The Elections and Boundaries Commission has sought to defend its mandate for returning officers to declare whether they are affiliated with a specific political party, saying it has not acted unlawfully in making the request. The EBC explained that returning officers are not being asked to reveal their voting preferences, but rather if they are official members of any specific political party. It says such level of affiliation could create the perception of bias. 

Among those who criticised the EBC’s new mandate was Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley, who called the policy “strange and disturbing”. The Prime Minister said, “the vote in this country is secret and no person in public employment must be forced to reveal how they intend to vote.”  

The EBC, in a statement on Wednesday evening, said, “The EBC has received allegations from various political parties about Returning Officers being members of political parties. To address these concerns and safeguard the integrity of the electoral process, the Commission sought legal advice on requiring applicants for the position of Returning Officer to declare whether they are a member of a political party.”

It added, “The legal opinion confirmed that such an inquiry is both advisable and lawful. It distinguishes between declaring whether one is a member of a political party and disclosing voting preferences, which is protected by the principle of secret ballot. Membership in a political party implies a level of allegiance or affiliation that could potentially create the perception of bias or apparent bias.”