HAMILTON, Bermuda, Tuesday July 18, 2017 – A new government will be chosen in Bermuda today, following last minute pleas from the incumbent One Bermuda Alliance (OBA) and the opposition Progressive Labour Party (PLP) .

At press conferences ahead of today’s vote in which 46,669 citizens are registered to vote, the two sought to convince voters they should be the party to govern the British Overseas Territory.

The PLP says education remains its top priority, and promised there would be: a review of all school facilities to identify and correct any health and safety issue in the first 100 days of a PLP administration; an increase in scholarship funding, and implementation of a low-interest student rate programme to “further increase access to higher education”; a phase-out of middle schools and the creation of “signature schools”.

Opposition Leader David Burt said students had been forgotten under the OBA and frequent changes in education ministers had created inconsistencies and a lack of accountability.

“It is a baffling exercise to imagine what the One Bermuda Alliance had been thinking when they had been wilfully ignoring the needs of our children and our teachers,” he said, adding that Premier Michael Dunkley had disrespected teachers “who dared to stand up for their students, and their own health”.

Meantime, noting his party’s record on tourism and improving the economy, Premier Dunkley said it had “made progress in restoring jobs, opportunity and hope, but we still have a ways to go”, as he asked voters to give the OBA another term in office to continue its “broad programme to progress Bermudian life”.

“Our mission is to extend the recovery and renewal into every household. Now, Burt and his colleagues have been trying to convince you that the choice in this election is between them and us, but the real choice is actually much simpler and much more important: Will Bermuda move forward or back?” he asked.

In an opinion poll published by the Royal Gazette newspaper over the weekend, half of the respondents said they would vote for the OBA, 39 per cent preferred the PLP, two per cent would vote for one of the five independent candidates, six per cent were undecided; and three per cent refused to say who they would vote for.

It indicated that Dunkley remains the most popular of the party leaders, with an increase in approval rating from 37 to 44 percent. Burt has an approval rating of 29 per cent, which is unchanged from the last poll in May.

Polls open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. </s> REUTERS: The leader of Bermuda's centre-left Progressive Labour Party was to be sworn in as premier of the wealthy, North Atlantic British territory on Wednesday after the conservative One Bermuda Alliance party's loss in a general election.

"First order of business today, changing my son's diaper. Will be going to Government House at 3 pm to get sworn in as premier of Bermuda," David Burt wrote on Twitter.

The PLP won 24 seats in the 36-seat parliament in Tuesday's vote, according to official results, securing a majority and defeating the centre-right OBA, which won the remainder.

The PLP received 20,059 votes, or nearly 59 percent, while the OBA secured 13,832, official figures showed.

Bermuda, a tiny Atlantic island chain east of the U.S. state of North Carolina, has one of the world's highest per capita incomes, stemming from a booming insurance and reinsurance industry and tourism.

The British Overseas Territory has the oldest legislature in the Commonwealth outside the British Isles. Its parliament first met in 1620.

Bermuda's premier chooses the cabinet and allocates portfolios, while Britain retains responsibility for external affairs, defence, internal security and the police. </s> HAMILTON, Bermuda, Jul 19 2017 – At 38, David Burt says he is not daunted by the prospect of becoming Bermuda’s youngest premier after his opposition Progressive Labour Party (PLP) stormed to victory over the ruling One Bermuda Alliance (OBA) in Tuesday’s general election, winning two-thirds of the seats.

The PLP won 24 of the 36 seats in the House of Assembly, the OBA taking the other 12 after losing seven seats on the night in a stunning reversal of a weekend opinion poll which gave the OBA a double-digit lead.

Turnout was 72.98 per cent with the PLP winning 58.89 per cent of the vote to the the OBA’s 40.61 per cent. The five independents won just 0.50 per cent of the vote, garnering just 169 votes between them, including 41 for Paula Cox, a former PLP premier.

Just before 11.20 p.m. local time, Burt, a father of two, got word of his own win in Pembroke West Central over the OBA’s Nick Kempe and shouted “Hallelujah!”

“We have a strong team … and we will wait to go forward but right now we celebrate tonight and we get to work tomorrow,” added Burt, who is expected to be sworn in at Government House on Wednesday.

Burt, who increased his majority almost fourfold from 2012, when the PLP’s previous 14-year reign ended in a 19-17 defeat to the OBA, embraced his wife Kristin, before declaring that he felt “fine” about the result.

Striking a solemn tone, he said: “Service is something I have committed my life to and, the fact is, I have served my community to the best of my ability and my constituency.”

Burt, who has a Bermudian father and Jamaican mother, said of the overall result across the country: “I’m certainly happy for the results …but, the fact of the matter is, this is about work. We cannot pretend that we can celebrate a victory today when there is still a huge challenge to Bermuda.

