OBA: don’t waste your vote on an independent candidate
A vote for an independent candidate will be a wasted vote, according to the One Bermuda Alliance.
Scott Pearman, who is running for the OBA in Paget East (Constituency 22), claimed that independent candidates lacked the cohesion needed to develop policy on a range of issues.
Rayki Bascome-Emery, an independent candidate for Constituency 22, fired back that a vote for the OBA amounted to a vote cast for the Progressive Labour Party because the party “simply haven't done enough to make the people comfortable with making them the Government again”.
Mr Pearman said he welcomed the fact that there will be 110 candidates contesting the February 18 General Election, including an unprecedented 27 independent candidates.
However, he warned: “Politics is a team effort. To set the island’s education policy or healthcare plans, you must first become the Government.
“That requires a like-minded team of at least 18 MPs working together to maintain the confidence of the House of Assembly.
“To run the Government requires a unified team and an agreed consensus on the solutions to deploy, set policy and advance legislation for Bermuda.
“Ultimately, an independent MP lacks the necessary support of party colleagues. The notion of independent candidates may appeal to the non-partisan voters, but it badly fails the stress test of practical reality.”
The ranks of people willing to run as independent candidates have swelled only in recent months, after a call by former premier Sir John Swan last year to do away with party politics.
Mr Pearman said that, by contrast, the OBA had spent the five years since the 2020 General Election analysing issues and developing policies.
He said: “Our caucus reflects Bermuda, with broad diversity of age, gender, race, economic activity and life experience.”
Mr Pearman pointed out that no independent candidate had produced a platform outlining their position on a range of issues.
He said: “If you are considering voting for an independent, please ask that candidate what his or her actual position is on the numerous and complex issues facing our island.
“If you hope for a ‘movement of independents’, are you sure that — if any were to be elected — those elected would even agree with each other on the issues?
“Where does each independent candidate stand on the proposed Corporate Income Tax? On independence from the UK? On the legalisation of cannabis, the size of our police service, or whether immigration should go up or down?”
The Emperial Group has launched a campaign calling for closer collaboration among candidates opposed to the ruling Progressive Labour Party.
Eugene Dean, the group’s sole candidate in the February 18 poll, warned that the anti-PLP vote could fracture unless different factions came together.
Launching the Vote 4 Unity campaign, Mr Dean said: “This campaign is a strategic step towards revolutionising the current political climate by uniting the combined opposition to ensure a competitive challenge against the current administration on February 18.
“With approximately 70 per cent of candidates registered to represent the One Bermuda Alliance, the Free Democratic Movement or independent campaigns, the opposition risks fracturing the vote, ultimately benefiting the incumbent government.
“Nearly 80 per cent of constituencies feature three or four candidates vying for a single seat, potentially allowing the current administration to remain in power with a minority vote.”
Mr Dean pointed out that other candidates, including Marc Bean, the leader of the Free Democratic Movement, and independent candidate Renée Webb, had also called for more collaboration between separate parties that had a shared interest in defeating the PLP.
Mr Dean cited the October 2024 Sandys North by-election as an example of how the PLP was able to retain the seat with just 35 per cent of the vote because the other three candidates were divided.
He said: “Using the by-election as a case study, it has become clear that efforts to bring change have proved ineffective without a unified approach.
“In response to this challenge, the Emperial Group has created a campaign to consolidate the opposition and present Bermudians with a credible alternative at the polls.
“By launching Vote 4 Unity, the Emperial Group is taking a decisive step towards fostering unity, genuine representation, and systemic political change.
“The following two weeks will be critical in shaping Bermuda’s future, and the Emperial Group stands ready to join forces with the combined opposition and lead this charge.”
Mr Pearman said that it would be difficult for independent candidates to run a government effectively because they had divergent views.
He said: “The issues faced by political leaders in today’s Bermuda are complicated. Striving for collaboration and achieving consensus is not easy, particularly on issues where reasonable people disagree.
“A cohesive team is needed — a team with a plan already in place to tackle our issues from day one. The OBA has done the work and is ready to form the Government on day one.
“If you are really considering voting for an independent, please ask yourself: how much would an independent MP actually be able to achieve?
“With so much at stake in the next election, it would be a shame to waste your vote on a candidate who is powerless to change Bermuda for the benefit of all Bermudians.”
In response, Mr Bascome-Emery said that the independents possessed “a much deeper talent pool than the OBA does” without having to “resort to filling seats with just anyone based on some pre-election promise”.
Mr Bascome-Emery noted the controversial unveiling last week of Michael Fahy as the OBA’s candidate for Pembroke South West.
As home affairs minister under the OBA’s administration, Mr Fahy led hotly disputed immigration reforms, including Pathways to Status, which had to be shelved in 2016 after days of mass protests.
Mr Bascome-Emery said that “the optics of his return to politics has only galvanised the PLP base and opened the door for a return to race-based xenophobic politics”.
He dismissed Mr Pearman’s reference to the OBA’s caucus, adding: “Instead of caucus meetings filled with people vying for a position in a party, meetings [between] constituents and their MPs should be prioritised.”
He said: “If he and his OBA colleagues canvassed the areas they chose to represent then they would speak to residents and get actual ideas to grow this country.”
Mr Bascome-Emery said that feedback on the doorsteps of Constituency 22 had informed his draft legislation, the “Competition and Consumer Act 2025”, intended to address constituents’ concerns about “monopolies, price gouging, and the lack of small business development”.
He added: “Imagine the power you'll have from independent MPs who collaborate with the people to find solutions for the people.
“Again, a vote for the OBA is a vote for a continuation of the PLP government as they cannot win this election.”
• Comments are closed on political content from February 1 to February 19 to stem the flow of purposefully inflammatory and litigious comments during the General Election cycle. Users who introduce extreme partisan comments into other news content will be given a two-week timeout
