tribune 242:
TAX attorney Ryan Pinder was ratified last night as the PLP's nominee for the Elizabeth constituency, setting the stage for what will be a hotly contested by-election beginning sometime early next month.
Carrying the PLP's banner up against the FNM's Dr Duane Sands, Mr Pinder beat out a number of other contenders within his own party to gain the nomination for the Elizabeth seat.
At 35 years of age, Mr Pinder was humbled last night to learn that he had gained the nomination, vowing that he would do all he could to bring the seat home to the Progressive Liberal Party and provide the representation that "the people" deserve.
Bahamas Democratic leader Cassius Stuart officially announced his intention to run next week.
January 13, 2010
tribune242
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
FNM hopeful Dr. Duane Sands aims to use Elizabeth as model for new healthcare system
By TANEKA THOMPSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net:
POLITICAL hopeful Dr Duane Sands has a plan to revolutionise the public healthcare system, using the Elizabeth constituency as a model.
Dr Sands, a noted heart and vascular specialist, hopes to decentralise public healthcare by offering services at the Elizabeth Estates' public clinic comparable to those available at Princess Margaret Hospital.
He feels this initiative, if copied throughout the capital, would help to relieve some of the burden from PMH and allow for earlier detection of chronic diseases.
Healthcare, along with community concerns over unemployment, crime, traffic, and infrastructure issues are some areas Dr Sands hopes to address if he is successful in his bid to secure the Free National Movement's nomination for the Elizabeth constituency and wins the area's by-election race.
He said the people of Elizabeth have a myriad of concerns which he feels can be better addressed by a representative who has the weight and support of the Government behind them.
"With someone who is passionate and has the support of the government that many of these things will get done," he told The Tribune yesterday.
"I think we have an opportunity to make Elizabeth the model of healthcare delivery for the country. The model that exists in healthcare is very PMH centred we have to make healthcare community based. Starting from the model of that clinic (with) adjustments of staffing, equipment, (longer) hours of operation, diagnostics and therapeutic facilities now you have the situation where you can move the fight of disease out of PMH and move it into the community.
"And that is going to be the model needed to take healthcare where it needs to go," said Dr Sands, adding he hopes to work alongside Health Minister Dr Hubert Minnis on the initiative if elected.
The PLP won the Elizabeth constituency for two consecutive terms - albeit by a narrow margin in 2007 of just 45 votes - and Dr Sands sees himself as the "underdog" in the looming by-election race.
A virtual newcomer to the political arena, Dr Sands - who currently serves as Chairman of the Bahamas Medical Council, a Director of the Central Bank of the Bahamas and Chief of Surgery at the Princess Margaret Hospital - said his team plans to speak to every voter and "gain their trust".
Yesterday Speaker of the House Alvin Smith, who returned to the capital on Saturday from a conference in India, told The Tribune he had not yet notified Governor General Arthur Hanna in writing of the vacant seat in the House of Assembly.
Last Wednesday former Elizabeth MP Malcolm Adderley resigned from Parliament and the Progressive Liberal Party - setting the stage a by-election which is expected to take place next month.
By law, Mr Smith must instruct the Governor General of the vacancy after which an order will be made to hold a by-election and a date set.
On Sunday, the FNM announced that Dr Sands was unanimously elected by the Elizabeth Constituency Association as its preferred candidate.
Last night he was scheduled to face the scrutiny of the party's Candidates Committee and later the Executive Committee. If successful, Dr Sands is expected to be ratified as the FNM's official Elizabeth candidate on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the PLP is expected to formally ratify its yet unannounced candidate tonight. Attorney Ryan Pinder is rumoured to be the party's pick, although PLP Treasurer Craig Butler is also vying for the nomination.
Last week Bahamas Democratic Leader Cassius Stuart officially announced his intent to run.
January 12, 2010
tribune242
Tribune Staff Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net:
POLITICAL hopeful Dr Duane Sands has a plan to revolutionise the public healthcare system, using the Elizabeth constituency as a model.
