The Democratic Labour Party is calling on the Chairman of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC) Leslie Haynes and other commission members to resign, over what they say was “maladministration” over the recently held general elections.
In a statement issued on Friday, after Haynes issued a public apology to some election day workers who were denied their right to vote after they tested positive for COVID-19, the DLP said that such and admission made publically by the sole entity on the island in charge general elections, proved that the organisation was clearly not ready to hold the recently held elections in a fair and safe way for all citizens.
“That Mr Haynes, a QC, has found it necessary to issue a public ‘apology’, courtesy of a local radio station, to the number of election day workers who by the faulty administration of the Department of the EBC, were denied their right to vote during the recent General Election, is a ready admission that the apologist is guilty of some wrongdoing.”
The DLP further added, “In this regard therefore, Mr Haynes’ action must be considered an act of the gravest concern for the DLP and wider Barbados, [whose] voices create doubt over the readiness of the Department that is entrusted with the statutory responsibility for administering the electoral process, to efficiently conduct the called snap-election under the existing circumstances brought about by raging the COVID pandemic.”
The DLP said the EBC must take full responsibility in denying thousands of Barbadians the right to vote in the last election, after no provisions were made to account for COVID positive persons, given the situation on the island was no different compared to other jurisdictions that provided safe avenues for these persons to exercise their rights despite contracting the illness.
“It is the view of the DLP that the disenfranchisement of those voters was an unlawful act and since Mr Haynes is apologizing for the EBC’s inefficiency in respect of the smaller group of electors, the EBC must also take responsibility for the disenfranchisement of the thousands who were unable to vote through the same inefficient process which provided no accommodation.” (SB)
