Parties in election row over disclosure of interest rules
A war of words has broken out between the Progressive Labour Party and the One Bermuda Alliance over election candidate disclosure of interest regulations.
The PLP charged that three OBA candidates failed to declare before a set deadline that they had interests in contracts linked to public entities after they registered to run in the February 18 poll.
A notice published in yesterday’s edition of TheRoyal Gazette declared that Victoria Cunningham, Scott Pearman and Dion Smith had links to contracts related to various government organisations.
According to the Bermuda Constitution, interests must be declared within seven days of nomination, which was held on January 31.
The legal notice stated that Ms Cunningham, who is standing in Warwick West (Constituency 28), has a contract with Bermuda College as an adjunct lecturer.
Mr Pearman, aiming to hold Paget East (Constituency 22), is a director of a company that has cleaning contracts with the Government.
Mr Smith, who is running in Warwick North Central (Constituency 27), has IT contracts with a number of government quangos, and also the Bermuda Police Service and CedarBridge Academy.
Yesterday, the PLP claimed that the three OBA candidates could be disqualified from running in the election after missing the seven-day deadline, which, according to the PLP, was last Friday, February 7.
But the OBA hit back, claiming that the declarations were filed on time, and that the PLP was attempting to “stir the emotions of the electorate”.
Lynne Woolridge, the OBA’s chairwoman, said yesterday: “The Progressive Labour Party is obviously trying to stir the emotions of the electorate unnecessarily.
“Contrary to the party’s assertion, the One Bermuda Alliance did file its declarations on time.
“We had seven days to disclose pertinent information and we did so.
“It’s not surprising that the PLP is creating this rhetoric to make us look bad. The party is intent on casting the OBA in the worst possible light, as advance polling is ending.
“The continuation of distortion and lies should stop. The PLP is trying to cause distractions so the focus isn’t on the contracts held by its own candidates.
“As always it is smoke and mirrors.”
Owen Darrell, the PLP’s candidate for Pembroke East (Constituency 15), said last night: “This is not up to interpretation.
“The three candidates in question either did this or they did not.”
He added: “The One Bermuda Alliance can say whatever they want, but the fact is their declaration only appeared today.
“The law does not count Sundays or public holidays, therefore, as their declarations were published today, that means they were filed nine days after nomination day, which is two days after the deadline.
“If the OBA did publish the declarations by February 8, show Bermuda the receipts.
“They are not in the Official Gazette, and we have not seen them in a newspaper before today.”
Mr Darrell said that the OBA either “followed the constitution, or they did not”.
He added: “If they did, they should prove to the people that they filed their declarations on time as required.”
The PLP said earlier that the timing of the public disclosure meant that three of the OBA’s candidates “may now be disqualified from contesting the upcoming General Election“.
Section 30(6) of the Bermuda Constitution Order 1968 stated: “Subject to such exceptions and limitations as may be prescribed by the Legislature, a person shall not be qualified to be elected as a member of the House of Assembly if he has an interest in any government contract and has not, within seven days of his nomination as a candidate for election, disclosed the nature of the contract and his interest therein by means of a notice published in the Gazette or in a newspaper published and circulating in Bermuda.”
The Gazette’s sales team confirmed today that the OBA first contacted the newspaper late on Thursday with the intent to run the legal notice on Saturday, but the party was informed that the deadline for that publication had passed.
The advertisement booking was made on February 10 for the following day’s newspaper, which resulted in publication on February 11.
An earlier legal notice, published in the Gazette on February 7, said that PLP candidates Leroy Bean, Alexa Lightbourne, David Burt, Jaché Adams, Dawn Simmons and Zane DeSilva declared interests in government contracts.
Dr Bean is contracted as a consultant to the Ministry of National Security as a gang violence reduction co-ordinator.
Ms Lightbourne, Mr Adams and Ms Simmons, the notice said, are contracted under the Premier, Ministers and Opposition Leader Personal Staffs Act.
Mr Burt, the Premier, was said to be a director and shareholder of GMD Consulting Ltd, that “from time to time, provides IT services to the Government”.
The notice added that Mr DeSilva was a director and shareholder of Island Construction Ltd, which is sometimes contracted to provide construction services to the Government.
Questions have been sent by the Gazette to the Parliamentary Registrar and Government House. This article will be updated if responses are received.
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