MP says bribes were rife at last election

Voter bribes were widespread during the last election.

This from PLP MP and Shadow Minister for Immigration and Home Affairs, Walton Brown.

Speaking to the Bermuda Sun after a press conference at Alaska Hall yesterday, Mr Brown said offering money or other rewards in exchange for votes was commonplace in the run-up to the 2012 election, where the One Bermuda Alliance unseated the PLP to wrest control of the government.

“There was a lot of money going around,” he said. “There were a lot of people getting $100 grocery vouchers. If you read the Parliamentary Election Act of 1978, anything along those lines is illegal. It’s bribery. You’re liable to be banned from politics for seven years.”

Mr Brown, however, declined to name names or even say if the problem was specific to one party or both: “Write what you want, I’m not saying anything. It was widespread.”

As first reported by The Royal Gazette earlier this week, Mr Brown said he was in possession of signed affidavits from Bermudian voters detailing such behaviour. He told the Bermuda Sun yesterday he would not be making those affidavits public: “They’re afraid. I gave them my word. They didn’t want to come before the committee. 

“I said if I’m going to say anything about it, I want you to show me you’re serious. Your allegations are serious allegations. I want you to write something down and I’ll promise you confidentiality until you’re ready to come forward.”

In 2012, the OBA captured 51 percent of the total vote and took 19 of the 36 House of Assembly seats.

An attempt to glean comment from the PLP before deadline was unsuccessful. An OBA spokesman said:  “We urge Mr Brown to continue his investigation, and look forward to hearing conclusive results.”