PM Raising Funds for U.D.P.’s Mobilization Efforts on May 8th

Back to the I.C.J…..The U.D.P. and the P.U.P. have begun ramping out their individual campaigns to mobilize voters for Wednesday’s referendum.  But the mobilization of tens of thousands of re-registered voters is costly. Last week, reports surfaced that each U.D.P. standard bearer and area representative would be getting seventy-five thousand dollars to mobilize supporters to obtain a vote in favor of taking the claim to the I.C.J. for adjudication. That’s two point three million dollars. This morning, Prime Minister Dean Barrow confirmed that he has been trying to raise monies, but financiers are not too keen in donating since it’s a referendum that will be held on May eighth and not a political election. 

Dean Barrow

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“In terms of the Referendum Unit, their monies had to do with paying the workers, paying for the ads, paying for consultations. That sort of things. They were never going to be given any money to bring out any people on voting day. In terms of the U.D.P., yes I have been trying to raise some funds because you simply can’t move people with respect to any elections unless you are able to pay for transport, you are able to do what all we know, comes with trying to get out the votes. It’s not been the easiest exercise in the world because precisely since it is not a general elections, it is not a political election financiers are not particularly keen on assisting. But I am satisfied that we would have done our best in trying to get people to come out on Wednesday and vote in this I.C.J. referendum.”