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.
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.
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.
Former OBA candidate and Senator Vic Ball told us that the OBA failed to follow their party’s Constitution, and, now, they’re not following legal requirements in the Bermuda Constitution.
Furthermore, we note that no declarations were filed by the independent candidates or the Free Democratic Movement (FDM). This raises 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.
It’s about the law, but it’s also about competence. It is clear that despite calling for the election as far back as November, they were not ready for the election. And, by failing to declare on time, they are not only disregarding the law, but also concerns over their competence for a group of people that aspire to be the government of 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.
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