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TCI: Robinson + Robinson Team up for correction on ‘Ballot Blunder in The Bight’

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#TurksandCaicos, April 27, 2021 – Royal Robinson believes the election reputation of the Turks and Caicos is at stake and those who threaten to bring the stable system of fairness and accountability into disrepute should be made to leave office.  He fingers the elections’ supervisor Dudley Lewis and the Attorney General Rhonda-Lee Braithwaite Knowles in a no holds barred statement issued Friday.

“The nonsense at the Elections Office must stop and Mr. Lewis, it’s Supervisor, should go. If the AG Knowles is found not to have acted in good faith, then she too should go too. This entire matter is a travesty of justice, Human Rights, fair play and integrity in office.  That this charade, dereliction of duties and not being accountable is taking place in this beautiful place that I call home, is contemptable,” said Royal Robinson, a former government minister for the Progressive National Party.

The statement backs up his son, newly elected all island member Jamell Robinson who has for weeks been trying to get the Elections Office, he says, to sort out a blunder of addition in the Bight.  

“In regard to the my overall vote count being incorrectly reported, I can confirm that this is indeed the case as my correct total was 3,500 votes. Specifically, in the Bight District the total shortfall was 82 votes because the 3 polling station returns were not added up correctly.

The issue was flagged with the Elections office in sufficient time to make an immediate correction or at the very least to have it addressed in the Elections Report which is required by Section 57 (5) a) of the Election Ordinance. Institutions of Good Governance must carry out their functions with Integrity or be made to do so,” said Hon Jamell Robinson, who won one of five All Island candidate seats in the 2021 General Election.

The Attorney General’s Chambers responded to the TCI Sun Newspaper only; saying Robinson should have filed a petition to order a recount of the votes in The Bight. However, Jamell Robinson explained he did not need a recount, he only needed the correction of figures which had already been tallied and agreed by agents for each political party. 

Mr. Robinson also contends, he was never advised that a Supreme Court petition was the only want to rectify the discrepancy he reportedly brought to the attention of the Elections Supervisor on election night.

“As a member of the voting public, I believe this is an issue relevant to all Turks and Caicos Islanders. Mistakes do happen, but we have to be willing to do the right thing, learn from them, and adjust for the future. This is not a challenge with the PNP and as I made clear on the campaign trail, the PNP is ready for the work that needs to be done and I am honored to serve as part of the governing party that will lead us through these unprecedented times,” shared the younger Robinson.

Royal Robinson, known as a spitfire and who is also Jamell’s father said he intentionally stayed out of the matter until now; at this point he is speaking and standing up for what he claims is a wrong against his son.

“There was clearly a mistake in adding the votes from the tally sheets from the three polling stations for The Bight on election night, Friday, 19th February, 2021. Coincidentally, I was the counting agent for the third room, and so was Hon. O’Neil Delancy. The numbers were agreed to by all parties in that room and the final sheet was taken to the person in charge of that Constituency. It was somewhat past midnight on election night, when the tally was finished. The tally sheets from each room were given to the Returning Officer and it was just a matter of adding the votes from the three rooms for each of the candidates that appeared on the ballot. The votes garnered by each candidate from each room was not in dispute.”

The Elder Robinson said the 82 people who wanted their votes to be counted for Jamell Robinson should have their vote counted as such.  He believes the Elections Supervisor failed in his constitutional duty.

“It was not until after 7pm, on the day that a petition to the Court for redress, if necessary, that Mr. Lewis wrote to Hon. Robinson stating that he had to file a petition if he wanted the ballot boxes to be opened to see what had happened. Mr. Lewis knew full well that the window of opportunity for that was now closed. However, prior to Mr. Lewis writing Hon. Robinson that nonsense, on a visit to Mr. Lewis’ office by Hon. Robinson, the Supervisor of Elections showed Hon. Robinson a document with the corrected number count for him for The Bight Constituency,” explained Royal Robinson.

The AG’s Chamber disagrees that Supervisor Dudley Lewis did anything wrong; they back the Elections Office in its handling of the matter.

 “The Hon. AG cannot feign ignorance of the matter as she was copied in on ALL of the correspondence to Mr. Lewis.

The rationale that they are trying to use is that he won and the PNP won, so what is the big deal? According to US Vice President Joe Biden: “it is a BIG F…ING DEAL”!  Just look at what happened in the 2016 Elections, Hon. Misick beat out Mr. Robbie Been Jnr by only 21 votes for the fifth spot. Therefore, 82 votes is indeed a very a big f…ing deal!”

At this point, the elder Robinson shared that the matter has gone to the Governor as the Elections Office falls within his remit. 

The Elections Office has not replied to Magnetic Media questions on the matter. 

