GB Candidates Decry Abuse of Urban Renewal Program
Published: Tuesday February 13th, 2007
GB Candidates outside the Pineridge Urban Renewal Office
FNM members and supporters call on the government to explain the nature of the work being carried out by staff of the Urban Renewal Offices in relation to voter registration, as we are receiving reports that the door-to-door activities of many of these staff members go beyond merely promoting the registration of voters.
We are being informed by householders that they are being asked questions that appear to be more partisan political campaigning than promoting voter registration.
It is our understanding that Urban Renewal is a tax-funded government programme designed to serve the needs of communities and like any government agency is not to be used for partisan political purposes.
The tax-payers of The Bahamas would not want those employed through its public funds to be going door-to-door campaigning for one political party or another under the guise of doing their ordinary work during the course of the day.
We have seen staff of Urban Renewal being dropped off in our communities with surveys in hand going door-to-door. We the members of the FNM have an interest in promoting voter registration and are doing all in our power to promote the same.
However, we have to question what mandate the staff of Urban Renewal have been given to promote voter registration and who gave that mandate. What information could they be collecting from voters in relation to promoting voter registration?
The Parliamentary Registration Department is doing an excellent job using the various media and its mobile facilities to promote voter registration. They are doing their work using tax payers’ dollars. How does the Urban Renewal Office fit into this scheme?
Are we to assume that the fact that they can be engaged full time in going door-to-door that the work that they should be doing as mandated by the government funds financing their programme has been put aside or is insufficient to occupy their time?
We call on the Prime Minister, who is the minister responsible for Urban Renewal to explain what is happening with this programme as it relates to voter registration.
If there are staff members of Urban Renewal who are going do-to-door engaging in partisan political campaigning under the guise of promoting voter registration we call on them to cease and desist immediately.
We will not allow our democratic electoral process to be prostituted or abused by any political party, be it the governing party or not. Prime Minister Christie must answer us and answer us now on this matter or face serious protest going forward.
