By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

AN international group of election observers was surprised by the sudden decision of officials last week to reduce the number of polling sites for the advanced poll, the group’s leader suggesting this was the source of other problems that followed.

Mrs Hanna Tetteh, a former foreign minister from the Republic of Ghana, heads a Commonwealth delegation of five other people who are observing this month’s election activities with observers from the United States of America and the Organisation of American States (OAS).

In an interview on Saturday, Mrs Tettah told The Tribune her team “had questions about last week’s advanced poll”.

“We were surprised that the polling stations had been reduced from two to one (in New Providence) at apparently very short notice and we think as a consequence a lot of other things took place that perhaps might not have if there had been adequate information,” she said.

“But we would prefer not to comment on the specifics right now because all of that will be a part of the report we will prepare at the end of the election process. We do not think it is appropriate at this stage to say anything that sort of preempts or creates some unnecessary misperception before the actual voting date on the 10th of May.”

Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said last week that The Bahamas had been “embarrassed” in the presence of the international community by the advanced poll, a likely reference to the presence of international observers in the country.

On Friday, the government announced the end of Sherlyn Hall’s troubled tenure as parliamentary commissioner, with Ministry of Tourism’s Permanent Secretary Charles Albury chosen to replace him as acting parliamentary commissioner just days before the election.

Mr Hall said his three-year contract expired last Thursday and he had not sought an extension.

He also blamed the decision to reduce the number of polling stations from two to one on Carl Smith, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of National Security and the returning officer for that poll.

Mr Smith could not be reached for comment up to press time yesterday and it is unclear if he will face any consequences for the role he may have played in Wednesday’s debacle.

Some Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) insiders pushed the narrative over the weekend that he was allegedly politically motivated to reduce the polling sites, with PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts saying Mr Smith was appointed by Mr Ingraham.

It had been advertised that the advanced poll would take place at two locations: the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium and the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

People were surprised to learn Wednesday that the poll was only being conducted at the former site. People waited in long lines for hours to vote, with some giving up on the process. The ballot boxes also arrived at the site late and the polls did not open until 9.20am, even though they were supposed to open at 8am. As a result, voting was extended until 7.20pm.

Meanwhile, Mrs Tettah said the reception her team has had from stakeholders so far has been encouraging.

“All the meetings we have requested, we have been able to meet the parties involved,” she said. “We’ve had opportunities to discuss the processes towards the election with them. They have been very frank in their responses and I think that was very helpful.”

On Wednesday, observers will observe the election from some polling sites.

“We’ve decided we will observe elections in the constituencies where the contest is perhaps, for lack of a better word, controversial or competitive in order to be able to have a sense of how the election contest is observed within those spaces,” Mrs Tettah said.

In a press statement, the observers said they will consider all factors that would impact the credibility of this month’s election and assess whether it has been conducted according to standards of democracy.

“We will consider, among other things, the general preparedness of the country’s electoral systems and processes––including whether there is a level playing field that allows all political parties and all candidates to take their campaigns to the Bahamian people, whether the voter register was compiled in such a way that all eligible voters who chose to register the vote had the ability to do so, and whether sufficiently robust mechanisms exist to ensure the integrity of the register. Additionally, we will consider whether the state apparatus and public media impartial, whether freedom of expression is provided for, whether voters are free to express their will and whether the results process is transparent and timely.”