PM Mottley rejects Thorne’s claims election was called too soon

Prime Minister Mia Mottley has rejected claims by Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne that the upcoming general election was called too soon.

Thorne, speaking at the Democratic Labour Party’s islandwide rally on Saturday, suggested that the election call had created “disarray” because, according to him, the voters’ list — due on January 31 — had not yet been finalised by the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC).

“As you know, January 31 has not come, so before that statutory period has arrived, an election has been called, which has thrown the whole thing into disarray…the election has been called before the list has been completed, and that is wrong,” Thorne said.

However, while canvassing at the R&B Bar in St John later that evening, Mottley urged the opposition leader to “read the law”.

She cited Section 13(1) of the Representation of the People Act, which states that “the commission shall cause to be prepared and shall publish not later than the 31st of January in every year, a register of electors for each constituency and a register of foreign service electors entitled to vote at any election”.

“That register was published on the 15th of January, before I announced the election last weekend, and therefore constituted the official 2026 register. So let us first of all put aside that misinterpretation of what the law actually says. Having said that, once an election is called, preliminary lists are published,” Mottley said.

She reminded the public that fewer than 48 hours remained for persons who were not on the list or who needed to update their place of residence to do so.

Mottley also again rejected allegations that anomalies in the voters’ list were linked to any “partisan consideration”.

“In every election since 1991, there have always been anomalies. What has happened, therefore, is nothing that is unique or any partisan consideration. I heard him when he said that (late Prime Minister David) Thompson’s family, some of them, were off, but I also want to say that (former BLP MP) Gline Clarke’s children were also off. Therefore, this can in no way be any kind of partisan action. That is why we have been saying continuously, check the list,” she said.