PM urges voters to get registered

In a statement some political observers are sure to take as a sign that an early election is imminent, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis yesterday called on those who need to register to vote to do so with haste.

“I want to encourage you all, who need to register, to do so in the shortest possible time,” said Minnis during the 39th annual convention at Calvary Deliverance Church. 

He appeared to crack a smile as he made the comment.

“The right to vote was fought for by our founders,” Minnis continued.

“We should not take it for granted. The collective will of the people decides who should govern.”

Minnis has shied away from revealing whether he intends to call an early election.

The next election is scheduled to take place by May 2022. 

Several Free National Movement (FNM) candidates and party officials were in attendance at Calvary Deliverance Church on East Street South yesterday.

“In a few days, we will celebrate Independence Day,” Minnis said. 

“It is a time to take pride in all we have accomplished as a sovereign nation over the last 48 years.

“One of the things we should be most proud of is our democracy. In our system, the people select their government at the ballot box. 

“We have free and fair elections. We have an orderly process in how we select those who represent us in Parliament. 

“There is a new law governing voter registration. We now have a continuous voter register.

“If you have questions about your registration, you may go to the Facebook page of the Parliamentary Registration Department or call the department.”

The Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2020, which was passed in Parliament last December, established a permanent voter register.

It effectively abolished the five register, “making way for the continuous register of voters, which will continue to evolve over each future election cycle with the continuous addition of new voters, transfers, and the removal of dead voters, and voters who cease to be qualified to remain on the register”.

Registered voters, already on the current register, are not required to register to vote again.

Those who will vote for the first time are required to register.

Voters on the current register who have moved between constituencies must apply to have their registration transferred, and have their voter’s cards amended to reflect the changes.

The FNM has ratified 35 candidates for the next election. 

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has ratified all 39 of its candidates. 

Talk of an early election has been brewing for months after both parties ramped up campaign activities. 

The FNM and PLP are both running political ads on the internet and on television. 

Despite rising COVID cases, both parties also had candidates canvassing communities on New Providence. 

PLP Leader Philip Brave Davis led a delegation of candidates and party officials on a trip to Cat Island over the weekend. 

On Wednesday, Acting Parliamentary Commissioner Lavado Duncanson said if an election were to be called tomorrow, the department would be ready. 

Up to that point,191,000 people were registered to vote.

Duncanson said the majority of people who came in to register (33,447) are between ages 26 and 35. 

There were 181,000 registered voters in the 2017 election, with a voter turnout of around 88 percent.

Paying off

Speaking yesterday, Minnis again touted his government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying “decision to keep in place common-sense rules and your compliance is paying off”.

He said in the early days of the pandemic “tough decisions had to be made”. 

“Some of those decisions were unpopular,” he said.

“However, each decision was made in consultation with our public health team to keep you safe.”

Shortly after The Bahamas reported its first case of COVID-19 in March 2020, the governor general declared a state of emergency. Under the emergency, Minnis, as the competent authority, imposed lockdowns, curfews and other measures, including the closure of non-essential businesses.

“There is good news to report,” the prime minister said yesterday, repeating a message he has shared at various events in recent weeks.

“The Bahamas is coming back. Hotel occupancy at our major resorts is high. Cruise ships have returned and there are more to come.

“Ships have even home ported in The Bahamas. This means more business for our hotels, restaurants and taxi drivers.

“Large projects continue across the commonwealth. On Thursday, for example, I was at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $200 million Baha Bay waterpark at Baha Mar.

“On Friday, I was in Harbour Island for the inauguration of the Briland Club Marina. The capital investment in this development project as of April 30, 2021, was $70.5 million. I was advised that the total investment for phase one will ultimately be approximately $100 million.

“My government is also spending tens of millions of dollars on infrastructure projects across the Family Islands. These include bridges, airports, roads and waterworks.”

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