The Tribune

IN a flurry of ceremony, Police Commissioner Paul Rolle not once, but twice made the trip to Parliament to announce first that Parliament has been prorogued, then some hours later announcing when Parliament is to reconvene.

Social media was buzzing with what it all meant – but the answer is simple. The election is coming.

There have been expectations that Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has been going to call an early election before, of course. But all the signs are that the election bell really is about to be rung, and whispers are that the date of the vote will be around September 16.

That September 22 return date for Parliament? A number of MPs won’t be there when the doors of the House of Assembly reopen for business.

Today offered what seemed to be a slightly bumbling start to the process. Sources tell The Tribune that Commissioner Rolle failed to read all of the Governor General’s proclamations the first time round – hence why he had to return to complete the exercise. Commissioner Rolle, however, said there was no mix up.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Halson Moultrie had planned to hold his first “open Parliament” session yesterday – and ended up holding his session across the road in Rawson Square instead.

Senior police officers later visited the Speaker inside the House, with rumours swirling that they wanted him gone from the premises, though Mr Moultrie denied that – while also indicating there was some discussion over the Constitution.

A bit of a muddle? Perhaps. It does, however, clear the way for the next step – which could come as soon as today, sources have told The Tribune.

Is this the right time to ring the bell? It is hard to see how this could be the right time for the FNM to start the race.

COVID infections are surging, the hospital is on its knees, this week it was reported that more than 16,000 Bahamians are still receiving weekly government assistance, and the economy is still recovering – with a significant number of people still out of work. Over in Abaco and Grand Bahama, people are still recovering from Hurricane Dorian, and significant parts of the FNM manifesto from the campaign trail last time remain unresolved – including campaign finance reform.

That’s the backdrop as Dr Minnis prepares to take his case to the people.

The PLP response to yesterday’s events was predictably sniping without really hitting the mark or offering much to show they have a better plan going forward. PLP leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis talked again about the Public Accounts Committee, despite the problems the same committee had holding meetings under the PLP administration where he was Deputy Prime Minister. He’s right that the PAC should do its work – and if he winds up winning an election, we hope he recalls his current enthusiasm for its importance.

We face the prospect of an election campaign that will be unprecedented. Amid curfews and health protocols, will we see parties change their approach to deal with a new era of masks and social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus? Or will we see the large-scale rallies of years gone by that turn into spreader events for COVID-19?

People need to hear each party’s message – but we hope parties aim to spread the message, but not the virus.

If indeed the early election call comes from Dr Minnis, it is a bold move. Whether it will be a successful one for him? That lies in the hands of the voters.