BY KEVA LIGHTBOURNE, Guardian Senior Reporter, kdl@nasguard.com

A father has backed up his son's testimony in the Election Court that the Progressive Liberal Party did in fact pay for him to travel from the Turks and Caicos Islands in order to vote last year.

Calvin Hart Snr. admitted in court yesterday that he was the one who telephoned the Marco City office of PLP candidate Pleasant Bridgewater to find out about the plane that was going to TI.

"I explained that I was a supporter of the party, and I wanted him (the son) to come home to vote," Mr Hart said.

On Monday, Calvin Hart Jr., told the court that the PLP paid for him to return home from the Turks and Caicos Islands, one day before the May 2, 2007 general elections.

During his testimony, the younger Hart said he did not return to Freeport specifically to vote. Rather, he said he just wanted to come home. He said

He testified that he was contacted by a female who identified herself as a representative of the Marco City PLP team, wanting to know if he was interesting in returning home.

Hart said he indicated that he did want to return to Freeport and called the Marco City office in Grand Bahama on three occasions to ensure that he got his ticket. According to Calvin, he met his ticket at the counter at the airport in Turks and Caicos on May 1, which he alleged was left there for him by the PLP.

Calvin Junior's vote is being challenged by Bridgewater.

However, during Hart senior's testimony yesterday, he admitted that his son spent more time in the Turks and Caicos than he did in Freeport during the period leading up to last year's election.

He said he and his son are close. He was able to provide the court with dates his son was in the Turks and Caicos, but revealed that he did not know his son had belonger's status in the Turks and Caicos or that he was working there.

When asked if he knew how his son got money to pay part of his airfare back and forth between Freeport and Providenciales, he said he did not think it was necessary to ask.

He later said he also gave Calvin money when he asked for it.

He also said his son did vote.

Racine Miilfort also testified on Tuesday about his step-daughter's Dulcie's place of residence.

He said she was living at Spinney Road in the Marco City constituency in the relevant months leading up to last year's poll.

He said she returned to Grand Bahama because her husband, who is a gospel artist, Ramont Greene, aka "Monty G", was constantly traveling and she did not like being in their Florida home by herself.

Bridgewater is trying to prove that 81 persons were not eligible to vote in Marco City during the May 2, 2007 general election. State Minister for Finance Zhivargo Laing is challenging 23.

Bridgewater is asking the court for a scrutiny of the ballots and to declare that she and not Laing was the duly elected member of Parliament for the Marco City constituency.