By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis accused the government of “voter suppression tricks,” referring to issues former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham experienced while trying to vote in last week’s advanced poll.

Mr Davis was speaking during a virtual PLP Grand Bahama rally.

“We’ve never seen voter suppression tricks like this in our country before. Even former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham had trouble when he and his wife turned up to vote. They found that their names had mysteriously disappeared from the register,” he said.

“I guess someone wasn’t happy that he was out on the weekend endorsing Duane Sands to be the next leader of the FNM and declining to endorse the current Prime Minister for anything at all.”

Mr Ingraham and his wife, Delores, experienced issues trying to cast their ballots when they arrived around 1pm at Gambier Primary School to vote at the advanced poll. Mr Ingraham said he went to two polling stations only to be told his name wasn’t on the list. Nonetheless, he got a chance to vote around 4pm that day after being called by an official and told his name was in fact on the list.

During his remarks, the PLP leader said people who were unable to vote in the advanced poll can vote this Thursday in the general election.

“For those of you who registered to vote in the advanced poll and couldn’t vote... or those of you who registered but weren’t able to vote yesterday for any reason, please know this: you are still able to vote this coming Thursday, on the 16th,” Mr Davis said on Friday.

“Do not be discouraged or deterred. They have brought all their incompetence and dirty tricks to overseeing the voting process. But unless we vote them out, we will have five more years of that incompetence, and those dirty tricks.”

He went on to appeal to Bahamians that can vote to do so for those who are unable to.

“Some of you won’t be able to vote because of this lack of documentation. A lot of you have told me you believe this is a deliberate attempt to suppress votes. So those of you who are registered and can vote – please do so. Please vote for all of your fellow citizens who will be left out,” Mr Davis said.

Meanwhile, he went on to attack the government for its handling of Hurricane Dorian.

Mr Davis said: “Two years after Dorian, people are still sleeping in tents and this government boasts of hundreds of millions sitting in bank accounts. Tell me something, how is it that two years later, the government has not managed to build a single home in Abaco or Grand Bahama? They have hidden the details of how much was collected and how it’s being spent. They are breaking the law to hide the audits – ask yourself: why?”