For a few weeks now, it's been a live issue: how will persons who have tested positive for COVID 19 vote in the November 11th general election?
Right now there are over a thousand active cases - and those numbers are enough to swing the races in many closely contested divisions - especially in Corozal and Orange Walk where the most cases are concentrated. Plus, it's every citizen's constitutional right to exercise their franchise to vote in an election.
But, at a press conference today, the Prime Minister said he doesn't see any way persons with COVID 19 should or will be allowed to vote:
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"It can't be permitted. If you are COVID positive, you are supposed to be in quarantine either at a government facility or at your own home. There's no way we can get around that restriction which is a legal one, a mandatory one and if we were to try to change the law to make arrangements to accommodate COVID positive persons who wish to vote, not only would it be, I think, an extremely difficult logistical exercise, I suspect that the fears of those that are not positive, but who already have reservations or perhaps in two minds of whether they will exercise their franchise, those fears would become even more pronounced. So while it is extremely regrettable that if you are COVID positive, in effect you are not able to exercise your franchise, we don't see that it can be otherwise."
Reporter
"I have some people commenting that you are stripping them of their constitutional right to vote. So, you understand that there is this pandemic happening and some people are basing their arguments on their constitutional right to vote. Is it a final decision that these people will not be able to vote even by proxy or by some other form?"
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Certainly proxies are out. It's already a hugely complicated, nightmarish system to administer, the proxy system which currently exists in terms of public officers, in terms of the security forces and their needing to vote by proxy. I don't see a trying to in fact extend that to COVID positive people. How do you verify? That is completely out of the question. Now I understand the argument about the constitutional rights but remember no constitutional right is absolute. You can derogate from constitutional rights on an emergency basis. Already there are concerns about how much the presence of Covid-19 generally will depress voter turnout. If you let the public know that people who are Covid positive can come to vote, I think that's game over. So with again the greatest possible regret I have to say that it's not going to happen."
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