By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE delays in releasing polling results in Tuesday’s constitutional referendum was damaging to democracy, Democratic National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney said yesterday, as he questioned if the government was trying to suppress the numbers.

The former Bamboo Town MP insisted that the Christie administration’s history of electoral mishaps once again reared its head.

“There is no if’s, and’s or but’s about it; I firmly believe that if this was pretty close, there may have been a different result because of what this PLP government is known for,” asserted Mr McCartney during a press conference outside of the House of Assembly yesterday. “You cannot trust them.”

He added: “No way should someone who is not a part of government come and concede, that tells me that they have the information and they had not given it to the Bahamian people.”

He was referring to the confusion surrounding how PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts could concede a defeat of the four bills ahead of the Parliamentary Registration Department confirming numbers from a majority of voting stations.

“That tells me that something is wrong there. That tells me that the reason we have not gotten these results is because something is fishy,” he said.

Mr McCartney said that it was his personal belief that the PLP “wanted to do foolishness with these results”.

He added: “Bradley Roberts, the PLP, the chairman of that party knew the results. He would have not conceded if he didn’t.”

“How in the world Bradley Roberts who is not a part of the government, he is a chairperson, a chairman of a political party, how is it he knows what the results are and is in a position to now concede on behalf of the government?”

“That tells me that he knows the results. But what about other people who ought to know the results, like the Bahamian people? What about the Official Opposition? Who also was supportive, officially, of the ‘yes’ vote. Did they know the results as well?”

Tuesday night was full of hiccups for the Parliamentary Registration Department, which only released a handful of constituency results instead of a full tabulation of unofficial results on polling night, as is standard.

Officials blamed electrical outages and other technical setbacks for their inefficiencies.

Mr McCartney said it is a “shame” that the system is so “antiquated.”

As the outcome of Tuesday’s referendum spread throughout New Providence yesterday, calls placed to members of the Parliamentary Registration Department’s senior team were met with responses like: “We are attempting to recount, results will come once that process is done.”

Pointing out the failures of the overall process, Mr McCartney called for the resignations of Prime Minister Perry Christie, National Security Minister Bernard Nottage and Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall.

“Now in light of this government supporting this referendum, in light of the fact that this is a major issue in this country, in light of the fact that this is the second opinion poll/referendum that this government has lost. In any civilised country, the prime minister would step down.”

“This PLP government, the prime minister ought to resign. That is the convention of Westminster system, they ought to resign and resign forthwith. And along with him, Bernard Nottage must go too.”

Mr McCartney voted against all four questions on the ballot. He said he believes a referendum is not needed for the government to make the changes in the first three Constitutional Amendment Bills. He also opposed the fourth question over concerns that it could lead to same-sex marriage.

All four questions were overwhelmingly rejected by voters.