“The OBA will expel me from the party for speaking publicly on this matter. However, I owe it to the 123 residents who signed the petition, the voters in C9 and Bermuda to update them on where we are in this process”

This opinion piece promises to be the most important one I have ever written. It will go on record as me bringing an internal One Bermuda Alliance matter to the arena of public discourse owing to my frustrations within the party with an issue that concerns all. As the electorate should be the ultimate authority over politicians, it is hoped that bringing it to your attention will clear the logjam so that the party and country can move forward stronger. The outcome is ultimately up to the OBA leadership.

On the morning of August 26, 2024, I received a telephone call from OBA leader Jarion Richardson, approximately one hour beforehand, to say that Vance Campbell would be crossing the floor of the House of Assembly from the Progressive Labour Party to the OBA. It was further put to me that because Mr Campbell is the elected Member of Parliament in Constituency 9 (Smith’s West) he would automatically replace me as the OBA's adopted candidate. Mr Richardson went on to query whether I wanted to attend the media event that same morning as a show of OBA strength.

I will digress for a moment to point out that I was canvassed as to whether I wanted to be a candidate for the by-elections in Constituency 8 (Smith’s South after the retirement of Cole Simons) and Constituency 10 (Devonshire North after the retirement of Michael Dunkley), but I informed the OBA that I am sticking with the residents of Constituency 9.

So of course, I was appalled, shocked and declined the invitation from Mr Richardson. I had been the adopted candidate for Constituency 9 after Trevor Moniz vacated the seat. I ran as such during the 2020 General Election and lost marginally by 29 votes. I was reinstated as the adopted candidate in the months after that election in accordance with the OBA constitution — and I continued in that capacity until the OBA leader’s phone call.

Two days later, upon meeting with the OBA’s Candidate Selection Committee to share my concerns, I was advised that I am now an “approved candidate” and no longer the C9 adopted candidate. If I wanted to challenge the decision, it was put to me that I had to get at least 100 registered voters within Constituency 9 to sign a petition in support of the challenge per section 11.4 of the OBA constitution.

An e-mail from the Candidate Selection Committee chair on August 31 notified me that a primary election can be triggered by an “approved candidate” obtaining 100 registered voters’ signatures. It went on to say that the “rules” for the primary requested may not be forthcoming as none are in place. In addition, it stated that the deadline for holding the primary is within three months, ending November 25, 2024. It concludes that the matter is now up to the executive moving forward.

I began that process on September 3 and obtained 123 signatures by September 18. I personally hand-delivered it to the OBA headquarters on September 20 with a cover letter stating my challenge.

After the delivery, I received no response — neither by correspondence nor by telephone. My written requests for even an acknowledgement went unanswered despite my e-mails to that effect. I have now requested the rules for the process on two separate occasions in keeping with the OBA Constitution provisions that the Candidate Selection Committee referred me to and have not received them yet to date.

Shortly before attending our October 9 caucus meeting to raise the issue, I was informed that the lack of response was because of e-mails not being received despite all relevant parties knowing that my objection and petition were submitted by hand.

All of this took place while the OBA was protesting the venue of the Constituency 36 (Sandys North) by-election for being unfairly selected to favour the PLP candidate. In fact, I pointed out this contradiction and still have not received a response. The decision to replace me stands in striking contradiction to the wishes of numerous voters I approached in Constituency 9. It also does not bode well that Mr Campbell and the OBA leader are blood relatives.

I have recently taken it upon myself to read through the OBA constitution, whereby it seems to me I have been misled as to the grounds of protesting my supposed replacement. First, there are no provisions that allow for a member of the opposite party to be automatically appointed as the adopted candidate for the OBA by simply crossing the House floor. If the OBA leadership was having meetings with Mr Campbell to discuss him being the adopted candidate, don’t integrity and transparency say, “Let’s discuss this with our existing adopted candidate”?

If this was not enough cause for pause, surely the leadership would know that as I have been the adopted candidate for years, the only way for me to be constitutionally removed as such would be through a suspension under clause 11.6 of the constitution.

Furthermore, two appeals bodies would have had to allow me to be heard if the party had suspended me.

Therefore, it is clear that Mr Campbell has not been appointed to Constituency 9 as the adopted candidate in accordance with the OBA constitution but by a scheme of an inner circle. Similarly, I have not been constitutionally removed as the adopted candidate. The processes set out in the constitution appear to have been discarded in order to create this mess.

Before I forwarded this op-ed to the media, as I usually do, I provided a copy to the OBA leadership to canvass its response. I intended to include that response or lack thereof in this piece in an attempt towards rectifying the situation.

In the meantime, I invite the electorate to consider who they want as their government representative, especially voters in Constituency 9 who are also being ignored and sidelined by this process.

I conclude by thanking my constituents for their support and encouragement. It was reassuring that across political lines there was a resounding desire to allow the constituents to choose who they want as their representative. I would also like to thank those who do not vote OBA but took the time to tell me why and to share their thoughts and ideas on the state of politics within our country.

• Vic Ball was a One Bermuda Alliance senator from November 2014 to July 2017, and more recently a candidate in the 2020 General Election in Smith’s West (Constituency 9)