THE Free National Movement has accused the Progressive Liberal Party of launching a “vicious and disgraceful attack” on Patricia Minnis amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As Bahamians and the entire world continue to fight the deadly coronavirus, the woeful PLP has decided it’s time to get back to politics and in doing so launched a relentless barrage of partisan attacks every day,” the FNM said in a press release. “Their latest is a vicious and disgraceful attack on the prime minister’s wife. All Bahamians should condemn the PLP for conceiving of and attacking the wife of the country’s leader at a time of national crisis. Despite making multiple commitments to working in unison with the government, the PLP has done nothing but sought to make political opportunity out of a serious crisis that has taken lives.

“Besides making contradictory statements as the FNM government works to unite the country in this deadly struggle, the woeful PLP under the old and tired Philip Brave Davis has sunk to new lows, such as the attack on the prime minister’s wife. Mrs Minnis has dedicated herself to assisting families. The difference between Mrs Minnis and Davis and his leadership team is she doesn’t feel the need to seek the spotlight for helping others.

“Sadly, in these troubling times the woeful PLP under Davis still values headlines over real work, and scoring political points over solutions. From first questioning the efforts to fight the coronavirus, to then saying efforts weren’t aggressive enough, and now back to criticising quarantine efforts, the PLP’s constantly shifting stances would give Bahamians whiplash if they paid Davis much attention. The PLP leader demonstrates each day that he should never be prime minister of The Bahamas.”

The FNM’s statement came days after PLP Vice-Chairman Holly Pearce accused the Office of the Spouse of being inactive during this crisis.

Ms Pearce’s statement said in part: “To date, the Office of the Spouse has not released a statement in support of the efforts of those on the frontline; to date, the Office of the Spouse has not committed any portion of the annual budget to assist, subsidize, or relieve the burden on the Ministry of Social Services. Women across the nation wonder where is that voice that advocated so greatly in 2017? Where is that rising female champion that encouraged women to ‘speak to the issues that we face in our country?’ What assistance is the Office of the Spouse offering to the children of so many single mothers who struggle?”

The Office of the Spouse of the Prime Minister was created in 2018 to advance the agenda of Bahamian women and girls. Mrs Minnis’ post is unpaid and she has a small clerical staff. The office operates out of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.