Dr Sands, a noted heart and vascular specialist, hopes to decentralise public healthcare by offering services at the Elizabeth Estates' public clinic comparable to those available at Princess Margaret Hospital.
He feels this initiative, if copied throughout the capital, would help to relieve some of the burden from PMH and allow for earlier detection of chronic diseases.
Healthcare, along with community concerns over unemployment, crime, traffic, and infrastructure issues are some areas Dr Sands hopes to address if he is successful in his bid to secure the Free National Movement's nomination for the Elizabeth constituency and wins the area's by-election race.
He said the people of Elizabeth have a myriad of concerns which he feels can be better addressed by a representative who has the weight and support of the Government behind them.
"With someone who is passionate and has the support of the government that many of these things will get done," he told The Tribune yesterday.
"I think we have an opportunity to make Elizabeth the model of healthcare delivery for the country. The model that exists in healthcare is very PMH centred we have to make healthcare community based. Starting from the model of that clinic (with) adjustments of staffing, equipment, (longer) hours of operation, diagnostics and therapeutic facilities now you have the situation where you can move the fight of disease out of PMH and move it into the community.
"And that is going to be the model needed to take healthcare where it needs to go," said Dr Sands, adding he hopes to work alongside Health Minister Dr Hubert Minnis on the initiative if elected.
The PLP won the Elizabeth constituency for two consecutive terms - albeit by a narrow margin in 2007 of just 45 votes - and Dr Sands sees himself as the "underdog" in the looming by-election race.
A virtual newcomer to the political arena, Dr Sands - who currently serves as Chairman of the Bahamas Medical Council, a Director of the Central Bank of the Bahamas and Chief of Surgery at the Princess Margaret Hospital - said his team plans to speak to every voter and "gain their trust".
Yesterday Speaker of the House Alvin Smith, who returned to the capital on Saturday from a conference in India, told The Tribune he had not yet notified Governor General Arthur Hanna in writing of the vacant seat in the House of Assembly.
Last Wednesday former Elizabeth MP Malcolm Adderley resigned from Parliament and the Progressive Liberal Party - setting the stage a by-election which is expected to take place next month.
By law, Mr Smith must instruct the Governor General of the vacancy after which an order will be made to hold a by-election and a date set.
On Sunday, the FNM announced that Dr Sands was unanimously elected by the Elizabeth Constituency Association as its preferred candidate.
Last night he was scheduled to face the scrutiny of the party's Candidates Committee and later the Executive Committee. If successful, Dr Sands is expected to be ratified as the FNM's official Elizabeth candidate on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the PLP is expected to formally ratify its yet unannounced candidate tonight. Attorney Ryan Pinder is rumoured to be the party's pick, although PLP Treasurer Craig Butler is also vying for the nomination.
Last week Bahamas Democratic Leader Cassius Stuart officially announced his intent to run.
January 12, 2010
tribune242
PLP by-election hopeful Ryan Pinder defends his right to dual citizenship
tribune242:
HOPEFUL PLP candidate for the Elizabeth by-election, Ryan Pinder, has defended his right to dual citizenship amid controversy over the right of a Member of Parliament to hold two nationalities.
The Constitution states in Article 48 that no person shall be qualified to be elected as a Member of the House of Assembly who is a citizen of another country having become such a citizen voluntarily, or is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.
But as Mr Pinder is a Bahamian born in Nassau, of a Bahamian father and American mother, he acquired US citizenship at birth automatically, rather than voluntarily, and therefore qualifies to serve as a Bahamian MP according to law.
He and attorney Craig Butler are in the running for the PLP candidacy in the upcoming Elizabeth by-election. The party will announce the chosen candidate tonight.
Mr Pinder maintains he would be an excellent representative for the people of Elizabeth, if selected to run in the area once served by his father Marvin Pinder.
But critics have cast doubt over Mr Pinder's right to serve in the House of Assembly, and a debate has stirred on the Internet attracting around 200 comments on a social networking website.
Web blogger Cammy LeFlage said: "It is not 'fine' to be a dual citizen and be a leader in government because it just begs the question: Whose side are you on? Who do you really represent?
