DNA's Mario Cartwright accusing Prime Minister of 'disenfranchising' Family Island voters

Cleopatra Murphy

Freeport News Reporter

cleopatra@nasguard.com

Democratic National Alliance candidate for Long Island, Mario Cartwright said Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham is attempting to steal the election by disenfranchising Family Island voters in the Advance Polling on May 1.

"When I first found out that Family Islanders were not included in the new rules governing advance polling I considered it the secondhand treatment we have always been subjected to by the FNM and PLP governments,.

"But when I found out just three working days before Advance Polling that the decision had been reversed and I would not have time to submit names or make arrangements for my poll workers to participate, I immediately knew that this was a desperate and deceptive act of a prime minister that realizes he has no other way to win this election without stealing it," Cartwright said in a statement yesterday.

The statement noted that the DNA cries shame on the government for its blatant actions.

"After originally announcing four weeks ago that Family Island constituencies would not be allowed to participate in the Advanced Polling scheduled for May 1, the FNM government has secretly changed this position in what appears to be an attempt to disenfranchise voters from the non-governing parties," Cartwright said.

The DNA statement said no explanation has been provided to explain why the decision was reversed at the final hour.

The statement further noted that the intent was to sneak in 1,000s of Family Island voters, while leaving other parties with little or no time to make preparations.

The DNA statement also noted that this action reflects the "desperation" of the FNM government that recognizes that it will not win more than 10 seats in the elections.

The party noted that it is prepared to defend the rights of all Bahamians to vote and would not allow the FNM to continue its "by any means necessary" approach to stealing the election.

The DNA statement further called on the prime minister to explain what it refers to as "deceptive acts of disenfranchisement."

© 2012 The Freeport News