively filled.

Mr Hall’s troubled tenure as parliamentary commissioner culminated in Wednesday’s chaotic advanced poll for the general election, which saw many voters wait for hours in long lines and, in some cases, not able to vote because their names were not on the register.

Mr Hall’s contract with the government expired on Thursday, but it had been unclear how the Christie administration would proceed with the post with the general election just days away.

A Cabinet press release on his replacement on Friday evening noted: “The Cabinet Office advises that with effect from May 6, 2017, Mr Charles Albury will serve as acting parliamentary commissioner until the post is substantively filled.

“Mr Albury has served with distinction in the public service in various ministries for more than 30 years. His present substantive post is permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism. The government looks forward to drawing on his extensive experience in the public service and in particular his previous distinguished service in the Parliamentary Registration Department.”

In his statement, Mr Collie said the nation’s leader was exhibiting “pretend acts of accountability”.

Mr Collie added: “Prime Minister Christie’s actions serve to shine a disturbing spotlight on his continued indifference to holding his Cabinet members accountable for their brazen, and blatant abuse of power. After this government completely fumbled Wednesday’s advanced poll, the embattled prime minister claimed an investigation would be opened immediately, saying ‘an explanation, obviously is needed.’

“Where was the prime minister’s attention to responsibility for the last five years, when the Parliamentary Registration Office obviously lacked adequate resources? After failures in every election during his term, why didn’t he make staffing changes until five days before this year’s general election? It is clear that Hall’s firing is simply smoke-and-mirrors — a PLP ploy to convince the public that they act accountably although their laundry-list of failures prove otherwise.”

Mr Collie suggested that while Mr Christie appeared to take action against Mr Hall, he has not disciplined Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald who admitted to attempting to solicit lucrative contracts from Baha Mar for his family’s businesses.

Mr Collie said this breached Cabinet’s code of conduct for ministers.

“Rather than heeding the public’s demands, or even looking into the matter, he simply calls the proven allegations ‘fake news’ and at a rally he even praised Fitzgerald.”

Mr Collie ended his statement saying: “This government finds new ways to insult every Bahamian that believes in accountability and transparency. Only when the people have their say on May 10, will the PLP’s disastrous rule come to an end.”

At the advanced poll on Wednesday, ballot boxes arrived late at the Kendal Isaacs Gym and voting did not begin until more than an hour after the scheduled 8am start.

And although it was advertised that both the gymnasium and the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium would be used as polling sites, voting only took place at the gym.

Mr Hall deflected most of the criticisms of his performance when questioned by the press on Thursday and blamed the chaos on Carl Smith, the permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security and the returning officer for the poll.

Asked if the dysfunction was an attempt at sabotage, Mr Hall did not dismiss the idea.

Throughout Friday, some PLP insiders pushed the idea that Mr Smith was to blame for the chaos, saying he was politically motivated.

Mr Smith could not be reached for comment and it is unclear if he will face any consequences for the role he may have played in Wednesday’s debacle.

The advanced poll was not the first time Mr Hall had become a magnet for criticism, however.

After the 2016 referendum on gender equality, he was criticised for overseeing a confusing process that resulted in the referendum results not being disclosed until the day after the voting had taken place, instead of that night.

During the lead-up to the election, the Parliamentary Registration Department had also faced criticism for turning away people who workers said failed to adhere to their prescribed dress codes. And errors and duplications in the voter register were also regularly highlighted.