By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE Democratic National Alliance formally introduced two more candidates as part of its 2017 general election slate during a news conference at the party’s East Street South headquarters yesterday.

Youri Kemp, a financial services consultant, and Stephen Greenslade, founder and owner of ICS Security Concepts, were announced as the candidates for the Garden Hills and Golden Isles constituencies respectively.

Christopher Mortimer, DNA deputy leader, called the selections two “shinning examples” of successful Bahamians willing to “work tirelessly to improve society”.

DNA Leader Branville McCartney said the party is working to build a strong talent base that is capable of “running this country”.

Mr Kemp is stepping away from a lengthy consultancy career in which he worked directly with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Financial Services, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank, among others.

He was named as the party’s spokesperson for the economy.

He told The Tribune that once elected, he and the DNA will commit to creating new jobs by growing industries and expanding investments.

“It’s plain to see that there is a trust-factor with regard to spurring investments in The Bahamas,” he said. “Persons need to feel like they are going to be treated fairly, their investments are going to be treated fairly and they need to feel as if, when they are going to put their applications in for any kind of industry encouragement, any kind of Crown land or any kind of approval that they are going to have a yes or no vote within a certain amount of time.”

“I don’t think that the way we have done business over the past several years between (the Progressive Liberal Party and the Free National Movement) that they can engender that kind of trust because that is not who they are. They believe in doing business a certain way and we need a change in our administration and investment regime that is going to give investors of all stripes the kind of trust and the kind of transparency and the kind of decency (they deserve and we need).”

In addition to his plans for the country’s economy, Mr Kemp laid out plans for Garden Hills - the community he said he would win by the biggest margin in the upcoming general election.

He said he has walked the streets of the constituency and interacted with residents of the area who gave indications that the failed approaches by the FNM and PLP had ruined the “opportunities available in The Bahamas”.

Mr Greenslade has been tasked with handling the DNA’s national security portfolio.

Prior to transitioning to a successful business career through his ICS Security Concepts operation, which oversees the government’s electronic monitoring programme, he served as an officer with the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

He told reporters that he made the decision to enter frontline politics after concluding that it was the best way to affect necessary change in The Bahamas.

The party was initially expected to name five candidates on Monday.

Still, Mr McCartney insisted that more surprises were on the horizon for the party and its supporters as the DNA continues its search for qualified and trusted candidates.

Mr McCartney said the DNA is the best option in the upcoming election despite the claims of naysayers. He implored Bahamians to see “the reality” of where the FNM and PLP have left The Bahamas.

Excluding Mr McCartney and Mr Mortimer - who are expected to challenge Bamboo Town and Nassau Village respectively - the DNA has now confirmed six candidates for the next election.

In late February, the DNA announced that Podestra Moore would be the party’s standard-bearer in Elizabeth and spokesperson for social services and women’s affairs. Emily Williams was ratified for Marathon and named spokesperson for culture.

Additionally, Bushceme Armbrister was introduced as the candidate in Carmichael and party spokesperson for transport, while Brenda Harris was ratified as the DNA’s candidate for Bain and Grants Town and named spokesperson for financial services.