A decision by the Parliamentary Registration Department (PRD) to relocate ballot boxes from Police Headquarters to the PRD yesterday sparked controversy, leading to protests from the Free National Movement (FNM) and the Coalition of Independents (COI) outside Police Headquarters.
Parliamentary Commissioner Harrison Thompson postponed the move after reaching an agreement with the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), FNM, and COI. The parties have agreed to transfer the boxes today.
Officials said the PRD is required to transport the boxes to the Family Islands ahead of the planned May 12 general election.
However, observers said the process was not properly communicated to political parties.
As news of the move spread, scores of FNM and COI protested outside Police Headquarters led by FNM Chairman Dr. Duane Sands and COI Leader Lincoln Bain.
Members of the PLP were also on hand.
Sands and Bain expressed their discontent over receiving late notice about the relocation and criticized the PRD for poor communication.
Sands clarified that he believes the move was not intended to cause the chaos that ensued but emphasized that the Bahamian people should be concerned about the perceived casual handling of the electoral process.
All parties were permitted to inspect the vault at PRD where the ballot boxes will be stored. Following this inspection, Dr. Sands stated that the FNM has no concerns regarding the vault’s integrity. “We’ve had a productive session with the parliamentary commissioner,” he remarked, adding that such a meeting should have occurred before the decision to move the boxes.
The ballot boxes are scheduled to be moved at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, with party agents inspecting them upon arrival at the PRD. Despite these reassurances, Dr. Sands noted ongoing challenges with the electoral process, asserting that voting is crucial to safeguard the process in the future.
Meantime, PLP spokesperson Latrae Rahming said the FNM were aware of the process and accused the party of manufacturing confusion and chaos.
“The PLP don’t need to steal an election to win,” he said.
“We don’t need to steal an election to beat a very incompetent opposition, one with no leader and no team.”
