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Last Updated: May 15, 2017 - 8:17:15 PM |
 Nassau, Bahamas - (Statement) Out Da Box wishes to thank all the citizens of our country who, as an act of conscience, chose not to endorse a candidate in the 2017 general election, but instead chose to protest at the ballot booth. A Rev Media exit poll has suggested that up to 8% of voters cast a ballot but did not vote for a candidate. Voting tallies indicate that 47,000 registered voters (or roughly 26%) either spoiled their ballots or stayed away from the polls. This sends the strong message that a sizeable number of Bahamians are dissatisfied with the electoral system and the options for representation offered.
We again express alarm at the abnormalities reported to have taken place throughout the country on Election Day and at the blatant disenfranchisement of voters in the Family Islands on the day of the Advance Poll.
We congratulate the Free National Movement on its victory.
To the new government, we call on you to fulfill your campaign promise of strengthening anti-corruption mechanisms and increasing the fairness of our elections. The FNM achieved its largest margin of victory ever in terms of seats won. We call on Prime Minister Hubert Minnis to act early in his term to initiate the kinds of constitutional reforms that already enjoy almost universal public support, including term limits for the Prime Minister, a set election date, an independent boundaries commission or fixed boundaries and a recall system. Finally, we call on the FNM administration to reform the registration process, which in itself is an instrument of disenfranchisement. The requirement that every citizen of voting age must first initiate his or her own registration is a barrier to full universal suffrage, discriminating against those who are elderly, ill, disabled, or reside far away from the capital. Our nation has the tools to identify and register eligible voters automatically as they come of age, and we urge the Minnis administration to move swiftly to legislate their use.
We call on the Prime Minister to follow the OAS’ recommendation and the recommendation of successive Constitutional Commissions to further strengthen the independence of the Attorney General or give true autonomy to the Director of Prosecutions. In terms of legal reforms that will increase accountability, we call on the Prime Minister to gazette the Freedom of Information Act and introduce legislation to regulate political parties as the OAS has recommended. We believe a UK-style Electoral Commission is sorely needed in our country. In our view, the Public Disclosure Act of 1976 is clearly ineffective and we call for more stringent rules regarding the financial reporting of public officials, including independent auditing of all representatives, judges and senior officials.
The Progressive Liberal Party’s defeat in this election was resounding. It is clear that rank and file PLP voters wanted new leadership, but the party ignored their wishes. If the party had not avoided a convention for 7 years and had held an open and fair leadership race with wide citizen participation, it would not have suffered such a major defeat. If it had been able to discipline MPs within its ranks whose public conduct harmed the country, and not just discipline MPs whose public conduct harmed the leader, they may have won the 2017 election. Nonetheless, this defeat is a once in a lifetime opportunity for PLPs to fashion a more democratic and trustworthy organization, one that returns the party to its 1953 core principles.
We remind the nation why we called for citizens to participate in civil disobedience and spoil their ballots. We did so because Bahamian elections are rife with bribery, gerrymandering and sloganeering. We did so because political parties want to communicate with the public through rallies instead of through debates, town halls and other rigorous and structured forms of inquiry and evaluation. We did so because voter rights are abused in our elections: everything from the right to choose candidates and party leaders to the right to know who is funding political parties and party election campaigns.
We say to all Bahamians, whether you voted for a party or independent candidate, spoiled your ballot or refused to register or vote altogether, we know you love your country and want it to prosper. We acknowledge the range of actions Bahamians have taken during this democratic exercise and their validity, and encourage the continuation of diverse civic participation and activism.
Five years is too long to wait to stop a government that is acting in a manner that does not serve the greatest public good. We as citizens must remain VIGILANT and become ACTIVE. We join with other advocacy groups in the country calling for better governance, greater accountability and greater transparency. We recognize that we, the people, are the government, and we must agitate for the reforms we need. Out Da Box invites you to remain engaged and welcomes your participation as the work toward electoral and democratic reform continues.
© Copyright 2017 by thebahamasweekly.com
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