NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Three political parties, including the official opposition, yesterday slammed requirements for campaign teams to be vaccinated as “oppressive” and called for the order to be repealed.

The latest amendment to the emergency orders requires political candidates and their campaign teams to become vaccinated in order to spread their message on the ground, and their campaign teams must be limited to a maximum of five people.

In a statement, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) said while it encourages the nation to become vaccinated, doing so should remain a personal choice and not the result of coercion.

“We do not intend to change our campaign protocols with regard to door-to-door notwithstanding the change in the rules — those remain health and safety first, keep walking parties small, keep physically distant, do not go inside homes unless the voter insists, practice sanitizing your hands, wear a mask,” PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell said.

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