By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

BRANVILLE McCartney has called on Bahamians to "do the right thing" and vote the Christie administration out of office as he compared the PLP's "abuse" of the Bahamian people during its current term in office to that of a "battered wife". 

The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) leader also "welcomed" the notion of an early election, saying that the longer the Progressive Liberal Party's reign continues "the worse it becomes for the Bahamas".

"We're being abused by the PLP right now," Mr McCartney said. "Look at where we are as a country. I can almost equate it to a battered wife. We've been abused over and repeatedly, beaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The husband saying after I hit the wife, 'I love you honey, forgive me'.

"Well, that's like the Bahamian people and the PLP and FNM. 'We can abuse you, we don't have to account to you, we'll spend your money, we'll cause your (standard) of living to be decreased. But I love you, give me an opportunity to do it again.' 

"And it will be sad if the Bahamian people at the end of the day said 'yes darling, beat me some more, because I love beating, I love bad treatment'."

Mr McCartney said his party welcomed an early election being called. "We are moving and preparing for the next election. We've been preparing for many years now for the next election, but if the Prime Minister wants to call an early election we certainly welcome it, because the longer this foolishness goes on the worse it becomes for the Bahamas. 

"So we welcome putting to the Bahamian people another slate of candidates. We look forward to it. The earlier the better; the Bahamas can't take much more of this foolishness."

In December, the Free National Movement called on Prime Minister Perry Christie to "submit to the will of the people" and call an early election, insisting that the "ineffective and visionless" leadership of the government has led to the deterioration of the Bahamian society. 

In a statement, the FNM said the country is "rapidly descending into hopelessness and despair as a result of the lacklustre decisions made by Mr Christie and members of his Cabinet". 

At the time, the FNM noted that scores of Bahamians are either unemployed, living in fear of violent crimes or suffering from the imposition of Value Added Tax, all while the nation's leader floats around with no sense of direction or purpose.