"The Bahamas and the US have a quite cozy relationship but the Bahamas must always look out for itself and its people.
"If he carries dual citizenship, how is this supposed to really work? Answer: It won't."
Voices Bahamian stated: "Whoever is in the House holding US citizenship is in the wrong."
However, others have defended Mr Pinder's position.
Carmichael Business League president Ethric Bowe said: "Google the Bahamian constitution and read it for yourself. Ryan has no impediment. We have racism or ignorance operating here. But look it up to settle this then let's move on to some issues."
The issue was also belittled by website user Misty Albury who asked: "Does holding dual passports make you any less capable of holding a position? My kids hold dual citizenship as well and if someday they want to hold office I would hope it wouldn't matter because of something so little."
Jamaican parliamentary hopeful Daryl Vaz was determined ineligible for election as MP in the country because he held dual citizenship. And Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette's brother Robert 'Bobby' Symonette gave up the American citizenship he had been bestowed by virtue of his mother's nationality when he ran for Parliament in 1949.
However, Mr Pinder clarified how Bahamian law differs from Jamaican legalities and has changed in the 60 years since Mr Symonette ran for office and the Bahamas became independent of British rule.
Attorney Paul Adderley said Mr Pinder's dual citizenship does not disqualify him from running for a position in the House as he said other MPs also hold allegiance to two nations.
He said: "There are some very important people who are like that, so there is nothing in that. It's where he is born; you can't change that. So it's not an issue."
Mr Pinder is a tax and commercial law attorney for Becker & Poliakoff and as a US citizen is required to pay taxes in the US. He also lived in the United States for eight years before returning to Nassau in 2008 to head the firm's Bahamian office.
He said his employment by a US law firm is not an issue as many Bahamians work for foreign companies, particularly in the finance industry.
And his American citizenship does not compromise his rich Bahamian heritage nor his ability to serve the people of Elizabeth.
Mr Pinder said: "I am clearly Bahamian, I was clearly born here of a Bahamian father and based on the Constitution there is no issue of me being able to be a member of the House of Assembly.
"My allegiance is to the Bahamas, I don't feel torn in any way. My legacy in the Bahamas goes back to 1648 and the Eleutheran adventurers. My roots in the Bahamas are deeper than I propose most people in the Bahamas. My allegiance is clearly and unequivocally in the Bahamas as a Bahamian."
"This isn't an issue. There's no violation of the Constitution and it's not an issue that is relevant to the people of Elizabeth.
"If I am the chosen candidate I propose to provide proper representation to the people.
"They have issues such as job stability, economic stability and economic security. We should be discussing the issues pertinent to the people of Elizabeth."
January 12, 2010
tribune242
HOPEFUL PLP candidate for the Elizabeth by-election, Ryan Pinder, has defended his right to dual citizenship amid controversy over the right of a Member of Parliament to hold two nationalities.
The Constitution states in Article 48 that no person shall be qualified to be elected as a Member of the House of Assembly who is a citizen of another country having become such a citizen voluntarily, or is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.
But as Mr Pinder is a Bahamian born in Nassau, of a Bahamian father and American mother, he acquired US citizenship at birth automatically, rather than voluntarily, and therefore qualifies to serve as a Bahamian MP according to law.
He and attorney Craig Butler are in the running for the PLP candidacy in the upcoming Elizabeth by-election. The party will announce the chosen candidate tonight.
Mr Pinder maintains he would be an excellent representative for the people of Elizabeth, if selected to run in the area once served by his father Marvin Pinder.
But critics have cast doubt over Mr Pinder's right to serve in the House of Assembly, and a debate has stirred on the Internet attracting around 200 comments on a social networking website.
Web blogger Cammy LeFlage said: "It is not 'fine' to be a dual citizen and be a leader in government because it just begs the question: Whose side are you on? Who do you really represent?
"The Bahamas and the US have a quite cozy relationship but the Bahamas must always look out for itself and its people.
"If he carries dual citizenship, how is this supposed to really work? Answer: It won't."
