Senate Opposition Leader Kim Swan this week accused the ruling Progressive Labour Party of “disenfranchising” Bermudian voters and said Government is doing little to address “voter intimidation” at election polls, something he claims to have witnessed first-hand.

Wednesday’s Senate row between Sen. Swan and Government Sen. Wayne Caines erupted during a debate on the Parliamentary Election Amendment Act 2007 that mandates candidates’ photos and names of their political parties on ballots.

Sen. Swan charged: “Equality needs to be held up at every end. You can’t say ‘I need one man one vote with equal value’ and not see the need to introduce absentee ballots and disenfranchise people by calling an election during the summertime when the majority of people are away!

“Alternatively, if you call an election during October, you’ll disenfranchise those same thousands of students that are away at university.”

But Sen. Caines said: “Nobody’s calling an election — nobody’s calling an election.

“That has absolutely nothing to do with the legislation that has been tabled here.”

Applauding Government’s rationale for the bill, Sen. Swan said that Government was overlooking more important issues like absentee ballots for Bermudians living overseas.

“All you can do, Mr. President, in our system when you do have elections called at the discretion of the Premier — this is not uncommon, it’s been going on for many years,” he continued.

“There’s problems on both sides. You can’t come here — and sit by idly when an election is called, numerous people will be unable to express their vote and why? That isn’t right.

“It certainly wasn’t right in 1983 and it certainly won’t be right in 2007!”

Senate President Alf Oughton warned Sen. Swan more than once to not turn the Senate’s sitting “into an election campaign”, and if he wished to do so, he can do it “outside of this chamber”.

Sen. Swan sounded alarm bells over alleged voter intimidation, which is very common nowadays during Bermuda elections, according to him.

“Intimidation is indeed what they (voters) get now because not only do persons present them with samples ballots, but as well as on election day — in your face politics is the order of the day!

“Actually, I’ve been (to the polls), seen that and don’t agree with that!”

However, speaking on his own behalf, Government Senate Leader David Burch expressed disgust at the idea of introducing absentee ballots.

“It’s offensive to me for people to fly back from Australia or wherever else they live in the world to come and participate in an election,” he revealed.

“And rather than making it easy for them not to be resident here to do so, they must live here as far as I’m concerned.”

The Parliamentary Election Amendment Act 2007 received bipartisan support in the House of Assembly and was introduced by Government to aid illiterate voters that could find themselves confused at the ballot box.

After a third reading of the bill, the Senate passed it with no objections.