Friday, April 20, 2012
AN ELECTION win for the FNM would tie the PLP's record since independence, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham pointed out last night.
Addressing a rally at RM Bailey Park, Mr Ingraham asked Bahamians for five more years to finish the work his party has started, and warned against inviting a return of the corruption and scandal that riddled the last PLP administration.
"We are three weeks away from making history," Mr Ingraham said. "On May 7, 2012, God willing with your support, the Free National Movement will be elected as the government of the Bahamas for the fourth time in an independent Bahamas."
Telling the crowd the election boils down to one issue - proven leadership versus failed leadership - Mr Ingraham highlighted a national address by his challenger Perry Christie on the eve of the 2002 election, which Mr Christie won.
"All PLP ministers, including myself, will be held to the toughest Code of Ethics we have ever had in this country. And I solemnly promise you tonight that if any minister should violate this code, he will be dismissed in disgrace from my cabinet and prevented from ever again standing for election as a candidate of my party," Mr Christie said at the time.
Ten years later, Mr Ingraham said, the PLP leader is again running "a disgraced former minister who brought shame to this country in one of the worst scandals in modern Bahamian history."
Mr Ingraham said this contradiction of his pledge is shocking, but unsurprising considering Mr Christie's record.
The Prime Minister noted that in the same 2002 speech, Mr Christie claimed he hates corruption, but during his five years in office, "he presided over a scandal-ridden cabinet filled with corruption and wheeling and dealing.
"Now, in 2012, he is again running most of the very same bunch that brought shame to the country."
Mr Ingraham said between 2002 and 2007, the PLP proved to be the most incompetent and unproductive government in the history of the Bahamas.
He said: "Come May 7, there is a clear choice between proven leadership that you know will deliver for you and failed leadership that will be even worse the second time around."
While the PLP have a legacy of scandal, corruption and incompetence, the FNM has a record of deepening democracy, Mr Ingraham added.
He said: "It was the FNM that freed the broadcast media from 26 years of state control by the PLP. It is the FNM that introduced elected Local Government in the Family islands. It is the FNM that made access to cable television and hence access to information from around the world available to Bahamians living even in our remote Family Islands.
"It is the FNM that caused the proceedings of Parliament to be broadcast so that all who wish to are able to hear and watch Government as it happens.
"It is also the FNM that computerised government offices and launched the e-portal to make access to government services easier.
"It is the FNM that proposed an Independent Boundaries Commission which the PLP vigorously opposed and worked to defeat in 2002."
Comments
notsogullible says...
I agree with you Apostle. Too many seats won by any of the major parties will be dangerous to the democracy in the Bahamas and not enough (in a win by the FNM) will bring out the worse PLP demons we have EVER seen; hands down, however, the FNM has been the best government in the Bahamas post independence. Thank God we no longer have to be subjected to the practice where only PLP's get government jobs, get promoted in the government sector, get business licences and the list of evil acts go on. Even if the FNM loses this election the PLP will NEVER be able to take us back to those days. I wish more Bahamians can have this assurance because there are still way too many FNM's who are afraid to go to rallies and are afraid to speak up because of the need to feel safe should the PLP return to power. Similarly, there are way too many people who are voting PLP because of what they were made to believe in the Pindling era - that any job, BMC housing, government granted licence, etc., came directly from the great PLP and not the government. So they feel guilty voting otherwise because they don't understand that it was NOT THE PLP who granted them such favours but rather the Bahamas Government who was doing what a government IS SUPPOSED to do.
Posted 22 April 2012, 3:06 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Here we go with another mainstream media pro FNM s version of the news which does not in any way reflect the talk on the street that this arrogant red shirts regime is in big trouble. I’ll take the street version public opinion over the published slants to wage my bet on. I’d like to see the mainstream media run a survey to see who the natives think is the most electable man or woman in the red shirts party, MP’s and private citizens, and including leaving the name of PM Ingraham on the voting list? It might shocked some of the money folks in the party.
Posted 23 April 2012, 8:11 a.m. Suggest removal
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