Rick Fox, an NBA champion who is considering a foray into Bahamian politics, said the government should livestream the Golden Isles by-election on the Internet.
Voters in Golden Isles will elect a new member of Parliament today.
“Like many Bahamians this week, I’ve followed the concerns raised about the early voting process,” Fox wrote on his Facebook page.
“It is troubling that in 2025, the integrity of our elections is even a topic of discussion. My personal appeal to the prime minister: Prime minister, your father and my father were friends. They stomped together for Arlington Butler. I consider you a brother in the fight for our country. You recently acknowledged that many people call you daddy.
“Daddy, stream the vote.
“From one son of The Bahamas to another, this move would honor what our fathers fought for, a Bahamas where the people’s vote is sacred, democracy is protected, and integrity is not negotiable. This is the legacy our fathers left us to protect and the future we all deserve.
“Ensure that every Bahamian can watch our by-election unfold in real time with integrity.
“Cameras at every polling station. Live feeds from opening to final count. Complete transparency that eliminates all doubt.
“We should welcome this accountability. We should embrace this transparency.”
The Free National Movement (FNM) has called for the removal of Neil Campbell, a returning officer in the by-election, after he revealed that he calls Davis his adoptive father.
Campbell also said that FNM Leader Michael Pintard is his cousin and Brian Brown, the FNM’s candidate for Golden Isles, is a childhood friend. The parliamentary commissioner declined to remove Campbell, arguing that Campbell is a professional who can get the job done.
For his part, Davis, when asked about Campbell’s comments, said “lot’s of people call me daddy”.
At an FNM rally on Friday night, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham defended the country’s electoral system.
Nobody, he said, can steal an election in the country.
He urged FNMs on election day to focus on getting voters out.
“You can’t tief an election in The Bahamas,” Ingraham said. “We have too many guardrails ... too many rules and too many experienced people for that to happen. Be sure of that.”