PPM nominee for BT George Ebanks alleges possible “underhandedness” following secret ballot defeat

PPM Bodden Town nominees (l-r) George Ebanks,
Anthony Eden, Osbourne Bodden, Charles ‘Chuckie’
Clifford show their solidarity after the outcome of the
district members’ secret ballot to choose the party’s
candidates was announced. Mr Ebanks suggested
that members were unduly influenced not to vote for
him the next day.

Monday, August 23, 2004

After not receiving the People’s Progressive Movement’s (PPM) nomination during its run-off at the Bodden Town Constituency meeting last Thursday evening, candidate George Ebanks lashed out at the party’s hierarchy the next day, claiming underhandedness might have been at play.

“Further to many telephone calls and personal visits,” he said in a press release issued Friday morning, “I am being led to believe that the voting at that meeting may not mirror the true democratic wishes of the people.”

Mr Ebanks suggested that some of the Bodden Town constituents might have been influenced in their voting by high-ranking individuals within the PPM and/or other party hierarchy.

“Thus,” Mr Ebanks said, “I am actively reviewing the results to see if any underhandedness was at play. And if discovered, not only must it be exposed but it will be exposed.”

Over the weekend, Mr Ebanks said he would be attempting to gain documentary evidence of the alleged wrongdoing. “It might not be true,” he said, “I hope it is not true. But I want to warn the PPM that I’m on to them.”

Mr Ebanks said he felt let down by the PPM, and that if he determined there was an effort to keep him off the slate unfairly, he would run in the election as an independent candidate. “I am a Founding Member of the PPM as well as a member of the Executive Committee of the PPM, and inasmuch as I would not like to do so, I am prepared and I will, resign form the party and the Committee and accept the challenge of entering the upcoming campaign as an Independent Candidate.”

With just over 50 percent of the total PPM Bodden Town membership in attendance at Thursday meeting, Mr Ebanks also said that no real mandate was given or obtained from the meeting alone in any case.

Bodden Town PPM Committee Chairman Joey Ebanks dismissed claims of any wrongdoing. “The process as per the PPM’s constitution was followed,” he said. “We followed all the directives. All the nominees had the same opportunity to lobby the membership for their vote and the results were clear.

“The membership has given us three electable candidates and now it’s time to move into the next phase, which is campaigning to win the three seats in Bodden Town,” he said.

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