Leader of the Democratic Labour Party and candidate for St John, Ralph Thorne, used Nomination Day recently to renew concerns about the functioning and independence of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC), warning that any disenfranchisement of voters would strike at the heart of Barbadian democracy.
Speaking after he was formally nominated at The Lodge School, Thorne acknowledged the professionalism of the EBC staff present but said broader structural and procedural issues remained unresolved.
“I want to thank the staff here this morning for functioning under very difficult circumstances,” he said.
“But I don’t think it is discourteous to raise serious concerns about how the Government has been treating the Electoral and Boundaries Commission and its relationship to this election.”
Thorne argued that every Barbadian citizen over the age of 18 had a constitutional right to vote, describing that right as fundamental rather than conditional.
“Every Barbadian citizen over the age of 18, unless the law disqualifies them, is entitled to vote,” he said. “It is a right, not a privilege, and every accommodation must be given to ensure that every last citizen can exercise that right.”
Central to Thorne’s concern was what he described as Government interference in the work of the EBC, particularly during the voter enumeration process.
“The Government hired postmen and postwomen to conduct an enumeration exercise. That was the first clear evidence that this Government was interfering in the work of an independent constitutional body.”
He stressed that the EBC, like the courts, must remain free from political influence, warning that any perception of interference could undermine public trust in the electoral process.
Thorne also raised alarm about what he described as irregularities in the voters’ list, claiming that thousands of names were at risk of removal, with insufficient time given for correction.
“A list of over 8 000 persons was published to be disenfranchised and they were given a matter of days to have that rectified. That is not right.”
According to the Opposition Leader, his party had been approached by citizens who believed they had been wrongly removed from the list, including individuals who were alive and resident in Barbados.
“We haven’t gone out looking for clients,” Thorne said. “People have approached our candidates and complained that they were denied a basic, fundamental right.”
He further criticised the EBC for what he described as infrequent meetings during a critical stage of the election cycle.
“If you heard that the courts were not sitting for weeks or months, you would become concerned,” he said. “So when you hear that the Electoral and Boundaries Commission is not meeting as often as it should, the public must begin to ask questions.”
Thorne pointed to a recently announced EBC meeting that was first scheduled for two hours, then reduced to one hour, before being cancelled altogether, describing the situation as “suspicious behaviour”.
“You cannot summon people to a meeting of this importance and put a time limit on it. This goes to the heart of democracy and the people’s right to choose their representatives,” he said.
While acknowledging reports that the commission was expected to reconvene following public protests, Thorne maintained that his party had lost confidence in the EBC’s operations and would continue to monitor its work closely.
“We are prepared to go to the courts of this country if necessary. If it is one person who is denied the right to vote, democracy has suffered an injustice.”
Despite his concerns, Thorne stressed that the DLP was fully prepared for the election itself.
“We’ve been ready for a long time,” he said. “This has nothing to do with our readiness. This is about ensuring that every Barbadian, whether here or overseas, is given the opportunity to vote.”
He also reiterated his call for an extension of deadlines where voters had been unable to regularise their status in time, arguing that no administrative cutoff should outweigh constitutional rights.
“There is nothing sacred about last night’s deadline. What is sacred is the right of the people to vote,” he said.
As campaigning intensified across the island, Thorne said his party would continue to raise concerns publicly and pursue all lawful avenues to safeguard what he described as the integrity of the electoral process.
(CLM)
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