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DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM REGULATIONS INTRODUCES “RATE YOUR RIDE” SYSTEM FOR TOURISTS VISITING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

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FROM THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM

 

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 27th March, 2024 – Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands: The Department of Tourism Regulations is proud to unveil the “Rate Your Ride” system, a new initiative designed to enhance the vacation experience for tourists exploring our picturesque islands.

The “Rate Your Ride” system empowers tourists to provide valuable feedback on the quality of transportation services they receive while visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands. Through an easy-to-use online form, tourists can rate factors such as cleanliness, comfort, safety, and professionalism of drivers, helping us to assure the highest quality of service standards across all modes of transportation.

By participating in the “Rate Your Ride” system, tourists play a crucial role in shaping the future of transportation services in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Their feedback will enable us to identify areas for improvement and ensure that every visitor enjoys safe, comfortable, and convenient travel throughout their stay in the Turks and Caicos.

The code will also be publicly accessible through the cooperation of volunteer drivers who will make the rating code available in their vehicles. Flyers and stickers displaying the code will be distributed at hotels, resorts and airports. The mandated display of these codes is expected to align with the rollout of our tourism regulations in 2025.

For more information about the “Rate Your Ride” system and other initiatives by the Department of Tourism Regulations, please visit gov.tc/tourismregulations/or contact us via telephone at 946-4970 and email at tourismregulations@gov.tc.

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THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH SERVICES CONDEMNS RECORDING OF PERSONS WHO ARE IN CRISIS

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FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

 

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 27th March 2024– The Department of Behavioral Health Services is appealing to the general public to refrain from recording and circulating videos of persons who may appear to be experiencing a mental health crisis. Anyone can experience a mental health crisis at some point in their life. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year. Persons may struggle with very common conditions such as Anxiety and Depression or be diagnosed with more serious conditions like Bipolar Disorder or Psychosis.

“There are a lot of misunderstandings about various mental health conditions and how they may manifest. In addition, there are a number of negative perceptions and misconceptions that society exhibits towards people with mental health problems. However, just as we would show care and concern for someone diagnosed with Cancer, or any other physical illness, in the same way, we need to be as caring and helpful to persons with mental illnesses”– stated Director of the Department of Behavioral Health Services, Dr. Alicia Malcolm.

The Department is urging the public to call the following numbers if you see someone who appears to be experiencing a mental health crisis:

338-5473/338-3616: Providenciales, North or Middle Caicos

338-3614/338-3612: Grand Turk, South Caicos, Salt Cay

338-6301: Nights and Weekends

If someone is putting themselves or someone else in immediate, serious risk of harm, call 911.

The Department of Behavioral Health services is here to help and provides the following services which are free and confidential:

Location of above services:

o             Sam Harvey Building, Down Town, Providenciales,

o             Primary Health Care Department, Cheshire Hall Medical Center, Providenciales 

o             Department of Behavioural Health, Duncombe Alley, Grand Turk

 

Let’s all do our part in creating a community where people with mental health problems feel respected, supported and cared for. 

For additional information, please visit the Ministry of Health’s Facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/tciministryofhealth/ or the Department of Behavioral Health Services Faceebook on https://www.facebook.com/TCIDBHS/.

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Breaking Ground: TCI Could Lead in Regional Communication Standards

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Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, 27th March 2024: The PR, marketing, and communications sector is poised for potential growth and could lead the Caribbean region in terms of industry standards says Damian Wilson. Wilson’s suggestion comes after the release of a new research report into the current trends and future direction of the sector as a possible emerging industry in the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

Wilson is the report’s author, which conveys the findings of research which he initiated. “One of the key research results is the considerable optimism by industry practitioners and government alike, with persons seeing growth potential. I believe that we can become regional leaders in this field. I believe that one of the initiatives that could be used to do this is by establishing a ‘TCI Centre of Communications Excellence’ within the TCI Community College. Such an institute would be dedicated to communication and media innovation with a particular focus on digital communications and ICT,” says Wilson.

He further explained, “I believe that the PR, marketing, and communications sector, like much of the country, is at a crossroads and could have an even greater impact on our socio-economic fabric. Some may have concerns about our small size, but I believe this makes us far more agile than our neighbours. All in all, any potential growth must be underpinned by new investments, professional development, and a strategy to integrate the sector into the broader economy.”

Wilson also said that he sees his research as a first step in understanding our own industry sectors in the TCI and would love to see more profound research and analysis conducted. He’s hoping that the report will spark discussion along those lines. The report is entitled ‘Current Trends and Future Direction: A Preliminary Report on the PR, Marketing, and Communications Sector in the Turks & Caicos Islands’. Anyone wanting a copy of the report can contact Damian Wilson via his email, damian.wilson.pr@gmail.com.

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