“We have unemployment, we have debt, we have a structural budget deficit, we have an economy that is unfair. We have lots of things which we have to do so there’s excitement, yes, but there’s also a measure of reality for the job ahead.”

The OBA’s biggest casualty was Bob Richards, the former Finance Minister and Deputy Premier, who lost by 513 votes to 419 in Devonshire East to union activist Christopher Famous, who is also a newspaper columnist.

Afterwards, Richards, the son of Sir Edward Richards, a former United Bermuda Party (UBP) premier who was born in British Guiana (now Guyana), announced his retirement from politics.

“I am certainly going to retire from politics. This is the end of the line for me. My public service is done,” said Richards after his defeat.

Nandi Outerbridge, the former Minister of Social Development and Sport, was another high-profile OBA casualty during a night of high drama as she was soundly defeated in St George’s West by Kim Swan, a former leader of the now defunct UBP, which ran the country for 30 years until losing to the PLP in 1998.

On a disastrous night for the OBA, defeated former premier Michael Dunkley acknowledged that his party had suffered some “crushing defeats” on a “tough day”.

“Congratulations to Mr Burt and the PLP,” he said. “My colleagues and I wish them all the best as they try and move Bermuda forward.”

Wayne Caines won back the Devonshire North West seat for the PLP, defeating OBA incumbent Glen Smith and independent Cox. The former premier, who many in the PLP had thought would take votes from her former party, trailed in a distant third as Caines picked up 568 votes to Smith’s 385.

Before Tuesday, the OBA, after four and a half years in power, had high hopes of holding on to most of their seats and even pinching one or two from the PLP in the so-called marginals.

But Ray Charlton, who lost by just eight votes to Michael Scott in Sandys North in 2012, was defeated 577 to 297. Andrew Simons, who lost by just six votes to Walton Brown in Pembroke Central five years ago, lost by 540 votes to 283.

The PLP’s Dennis Lister III defeated Jeff Sousa in what was considered a reasonably safe OBA seat in Warwick West. In Warwick North Central, a seat won narrowly by the OBA in 2012, David Burch defeated Sheila Gomez by 661 to 338.

For Burch, a former senator and cabinet minister in the previous PLP administration, it was his first success in winning a seat in the House. He lost by just 10 votes to Wayne Scott in 2012.

Sousa lost by 12 votes to Lister, a shock defeat for a politician so certain of victory that he said before the count: “I am not going to lose. That would be a miracle. I know my people. I know my constituents.”

For more on this story go to: https://caribbeannewsservice.com/now/opposition-party-wins-general-election/ </s> Labour supporters take to the streets to celebrate after early results indicate a comfortable victory for ruling party.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has declared victory in Malta's snap election after preliminary results showed his Labour Party heading towards a second mandate.

A sample count of ballots on Sunday showed Labour having a majority of more than 30,000 votes, equivalent to nearly 10 percent of the electorate.

"It is clear that the people have chosen to stay the course," said Muscat, who called the snap vote to counter allegations of corruption against his wife and some of his political allies.

Simon Busuttil, the leader of the opposition Nationalist Party (PN), made a telephone call to Muscat to concede defeat in Saturday's election.

"As always, we respect the decision of the electorate," Busuttil said in a tweet.

After the announcement of the preliminary results,Labour supporters took to the streets in celebration, gathering near party clubs and waving flags.

A crowd gathered near the party's headquarters and workers were erecting a stage at the granaries in Floriana, Times of Malta reported.

The turnout was 92 percent of the more than 340,000 eligible voters, the election commission said. Official results are expected later on Sunday.

Muscat, 43, is expected to be sworn in on Monday, after which he will begin forming his new government that will have a five-year mandate.

During the election campaign, Muscat promised continuity and greater wealth for a country that has the lowest unemployment rate ever at 4.1 percent - the third lowest in Europe - and in 2016 registered a budget surplus for the first time in three decades.

The victory indicates that there will be no major disruption to the business of the European Union, whose presidency Malta holds until the end of this month.

Shortly after polls closed, Malta's President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca called for a process of reconciliation to begin after what she called a campaign full of "aggressive and abusive language" both by politicians and the public.

"I want to see people returning to open dialogue, which is the basis of a healthy democracy," she said.

Muscat, who has been prime minister since 2013, went to the polls a year after his wife was accused of being the beneficial owner of a secret Panamanian shell company used to bank unexplained payments from Azerbaijan's ruling family.

His chief of staff and a government minister have separately admitted having their own, previously undeclared Panama-registered companies, following revelations from last year's massive data leak from the Mossack Fonseca legal firm based in the Central American country.

Muscat has come under fire for not sacking the two of them.

The PN had warned that even if Muscat won the election, he would still remain under pressure as magistrates investigate claims of corruption made against him and his ministers.

