A Call for International Election Monitors

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NASSAU , BAHAMAS – Questions are mounting over the integrity of the upcoming general election, as Opposition Leader Michael Pintard is calling for international election observers.

While expressing concerns about fraudulent documents and problems with the voters’ register and ID system, Pintard warned that these issues could seriously undermine public trust in the May 12th vote.

Michael Pintard, Leader, Free National Movement

“Free movement has written on April 8 to the United States ambassador to The Bahamas, United Nations, the Organization of American States, and the secretary general of the Commonwealth, formally requesting election observation support”

Opposition Leader Michael Pintard, sounded the alarm to international bodies to send observer missions to next month’s general election.

He revealed that his party has already reached outside our borders for support.

These comments came at a Monday afternoon news conference at the party’s headquarters.

He cited continued concerns about the integrity of the voters’ register.

Michael Pintard, Leader, Free National Movement

“Aggressive, and identify who are falsely seeking to vote, inconsistencies where they do not belong, or who seek to vote twice, we issue this morning plainly and without apology”

Pintard also revealed the U.S. Embassy’s willingness to participate, but these observer missions are not foreign to the process either.

The Organization of American States, OAS, has deployed observer missions here for the past three elections.

Among the concerns this time around are claims of fraudulent passports and voters’ cards in the system.

Michael Pintard, Leader, Free National Movement

“Free National Movement will not rest until voter registration reflects only the legitimate citizens of this country, and only those citizens vote. We will be equally aggressive in identifying persons who are falsely seeking to vote, inconsistencies where they do not belong, or who seek to vote twice, we issue this morning and without apology”

Hours earlier, the leader of the Coalition of Independents, Lincoln Bain, announced he too had written for international help.

Lincoln Bain, Leader, Coalition of Independents

“If any skullduggery goes on in this election, we are going to recommend and request that the election is not recognized. You see the trick, they try to frustrate you and cause you to have to go to election court because they know election court is expensive and most people won’t want to go through that route, but yes, there is a solution, you know we always have a solution, right”

Pintard called for the immediate removal of Parliamentary Commissioner Harrison Thompson and Returning Officer Neil Braithwaite.

We reached out to PRD for comment, but up to news time, there was no response.