Ninety-three candidates have been confirmed to contest Barbados’ February 11 general election, with electoral officials set to release the final register of voters on February 7.
Chief Electoral Officer Sherland Turton disclosed that the final number of candidates nominated to contest the poll is 93. “The total number of persons registered to vote will be confirmed after the list is updated. That process is ongoing and will be completed by February 6,” Turton told Barbados TODAY.
Official records show four parties are in the battle for this first-past-the-post race.
The two major parties – the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) and the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) – are the only entities fielding candidates in all 30 constituencies, according to the final data released by the Electoral Department on Thursday, following Tuesday’s Nomination Day exercise.
The document also shows that ten candidates have registered to run as members of the People’s Coalition for Progress (PCP) – an alliance of the Conservative Barbados Leadership Party (CBLP), the United Progressive Party (UPP) and the New National Party (NNP).
The PCP had earlier announced that it was contesting half the seats in the House of Assembly, but chairman of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC) Ramon Alleyne told Barbados TODAY: “They were not consistent in how all their members noted affiliation.”
Turton explained that “in most cases” where the data do not identify a party name next to a candidate, that person could be described as an independent candidate.
A dozen individuals fall under that designation, according to the official nomination records.
“Everyone did not indicate a party, but Friends of Democracy (FOD) and the Coalition submitted names after the nomination,” Turton told Barbados TODAY.
The record also shows that the FOD has signed up 11 candidates under that party banner. It had said it would contest 12 constituencies.
The chief electoral officer also addressed the controversy surrounding the integrity of the electoral list and the public’s access to it in preparation for voting at the polls.
The EBC started notifying voters last year of their ability to view the list, with the first notice published on Sunday, June 22, and the second on June 29, she said.
The chief electoral officer noted that people were given until July 16 to submit any claims or queries which they might have had.
“We sought to explain to persons that there would still be other opportunities to view the list. We are statutorily obligated to publish a list by January 31 each year, and that would have already been done. Additionally, last year, we opened 14 centres from October 27 to November 14, where persons were again afforded the opportunity to go in, view the list, and make any claims or submissions which they might have had with respect to whether they were on or off, and where they were, to let us know so the necessary amendments could be made.
“We also had 30 revising centres opened during the period Tuesday, January 20 until Monday, January 26 for persons to go to each constituency. A centre was opened in every constituency, where you could go and view the list; and again, make your claims. And then on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, January 27 and 28, those days were reserved specifically for persons who wanted to raise any objections to the content of the list.”
Turton also assured that the update to the register of electors is continuing and will go on until Friday, February 6, with EBC chairman Alleyne adding that it will then be “issued” the following day.
“With respect to the number of persons who would have taken advantage of the opening of the 30 revising centres over the past week, we will have an exact number… we will be able to confirm the number by [Friday].”
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