Muscat has however denied any wrongdoing and promised to quit if any evidence emerges of his family having an undeclared offshore account. </s> Election pits party of Prime Minister Perry Christie against main opponent Hubert Minnis of the Free National Movement.

Voters in the Bahamas headed to the polls on Wednesday in a hotly-contested general election overshadowed by corruption allegations and rising unemployment.

The election pits the party of Prime Minister Perry Christie, a veteran politician from the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), against his main opponent, Hubert Minnis of the Free National Movement (FNM), a physician.

Polls opened at 8am (12:00 GMT), with more than 180,000 people registered to vote in 39 constituencies across the country. Voting was scheduled to finish at 6pm (20:00 GMT), with unofficial results expected around 10pm (00:00 GMT).

Voting was proceeding calmly, but a polling station on the main island New Providence was forced to open late following concerns about ballots, and some of those waiting left without voting.

Voters are casting ballots for 39 seats in the House of Assembly. The party with the majority of seats will form the government.

Minnis is campaigning on a platform of change, seeking to implement term limits on the prime minister and promote "Bahamian ownership in the economy," according to his website.

The election has been overshadowed by the long-delayed opening of a $4.2bn mega-resort called Baha Mar.

Critics of the 73-year-old Christie, who is finishing his second non-consecutive term as prime minister, say the time has come for him to retire.

Christie prompted condemnation earlier this year when he denied corruption accusations by raising his middle finger to reporters.

Education minister Jerome Fitzgerald is also embroiled in controversy over a shadowy multimillion-dollar business allegedly seeking contracts from Baha Mar resort, which is controlled by Chinese investors.

The island archipelago, which gained independence from Britain in 1973, depends heavily on tourism and foreign investment into resorts and other attractions.

International observers the Caribbean Community, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organization of American States and the United States were invited to monitor the vote. </s> Dunkley makes final call for voter support

OBA Press Conference.

Premier Dunkley makes final statements before general election begins, at a press conference yesterday (Photograph by Blaire Simmons)



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Michael Dunkley called on Bermudians to return the OBA to office tomorrow as the island goes to the polls.

In the final party press conference before election day, the premier noted the OBAs record on tourism and improving the economy.

We have made progress in restoring jobs, opportunity and hope, but we still have a ways to go, he said.

Our mission is to extend the recovery and renewal into every household. Now [PLP leader David] Burt and his colleagues have been trying to convince you that the choice in this election is between them and us, but the real choice is actually much simpler and much more important. Will Bermuda move forward or back?

He noted campaign promises to modernise the infrastructure of the islands schools, explore the concept of an educational authority and the $2,500 Jump Start savings programme, saying the OBA have a broad programme to progress Bermudian life.

Asked if the OBA had done enough to return Bermudians to the work force, he accepted that employment remains a key topic of conversation this election season.

From where we came from, thats to be expected, he said. We were in a dire situation back in 2011, 2012, when jobs were being lost at a rapid pace. When you have to turn around the economy as we did, we knew it was not going to be straight up like an arrow to where we want to go.

We balanced that with making sure we brought the investment into Bermuda, return confidence as we had to do, and against that backdrop we have a very tough immigration policy. We have professionals who sit on that board every week, read through those permits and scrutinise them up and down.

We have worked with the Immigration Department, and Work Force Development to make sure those opportunities are there.

However he added that companies should work to not only hire Bermudians, but train them given the economic turn around.

And challenged about the condition of the islands schools, he noted that the OBA launched the SCORE Report and has since begun work to address the issues raised.

I dont think the government that was around in 2012 wants to talk about the work that they did, but they will use it as a political football, hence why we want to investigate an Education Authority.

You have got to take the politics out of education because the only way we will move forward is if we take the politics out of it and stop our children being used as pawns.

Nick Kempe, who is running in Pembroke West Central, said the OBA had brought the island back from the brink and the impact has been felt by many people.

The job is not done. There is still certainly more to do and coming in for another term will allow us to balance the budget, expand social programmes and be able to work on the things that an expansive revenue base allows us to.

The prosperity that many have felt needs to be felt by all, and we appreciated the opportunity to continue our work for the next five years.

Meanwhile Nandi Outerbridge, who is defending the St Georges West seat, said she was thankful that the OBA gave her the opportunity to make a difference in the constituency.

St Georges had become a commercial ghost town, let down by false promises of a new hotel, misled on the disappearance of cruise ships, shocked by the bulldozing of a thriving community golf course and disappointed by the lack of support to keep the old towns structure functioning.

The change in the old town from then to now is simply amazing. People are positive, people are optimistic and things are finally happening.

 Comments are closed on political content from July 4 to 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 banned. </s> FORMER Foreign Minister and Attorney-General of The Bahamas, Janet Bostwick will lead a Commonwealth Observer Group to monitor the Antigua and Barbuda general election today.

