Leader of the Democratic Labour Party, Verla De Peiza, says some of the events over the last few days are “alarming to our democracy”.
She was referring to the announcing of a date for General Election on January 19 at a time when the COVID-19 variant Omicron would likely be established in Barbados, and then followed up with the announcement that people with the viral illness would not be allowed to vote.
De Peiza told Barbadians to “resist any whiff of voter suppression by this outgoing government”.
The full statement follows:
For a Party that claims to care, the events of the last few days are alarming to our democracy.
How do you set an election date when you knew or ought to have known that Covid case numbers were on the rise, that Omicron likely was established in Barbados – and then mandate that persons with Covid will not be allowed to vote?
Barbadians watch international news carefully and know well the efforts at voter suppression in the United States of America and must rise up to resist any whiff of voter suppression by this outgoing government. They know a low voter turnout will be in their favour.
Already the numbers likely to participate were set to be impacted by the elderly and those with co-morbidities who were shuttering themselves as a precaution. And given the round of partying triggered by the outgoing government since November last year, the numbers are expected to rise daily.
It seems as though the perfect storm of super spreaders was created, and then the incidence of Covid used to disenfranchise voters.
Fellow Barbadians, it took three years for you to realise that Mia does not care. The families and friends of the 300 plus who have so far perished as a result of her open border policies know she does not care. You know for sure before this election that you are NOT safer with Mia.
Put on your masks, walk with your sanitiser and go out in your numbers on January 19 and vote for change; vote for democracy; vote for your candidate in the Democratic Labour Party. (PR/SAT)