Voices Bahamian stated: "Whoever is in the House holding US citizenship is in the wrong."
However, others have defended Mr Pinder's position.
Carmichael Business League president Ethric Bowe said: "Google the Bahamian constitution and read it for yourself. Ryan has no impediment. We have racism or ignorance operating here. But look it up to settle this then let's move on to some issues."
The issue was also belittled by website user Misty Albury who asked: "Does holding dual passports make you any less capable of holding a position? My kids hold dual citizenship as well and if someday they want to hold office I would hope it wouldn't matter because of something so little."
Jamaican parliamentary hopeful Daryl Vaz was determined ineligible for election as MP in the country because he held dual citizenship. And Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette's brother Robert 'Bobby' Symonette gave up the American citizenship he had been bestowed by virtue of his mother's nationality when he ran for Parliament in 1949.
However, Mr Pinder clarified how Bahamian law differs from Jamaican legalities and has changed in the 60 years since Mr Symonette ran for office and the Bahamas became independent of British rule.
Attorney Paul Adderley said Mr Pinder's dual citizenship does not disqualify him from running for a position in the House as he said other MPs also hold allegiance to two nations.
He said: "There are some very important people who are like that, so there is nothing in that. It's where he is born; you can't change that. So it's not an issue."
Mr Pinder is a tax and commercial law attorney for Becker & Poliakoff and as a US citizen is required to pay taxes in the US. He also lived in the United States for eight years before returning to Nassau in 2008 to head the firm's Bahamian office.
He said his employment by a US law firm is not an issue as many Bahamians work for foreign companies, particularly in the finance industry.
And his American citizenship does not compromise his rich Bahamian heritage nor his ability to serve the people of Elizabeth.
Mr Pinder said: "I am clearly Bahamian, I was clearly born here of a Bahamian father and based on the Constitution there is no issue of me being able to be a member of the House of Assembly.
"My allegiance is to the Bahamas, I don't feel torn in any way. My legacy in the Bahamas goes back to 1648 and the Eleutheran adventurers. My roots in the Bahamas are deeper than I propose most people in the Bahamas. My allegiance is clearly and unequivocally in the Bahamas as a Bahamian."
"This isn't an issue. There's no violation of the Constitution and it's not an issue that is relevant to the people of Elizabeth.
"If I am the chosen candidate I propose to provide proper representation to the people.
"They have issues such as job stability, economic stability and economic security. We should be discussing the issues pertinent to the people of Elizabeth."
January 12, 2010
tribune242
Dr. Duane Sands confident of Elizabeth victory
By BRENT DEAN ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ brentldean@nasguard.com:
Proposed Free National Movement candidate Dr. Duane Sands yesterday expressed confidence that he and his party will defeat the Progressive Liberal Party in the upcoming Elizabeth constituency by-election.
"I feel confident that we will win the constituency of Elizabeth notwithstanding the fact this is a PLP constituency now and we are certainly the underdogs," he said in an interview with The Nassau Guardian.
"This is a good position to be in because it's their constituency to lose — and they will lose."
On Sunday, FNM chairman Carl Bethel confirmed that Sands was unanimously voted by the Elizabeth Constituency Association to become the FNM's candidate in the upcoming by-election.
Sands is likely to be confirmed as the FNM's Elizabeth candidate by Thursday.
Last Wednesday, former Elizabeth MP Malcolm Adderley resigned his seat in Parliament, paving the way for a by-election.
"Well, I tell you I'm excited. I'm flattered that they would consider me to be the potential nominee for Elizabeth," said Sands. "And while it is not fait accompli, I'm hoping that each subsequent step is similarly favorable."
On the announcement of Adderley's resignation, the PLP had not yet decided if it would run a candidate in the Elizabeth by-election.
The opposition party questioned the legitimacy of the by-election, accusing the FNM of inducing Adderley's resignation by offering him a post as a Supreme Court judge.
However, the party announced yesterday that it would ratify a candidate later today.
Sands said that he thought "long and hard" about being a candidate, emphasizing that the move was not "whimsical."
