THE 2012 election was the most important vote in the history of an independent Bahamas, according to PLP chairman Bradley Roberts.

Speaking at the a thanksgiving service for the new governing party at the Zion Yamacraw Baptist Church yesterday, Mr Roberts thanked the public for expressing their will peacefully and respectfully on May 7.

He said: "This was the most important general election since 1967 because there was so much at stake. The silent majority galvanised themselves behind the policy proposals of the PLP because the Bahamian people clearly felt that the policies of the FNM were not in their best interest and relegated them to second class citizens."

Mr Roberts said he and his colleagues "humbly accept" the vote of confidence the public gave them "as a decisive mandate to put Bahamians first and to invest in our people".

Now the campaigning is over, he said, there must be "national healing and unity".

Mr Roberts said: "I ask all to pray for our country as we fight the scourge of crime and social degradation for we know that only God can heal, not man. I ask that we put away our political swords, spears, darts and arrows and pick up our shears, spades and shovels as we turn our collective attention to nation building through good governance and participatory democracy."

He said the PLP is committed to continuing the vision of Prime Minister Perry Christie and intends, through prudent governance, to promote economic empowerment, social justice, strong values and respect for the rule of law.

Mr Roberts said: "We are committed to this vision and to that of creating a fair and just society where all hardworking Bahamians have an equal opportunity to share in our national resources and the creation of wealth."

He said the PLP will immediately initiate its 100-day plan as articulated in the party's Charter for Governance.

"We will launch key elements of Project Safe Bahamas and Operation Cease Fire including Urban Renewal 2.0. We will begin the doubling of the nation's investment in education and training. In conjunction with the private sector, we will institute our mortgage relief plan.

"We will secure our nation's borders to protect our fishing grounds for Bahamians and to eliminate illegal poaching, illegal immigration, human smuggling and contraband and weapons smuggling," he said.

Mr Roberts said the new government will renew the nation's commitment to National Health Insurance and acquire badly needed cancer screening technology.

He added: "For the present time there are no more gold, red and green - only Bahamians and one Bahamas.

"The Progressive Liberal Party is committed to governing for all Bahamians. On a personal note, I wish to point out that the last two times the PLP came to office, I was the sitting chairman.

"When I won the chairmanship of the PLP in 2009, I said then that I came out of retirement to remove the FNM from office and to retire Hubert Ingraham. I will say no more and let history be the judge."