Bermuda must have electoral reform to rid the Island of racial polarisation, according to UBP MP Kim Swan. Mr Swan was reacting to a poll on Monday, for The Royal Gazette, which showed 38 percent of people said they would vote OBA in a general election, with 32 percent opting for the PLP. The Mindmaps poll was carried out shortly after the fledgling party’s debut conference.
But the survey found that the OBA is attracting much of its support from whites and the older generation. The survey found that the OBA had 72 percent of the white vote and 16 percent of the black vote, but the PLP took five percent of the white vote and 49 percent of the black vote.
In a statement yesterday Mr Swan said: “The Royal Gazette poll released on Monday, September 26, highlights that the repeated trends of racial polarisation, prevalent for the past four decades, continue in Bermuda in 2011.
“The crippling and vexing racial polarisation that we have experienced in Bermuda has its origins on all sides of the political and racial divide and there is plenty of blame to spread around.
“But instead of apportioning blame, we need to get to the root of the problem, and in this regard it is important to encourage those who are prepared to tolerate, benefit from and live with racial polarisation to change their mindset. Alternatively, we need to find ways to bring an end to this systemic problem.”
Mr Swan said it was important for the people of Bermuda “of all races, income levels and backgrounds to develop the resolve to say no to racial polarisation and demand a change in approach from the political parties that benefit from it”.
Full Article: Reform electoral system to combat racial polarisation UBP leader Kim Swan | Bermuda Politics.
