Dem to PM: Delay election amid voters’ list claim

A Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate on Monday urged Prime Minister Mia Mottley to postpone the February 11 general election, claiming that thousands of Barbadians may be unable to vote owing to alleged inaccuracies in the electoral register.

But the Barbados Labour Party’s senior spokesman rebuffed the suggestion, telling reporters on Monday: “The date has been set.”

The appeal comes days after DLP political leader Ralph Thorne publicly raised concerns about the accuracy and readiness of the voters’ list and the preparedness of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC), prompting a response from Prime Minister Mottley defending the integrity of the electoral process.  

The deadline for voter registration and transfers closed on Monday.

Corey Greenidge, the DLP’s candidate for Christ Church South, said he was urging the Prime Minister to advise the President to invoke Section 37(1)(b) of the Representation of the People Act, which allows for the postponement of an election by up to 30 days if the voters’ list is deemed inaccurate or unsatisfactory.  

“I’m calling for the action because it is clear,” Greenidge said, “that there are thousands of voters who are not on the list and that they’ve been having challenges getting their names on the list with such a tight deadline.”  

Under the law governing elections, the President, acting on the advice of a minister – which in this case would be either the Prime Minister or the Attorney General following the dissolution of Parliament – may delay polling day to allow time for the list to be corrected.  

“Under the advice of the minister, [the President] can delay the election for a maximum of 30 days if they are not satisfied that the electoral list is ready or accurate,” Greenidge said. “And I am saying to the Prime Minister… if we are prepared to secure our democratic process and ensure the integrity of our election, I am calling on the Prime Minister to invoke Section 37(1)(b).”  

He pointed to the 2022 general election, which he said was held at the height of the COVID‑19 pandemic, as an example of voters being unable to participate.  

“They called an election in 2022 right at the tail end of COVID, and there were thousands of persons who were in quarantine and unable to vote,” Greenidge said. “Here again, we’ve called another early election where it is clear that there have been issues with the list, and there is a distinct possibility that thousands more will be disenfranchised.”  

A delay of up to 30 days would allow the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to extend deadlines so that more voters could be properly registered, Greenidge suggested.  

“Have polling day delayed for a maximum of 30 days to give the Electoral and Boundaries Commission the opportunity to extend the deadlines so that the Barbadian public can ensure that they are on the list and able to exercise their franchise,” he said.  

But Greenidge acknowledged that the request has not yet been formally submitted in writing.  “I have not made it formally by letter, but we are prepared to do that,” he said. “I have the full support of the leader of our party and the party, and we are well prepared to put it in writing.”  

Responding to Greenidge’s call, which he said was made on legal grounds, Jerome Walcott, general secretary of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), said: “I don’t get into those matters. I’m not a lawyer. I’m not a legal adviser. I’m not a member of the commission. 

“All I know is that an election has been called. The writ has been issued by the President, and the date has been set.”

Walcott, who was speaking during a press briefing at the BLP headquarters, added that from the governing party’s perspective, the election is proceeding as scheduled.  

“The opposition parties have been calling for an election… you call for an election, and when it comes, you’re not ready and you cry,” he said. “I don’t know. We’ll see how that goes, but as far as I’m concerned, the Barbados Labour Party, the election is on the 11th of February, and we are ready – red and ready.”
shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb