NASSAU, Bahamas — Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said a consistent election date is necessary to ensure people are properly advised and prepared for a general election, The Tribune reported on Wednesday, August 25.
He was asked outside the House of Assembly yesterday about Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ decision to call an early election.
“I had one snap election,” he said. “I called [an] election in March of 1997, which was about five months before the end of my term, and thereafter I determined that we ought to move towards a fixed election date as far as possible and I therefore held election in 2002 in May.
“Perry Christie came along and held it in May 2007. I came back and I held it in May 2012. Perry Christie came back, he held it in May 2017.
“I thought the public ought to have a good idea as to when elections are gonna be held. We gave everybody an opportunity to register to vote.”
“We announced in advance, ‘listen, if you want to register to vote in this election, please register by the end of the month or by the 15th’ or whenever it was, and gave people lots of time to be able to register, transfer their votes, etc.”
Asked directly if he backs Dr Minnis’ move, he said: “I only speak for myself. My record I think speaks for itself on the issue.”
Passing legislation to ensure fixed election dates was one of Dr Minnis’ promises in the lead-up to the last election. It is unclear whether Mr Ingraham, who strongly and publicly supported the Free National Movement in 2017, will do so this time.
Asked about the FNM’s prospects for winning the election, he said: “I have no views whatsoever, I have no views.”
Mr Ingraham also said the current surge in COVID-19 cases did not have to happen.
“I am very distressed, very, very distressed,” he said. “In my view, it did not have to be this way, it should not have been this way, but here we are, it’s what we got and I think we have to all work to get out of it, but I am very distressed.” See complete article in The Tribune at http://www.tribune242.com/news/2021/aug/25/former-pms-question-early-election/