The group arrived in the country on March 16 and has met with the Prime Minister, the electoral commission, representatives of political parties, civil society representatives, media organisations and domestic and international observer groups.

Mrs Bostwick said: “On behalf of the group, I wish the people of Antigua and Barbuda well as they go out to exercise their franchise. We will assess whether the elections have been conducted according to the national laws of Antigua and Barbuda, and to the relevant regional, Commonwealth and other international standards to which Antigua and Barbuda has committed itself.”

She continued: “For the remainder of the time before polling commences we will observe campaigning and continue to meet a range of relevant stakeholders to the election process.”

The group will observe at different polling stations and constituencies across Antigua, including the polling for Barbudans. They will observe the opening of the polling stations, the casting of votes, the count and the declaration of results, as well as liaising with observers from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Organization of American States (OAS).

Last month, Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced that Antigua and Barbuda would hold a general election on March 21, more than a year before elections were constitutionally due.

These elections will contest the 17 seats in the lower chamber of Antigua and Barbuda’s bicameral parliament. At dissolution, a majority of 14 seats was held by Prime Minister Browne’s Antigua Labour Party with the remaining three seats held by the United Progressive Party. </s> We wrote in this space that this election was a referendum on Perry Gladstone Christie. The Bahamian people yesterday used the Free National Movement (FNM) as a vehicle to send him home once and for all.

Our economy has not grown in four years; Christie’s Progressive Liberal (PLP) promised to solve the crime problem and it escalated; dump fires worsened; there was open corruption in the government; Christie went against the will of the people in the gambling referendum; the electricity system in New Providence went into meltdown; he introduced the largest tax in the history of The Bahamas and was about to add to that with a National Health Insurance tax; he stuck up his middle finger in front of his people; he fell asleep in public places wherever he went.

The people had enough. They were angry.

The numbers were still coming in at press time, but the PLP suffered a historic loss on May 10. No sitting government of The Bahamas has ever been thrown out like Christie’s PLP. Even Christie lost his seat based on unofficial results – a seat he held for 40 consecutive years. This has never happened to a sitting prime minister.

PLPs voted him out. FNMs voted him out. Independents voted him out. The people wanted no more. They could take no more. As we wrote this piece, people were in the streets celebrating in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Christie has been searching for a legacy his whole time as prime minister. He has one now. He is the man who ruined the PLP. He has left the SS PLP on a reef, broken, with many political fatalities. Most of the PLP’s Cabinet lost. It was difficult to confirm what seats they won, actually.

The PLP was formed by whites and light-skinned blacks. They formed it as a party to fight for the under-class. Lynden Pindling and the men and women who would become the majority rule generation transformed the party into an organization that advocated in rhetoric for the black masses who were being unfairly treated by the minority white oligarchy.

The people of the inner-city communities of New Providence kept allegiance to the PLP ever since – a run of five or six decades depending on when you start counting from. The PLP even retained a big chunk of the inner-city areas in the great loss of 1997 when it won only six seats.

Last night, the masses in black belt areas revolted against Christie. It is possible that the PLP only won Englerston in New Providence. They said with a clear voice that they did not think Christie had their best interests at heart. They said they can no longer be taken for granted by his PLP. Bringing liquor and music at election time, then disappearing after victory, is a PLP strategy the poor and working classes rejected this time.

Much analysis will go into this wipe out loss. We think, however, the PLP’s imposition of value-added tax (VAT) and the party’s inability to explain where this money went enraged the poor who disproportionately pay this. We have stood on the line in front of low-income people at the grocery store and watched them put food back because they could not afford it. Whereas the upper classes are just annoyed by the burden, those extra few cents on a can of tuna are more than many pensioners or unemployed people can afford.

The Bahamian people declared last night that there are no more safe seats. The PLP became so arrogant that it thought it could do nothing for the poor it represented and these people would still vote for them. They took note when Christie did not come to his own constituency after Hurricane Matthew until the media pointed it out. In embarrassment he visited to save face. This is a man who often said he didn’t campaign in Centreville. These people were but a tool to power for him.

What they did last night was tell him they no longer want to hear from him. If after the recount it is confirmed that he lost his seat, he won’t even be allowed to give a farewell address in the House of Assembly.

Perry Christie, you have caused the Bahamian people to have contempt for a once great organization. You will never have a chance to politically redeem yourself. The Bahamian people don’t want to hear from you anymore. </s> The Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA) has claimed the island can navigate changes in government without disrupting business relations, after a new party swept to power in yesterday's general election.

Bermuda's Progressive Labour Party (PLP) regained control of the House of Assembly from the One Bermuda Alliance (OBA), which had been in power since 2012.

BDA CEO Ross Webber said the organisation looked forward to working with the government to ensure the local market remained vibrant.

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Voters in Bermuda go to the polls to elect their Premier and members of the House of Assembly.