Swan calls for ‘responsible’ electioneering
Kim Swan, the former leader of the UBP, is calling on politicians from all sides to act responsibly in their electioneering.The independent candidate for St George’s West wants a tightening of the guidelines surrounding the use of public buildings as campaign venues, something he claimed could put ‘Government workers and their clients in an untenable position’.While the Parliamentary Election Act of 1978 covers a variety of offences from propaganda to bribery on polling day itself, Mr Swan said in a statement yesterday that there was a ‘void of rules and regulations governing political behaviour in the lead up to a General Election’.Pointing to the OBA’s use of bus stops to campaign for change, and the PLP’s use of public schools for political rallies, the UBP MP has called for a code of conduct for all politicians to abide by.“It is important to point out a few ‘do and don’t’ scenarios for the protection of government services,” said Mr Swan.“Additionally, there are several residential care facilities, hospitals and government funded treatment facilities which should not be used as political instruments and access should be invited to all political candidates irrespective of political affiliation.“There are areas that need clear rules and modernisation when it comes to the lead up to general elections in Bermuda, especially during the writ period.”Those areas include the ‘Code and Conduct’ for parliamentarians and approved candidates, campaign finance regulations, rules for the establishment, operation and dissolution of political parties and annual publication of financial statements by political parties consolidated with their respective branches.Mr Swan concluded: “Modernising the rules governing politics and its participants is necessary and long overdue, but in the absence of these rules we ask all those participating in this election to act responsibly.”