By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Democratic National Alliance yesterday offered a harsh assessment of the Christie administration’s performance in the three years since it has been elected to govern.

The Progressive Liberal Party’s third anniversary was last week Thursday. As he examined those three years in office, DNA leader Branville McCartney said in a press statement that the government has failed to fulfil its promises and has instead been mired in scandal.

“Despite its many campaign promises, the past three years of PLP governance has done nothing to move the country forward,” he said.

“Instead, the (prime minister) and his Cabinet have dismissed opportunities to empower the people of this country opting instead to seek the input of foreign consultants above the expertise which exists locally.

“Repeated instances of reckless and wasteful spending – including millions spent on lavish trips for large government delegations – has only further widened the country’s national debt and led to the increased tax burden with which Bahamians now contend.”

Mr McCartney said Prime Minister Perry Christie lacks focus and vision for the country as seen in the government’s failure to meet “self-imposed deadlines for matters of policy such as freedom of information (legislation), energy reform and environmental legislation”.

Mr McCartney accused Mr Christie of being more concerned about his own legacy than with being an effective manager of the country’s affairs.

“Rather than delivering the accountable and transparent governance which it promised, this Christie led administration has found itself mired down (in) political scandal, flouting the rule of law at every turn in a bid to protect their personal interests and agendas.

“Before the dust settles on one set of allegations, new scandals are unearthed. Early on in this term in office, the country was rocked by the allegations that millions of dollars in public funds had been misappropriated at the National Insurance Board. One forensic audit, millions of dollars and two years later though, no criminal charges have been filed against any of the individuals allegedly involved.

“Similar investigations were launched back in 2013 into missing funds within the Department of Road Traffic. Unfortunately, this government has provided no concrete answers about that matter either.

“Even more shocking still was the loss of $10m in prescription drugs from the Public Hospital’s Authority which resulted in up to three separate forensic audits all of which occurred at the expense of the public purse, but which resulted in no arrests or criminal charges.”

Mr McCartney, arguing that the government has sometimes failed to put in place proper checks and balances to protect taxpayer funds, pointed to recent controversies like questionable spending within the Urban Renewal Small Home Repairs programme.

“Equally troubling has been the attitude of government ministers,” he said, “which has ranged from outright arrogance to defensiveness – in the face of such damning evidence against them. This government has, as a whole displayed a lack of respect for the electorate as evidenced by the disregard shown for the gaming referendum results and most recently the handling of the Rubis gas leak.”