Campaigners for YES Bahamas (left) and Save Our Bahamas (right).

THE four bills touted to bring gender equality to the country’s Constitution were “overwhelming” rejected by voters at the polls yesterday, although only a handful of results were released last night by the Parliamentary Registration Department due to numerous technical setbacks.

It is the first time in recent elections that full polling results have been withheld. Instead Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall gave an estimation based on voting trends from results that he saw.

His department only released unofficial results from six of 38 constituencies last night and only three of those were in New Providence. Results were released for North Andros and Berry Islands; Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador; Mangrove Cay and South Andros; Bamboo Town and Carmichael. Only partial results were released for Elizabeth.

In the results that were released, the no vote more than doubled the yes votes across all four questions in most cases.

Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts released a press statement at 10pm conceding the vote with only five complete results declared.

Mr. Hall pointed to electricity outages and telecommunication issues when pressed for an explanation over the stalled process.

“From the position of my office and from the results coming in to the office from all of the 38 constituencies, it appears as if the four constitutional bills have been rejected by the Bahamian electorate and I can only say that much based on the results coming,” he told reporters last night.

“We are still waiting for some constituencies to provide results; they are still coming in but the vast majority appears to be, the vast majority in terms of the no vote, all of the questions have been rejected, overwhelming.”

Of the delays, Mr. Hall said: “Well I have received reports that the current, BEC, the team in Montagu they are in darkness so they have difficulty counting their ballots in darkness so I can speak to that. Others, it’s a typical election, you have four questions to count on the ballot paper and I’m sure if had you participated in this you would understand the gravity of what they were going through but I must commend my staff for a good job.”

He noted the results were still coming in after 11pm, but said what he saw appeared to be a “rejection”.

“I’ll leave it at that,” he said.

“Our fax is down because y’all (the media) had to do some sort of gymnastics, the cabling, so whatever mechanism that y’all did they have difficulty communicating by fax to us so most of the results have been telephoned,” he added.

Last night, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham told The Tribune he was “disappointed by the government’s incompetence” in staging the referendum.

Around the time Mr. Roberts released a press statement conceding the vote, results from only three constituencies had been released by the Parliamentary Registration Department.

In his statement, he called the exercise a “giant step” in the ongoing fight for freedom, social justice and equality. He commended the efforts of the staff of the Constitutional Commission, the YES Bahamas campaign, and Prime Minister Perry Christie.

Mr. Roberts said: “The vigorous and sometimes emotive public debate for and against the constitutional changes enlightened our people, deepened our democracy and our country is more mature and better for this exercise.

“The PLP remains committed to the principle of equality for all Bahamians under the law. We do so because it is consistent with our core values and the foundational principles upon which the PLP was built and thrived.”

When asked why Mr. Roberts sent what appeared to be a concession speech before his department had released the majority of the results, Mr. Hall said he could not speak for the PLP chairman.

The full results will be published by June 9, according to Mr. Hall, who said the department had two days to release the results and that official figures would be sent to the governor general first.

Polls opened across the country from 8am to 6pm yesterday. Anecdotal reports indicated that voter turnout in the capital was slow throughout the day.

Mr. Hall thanked his staff, Family Island administrators and poll workers for their service administering the historic vote, which he said went smoothly.

Prime Minister Perry Christie did not release a statement on the results up to press time.

By Ava Turnquest, Tribune Chief Reporter

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