A political scientist and former attorney-general has called for a change to Bermuda’s political framework, claiming that the first-past-the-post system is not working in the island’s best interests.

Phil Perinchief, who served as the island’s top lawyer between 2006 and 2007 under a Progressive Labour Party government, spoke out in the wake of the Sandys North by-election, which saw PLP candidate the Reverend Emily Gail Dill take the seat with only 35.5 per cent of the vote.

Mr Perinchief said that the island should phase in a two-tier system of proportional representation, which would more accurately reflect the wishes of voters.

He described the existing Westminster “winner takes all” system as “a farce, a subterfuge and a pernicious, feckless game of smoke and mirrors that we, and particularly our future generations, can ill afford”.

Mr Perinchief, who ran as an independent candidate in the 1998 and 2012 general elections, said: “If one’s goal is to implement a coalition parliament, then Bermuda must transform its electoral system into a hybrid, two-tiered, mixed or additional member electoral system.”

Calling for electoral reform to bring Bermuda into “the modern era”, Mr Perinchief also recommended a reduction in the number of MPs from 36 to 21, and a cutback of constituencies to 12, which he claimed would better serve the electorate.

Questioning the PLP’s 1998 election reform promise of “one person, one vote of equal value”, Mr Perinchief said: “It isn’t the Westminster parliamentary system that will deliver the diversification we need in our Parliament.

“The targeted change will have to take place in our first-past-the-post system.”

In the October 4 by-election, Marc Bean, of the Free Democratic Movement, came second with 23.7 per cent of the vote, while independent candidate Ci’re Bean and Carl Neblett, of the One Bermuda Alliance, were third and fourth respectively with about 20 per cent vote each.

Mr Perinchief calculated that, had that voter share been applied nationally under proportional representation, the PLP would hold 13 seats, the FDM would have nine, and OBA and independent candidates have seven each.

He said that the PLP would then have to negotiate with other candidates in order to form a government.

Mr Perinchief added: “Such a scenario as the above would give the deserving electorate island-wide, and by direct voting, the widest possible representation and accountability over the successful MPs.

“In my view, it is only then that there would be true value in the proposition and principle of ‘one person, one vote of equal value’.”

Immediately after the Sandys North by-election result was announced, FDM leader Marc Bean called for opposition parties and independent candidates to “set aside egos” and unite in an attempt to break the PLP’s stranglehold on power.

The Government enjoys a 29-7 seat majority in the House of Assembly after winning 62 per cent of the vote in the October 2020 General Election.

Mr Perinchief backed Mr Bean’s call for political change and the need for MPs to put aside egos in the interests of the nation.

He said that, under a new system, constituents would be still able to vote on a local level on a first-past-the-post basis — but that a second “national poll” should be also carried out.

Mr Perinchief explained: “These national MPs would be chosen by the application of a simple or an appropriate variant of the proportional representation model.

“The idea is that the number and choice of the seats accorded to each of the national MPs in Parliament reflect accurately and proportionately the number and choice of votes derived from the voting process.”

He said: “Political will, I’m afraid — particularly in the face and reality of political egos — is virtually non-existent or on life-support in Bermuda.

“It is only the will of the people of Bermuda that is going to set things on the right course to a greater and fairer democracy for all races, classes, minorities of one class or another, genders and ideologies.”

Mr Perinchief said that a reduction in the number of MPs would “severely minimise or even completely eradicate the historical race and class dividing, gerrymandering, undemocratic safe seats, which both the PLP and OBA enjoy”.

He added that those fewer MPs sitting in the House should be paid more, becoming “career parliamentarians”, with Parliament sitting twice a week.

He claimed that safe seats “dilute and make a mockery of democracy, and the PLP’s time-honoured and hallowed principle of ‘one person, one vote of equal value’”.

Mr Perinchief said that any “wastage“ of votes led to a ”disenfranchisement of voters”.

He added: “Such seats in the past favoured the White and wealthy class only.

“Today they favour the Black and White wealthy or well-to-do class against the fundamental interests of the lower-income, majority-Black working class.

“We have a class problem in Bermuda that needs fixing.

“So let’s try to fix or ameliorate this acknowledged race, class and minority-group problem in our Parliament and electoral process, shall we?”

Opinion