(Barbados Nation) One of the longest serving heads of the Electoral & Boundaries Commission (EBC) is not happy that some people who live in Barbados for just three years can vote in general elections.
Philip “Jimmy” Serrao, who was EBC chairman for 15 years, said the provision in Barbados’ laws that allowed Commonwealth citizens to vote in general elections after residing here for three years ought to be changed.
What’s more, Serrao was firm in his belief that only Barbadian citizens should have the right to elect representatives to govern this country.
Serrao, a Queen’s Counsel, who chaired the EBC from 1995 to 2010, told the SUNDAY SUN that citizens of Barbados or the Commonwealth who have resided in Barbados for at least three years, were over the age of 18 and resided in the constituency for three months, could influence who made it into the House of Assembly.
But as he addressed other areas of electoral reform, Serrao called for an end to the practice of voters registering in different constituencies after a general election had been called.