The campaign for the February 11 general election formally got under way on Tuesday with a largely calm and trouble-free Nomination Day, as electoral officials reported no incidents at polling centres across the island.
Just over an hour after the nomination centres closed at 3 p.m., Chief Electoral Officer Sherland Turton said she had not received any adverse reports from candidates or their agents.
“Well, there were no negative reports apparently. All went well. I am now awaiting the officers to bring back in the papers so that we can start doing our preparations to have ballots in,” Turton told Barbados TODAY.
She also said she was unaware of claims by Conservative Barbados Leadership Party (CBLP) St Michael Central prospect Anthony Hinds that even after paying his deposit on Monday, he was unable to be processed during Tuesday’s Nomination Day at Combermere School to contest the seat.
“I haven’t heard of that. I haven’t heard of any complaints coming from constituents,” the chief electoral officer said.
After completing his nomination papers at the Donald Henry Auditorium of the Bethel Methodist Church in the City, CBLP leader Corey Beckles expressed concern about what he termed a disrespected process which resulted in his vice-president and running mate Hinds being prevented from being formally nominated to run.
Beckles explained what he understood to have happened.
“The vice president Mr Hinds… he was vying for the constituency of St Michael Central. We actually paid our deposits at the Treasury yesterday. However, as we were informed as it relates to the process, the nomination process, we were told we had to reach out to the returning officer for each constituency prior to coming there today to undergo the nomination process,” said Beckles, flanked by Hinds and party general secretary Shannon Gonsalves.
“Unfortunately, we have been trying to contact the returning officer. We made several calls to the officer – myself, Mr Hinds and the general secretary also would have made certain calls. But all of those calls either went to voicemail or the phone cut out. Also, text messages were sent by the vice president. We see this as a blatant disrespect, not just to our party, but to the entire electoral process.
“The process should make sure that all candidates should be in a better position… are able to come here today and complete their nomination proceedings. And all we wanted to do, especially those who are vying with me, my running mates, I wanted to make sure they had an appointment, a time, so that they can go to their respective nomination centres and complete that nomination process. Unfortunately, because we could not get into contact with the returning officer, that is not possible for my running mate next to me.”
Declaring that she was making an effort to maintain the country’s reputation for free and fair elections, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced on Tuesday her decision to invite Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Commonwealth electoral observers to monitor the poll.
Mottley was responding to Democratic Labour Party leader Ralph Thorne, who questioned the integrity of the poll and the accuracy of the electoral list, and called for it to be postponed. However, the prime minister has rejected this, insisting that the law is on the side of the state.
Although the official count was not available at the time of publication, information gathered from Tuesday’s nomination exercise indicated that more than 80 candidates representing some nine parties – along with one independent – signed up for the upcoming poll.
The parties represented are the incumbent Barbados Labour Party (BLP), the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), the New National Party (NNP), the Conservative Barbados Leadership Party (CBLP), and the United Progressive Party (UPP) forming the People’s Coalition for Progress (PCP), Reform Barbados (RB), the Friends of Democracy (FOD), and Solutions Barbados (SB). One independent candidate is also known to have completed the nomination process.
In many instances, the atmosphere outside the various nomination centres resembled a mini-Kadooment, as cheering supporters clad in party colours danced and sang to campaign songs while accompanying their favourite candidates to the entrance of the centres.
All of the candidates in the race expressed confidence in being elected to the 30-seat House of Assembly.
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