⚖️ Upholding the Rule of Law

The Progressive Labour Party (PLP) takes seriously our commitment to the rule of law. That is why, as required by Section 30(6) of the Bermuda Constitution Order 1968, our candidates who have an interest in government contracts submitted their declarations on time—by the legally mandated deadline of Friday, February 7, 2025. 📜

🚨 Concerns with the One Bermuda Alliance (OBA):

It is deeply concerning that the One Bermuda Alliance (OBA), a party that often claims the moral high ground on issues of governance, has blatantly failed to meet this fundamental requirement. The OBA’s declarations only appeared in the newspaper today, February 11—four days after the deadline. This means that three of their candidates, Victoria Cunningham, Scott Pearman, and Dion Smith, may now be disqualified from contesting the upcoming General Election. 🗳️

🔍 Key Issues:

• Legal Requirement: The law is clear: candidates must declare their interests in government contracts within seven days of nomination. The OBA’s failure to meet this deadline raises serious questions about their ability to follow the very laws they expect others to uphold.
• Internal Compliance Issues: Former OBA candidate and Senator Vic Ball informed us that the OBA failed to follow their party’s Constitution, and now, they’re not following legal requirements in the Bermuda Constitution.
• Wider Compliance Concerns: No declarations were filed by independent candidates or the Free Democratic Movement (FDM), raising additional concerns about compliance across the board.

The OBA has spent years chastising the PLP on governance and accountability. Yet, when it comes to something as straightforward as meeting a constitutional requirement, they have fallen short. The people of Bermuda deserve leaders who respect the law—not a party that disregards deadlines and expects no consequences. 🕒

🗣️ A Call for Accountability:

It’s about the law, but it's also about competence. Despite calling for the election as far back as November, they were not ready. By failing to declare on time, they are disregarding the law and raising concerns about their competence as a group aspiring to govern the country. We call on the OBA to take responsibility for this serious oversight and clarify how it intends to address the potential disqualification of its candidates.

The PLP remains committed to upholding the integrity of Bermuda’s democratic process. We followed the law. The OBA did not. 🇧🇲