NASSAU, Bahamas – Parliamentary Commissioner, Harrison Thompson, has defended the integrity of the voters’ register and the work of the Parliamentary Registration Department urging politicians to exercise caution when making public comments.
Parliamentary Commissioner Harrison Thompson speaking at news conference.Thompson told a news conference that reviewing and updating the register is a routine and lawful part of election administration carried out under the Constitution and the Parliamentary Elections Act.
Thompson statement followed remarks by the leader of the main opposition Free National Movement (FNM), Michael Pintard who raised concerns about the electoral process and called for his resignation.
Pintard also called for the immediate removal of a returning officer ahead of the May 12 general election making reference to recent reports of voter’s card fraud while questioning the integrity of the electoral process.
Pintard, said he had also written to international organisations, including the United Nations, urging them to send observers to the 2 general elections.
“Given the gravity of what is now before our country, the Free National Movement has written on April 8 to the United States Ambassador to The Bahamas, to the United Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, and CARICOM formally requesting election observation support for the coming Bahamian election,” Pintard told the news conference.
Prime Minister Philip Davis, who is leading the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) into the general election, said the “FNM are desperate for power, and they’ll say anything to get it”.
Thompson said The Bahamas has a strong record of “peaceful and successful elections” and noted that international observer missions have long been part of the country’s electoral process, with invitations already sent to several groups for the upcoming vote.
“The Department maintains a working relationship with the legal teams and representatives of all major political parties. Where a party identifies a concern, that concern is reviewed. Where a correction is required, that correction is made. This has always been the practice,” Thompson said, urging political leaders and public figures to avoid undermining confidence in the electoral system or targeting public officers.
“Civil servants who carry out their duties under law deserve fairness and respect. Political disagreement should never become a basis for attacking officers whose role is to apply the law faithfully and professionally.
“I will defend the integrity of this Department and the good name of the public servants who serve within it. I urge every stakeholder in the electoral process to respect the law, respect the officers charged with carrying it out, and respect the institutions that support free and fair elections in The Bahamas” Thompson said, reiterating that “the Parliamentary Registration Department remains committed to acting fairly, lawfully, and in the public interest”.
The OAS has observed the last three general elections in The Bahamas.
On the September 16, 2021 general elections, Davis led the then opposition PLP to a convincing victory over the then ruling FNM, winning 32 of the 39 seats in the Parliament.