"The idea is that I'd like to be able to make a significant incremental difference in the lives of not only the people of Elizabeth, but in the lives of Bahamians," he said.
"And one way to do it is to continue what I've been doing. But I have decided that effort on a different front now is appropriate considering the circumstances that we find ourselves in."
Sands was a vocal critic of the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme as proposed by the last PLP administration. When asked about that opposition, he said he is not opposed to the concept of NHI.
However, he emphasized that he is opposed to the NHI scheme the PLP proposed.
"And quite frankly the plan as I looked at it then, and the plan as I look at it now, could not work," said Sands. "I made it very clear that we had to do some things before that (NHI)."
The FNM initially voted for NHI, although it raised key issues with the plan as it was proposed. Upon coming to office in 2007, the Ingraham administration has continued to be critical of the PLP's proposed health insurance scheme.
The FNM has taken an incremental approach to health care reform since coming to office in 2007. It passed phased National Drug Plan legislation last year.
Sands yesterday pledged to work with the health minister as the government moves forward with its initiatives.
Sands, 47, is Princess Margaret Hospital's chief of surgery.
January 12, 2010
thenassauguardian
Monday, January 11, 2010
New Party To Contest Elizabeth Seat
By IANTHIA SMITH:
Political heavyweights in the Free National Movement (FNM), The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and even the Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM) might all be given a run for their money heading into the Elizabeth constituency by-election, as a candidate from the newly formed United Christian Love Revolution Movement (UCLRM) plans to also contest the seat.
While announcing the launch of the new party on Saturday, leader of the UCLRM attorney Godfrey "Pro" Pinder said the organization will definitely throw a candidate in the ring for the embattled parliamentary seat but he said for now, they are keeping tightlipped about who that person is.
"My movement will be involved in this (by-election)," he said. "And we do have a candidate and the candidate will be announced very soon."
At that press conference over the weekend, Mr. Pinder told members of the media that his movement, as he calls it, is now in campaign mode and is putting all the necessary steps in place to run a successful crusade in the Elizabeth constituency.
He then moved to caution Bahamians who may have already counted them out already and told them not to, as he said members of his movement have already hit the ground running and have already launched their campaign.
"Yes, the candidate has been working in the area and he plans to get his name out there by actually going out and saying hello to the people and telling them, ‘I love you’," Mr. Pinder said. "My campaign is based on teaching people how to relate with each other, how to go back to the village concept when people were so loving with one another that they didn’t have any crime."
Mr. Pinder said too many of the other political entities have shied away from going back to the root of our being and tackling the simple issues of love, respect and consideration for others in trying to build a better Bahamas. He said that is why the UCLRM is coming to change the political game, starting with trying to win the Elizabeth constituency seat.
In a 55-page document outlining the UCLRM’s platform, Mr. Pinder explained that what his movement is really all about is forming "a more perfect political entity in bringing about United Christian Political Movement, based upon agape love form Jesus Christ."
The document added that "the movement" will seek to appeal to Bahamians by firstly appealing to their hearts and minds by delivering messages of hope, restoration and love.
"If we are concerned with loving our neighbors as ourselves, right across the board it reduces crime, politics as we know it will change, colonialism will change and nepotism will change," he said.
Mr. Pinder did not name other members of the UCLRM, claiming that he did not want to count numbers, however, he said the country could be rest assured that there are other notable members of the group who will be announced soon.
He said the UCLRM Elizabeth constituency candidate will be announced sometime this week.
January 11, 2010
jonesbahamas
Political heavyweights in the Free National Movement (FNM), The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and even the Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM) might all be given a run for their money heading into the Elizabeth constituency by-election, as a candidate from the newly formed United Christian Love Revolution Movement (UCLRM) plans to also contest the seat.
While announcing the launch of the new party on Saturday, leader of the UCLRM attorney Godfrey "Pro" Pinder said the organization will definitely throw a candidate in the ring for the embattled parliamentary seat but he said for now, they are keeping tightlipped about who that person is.
"My movement will be involved in this (by-election)," he said. "And we do have a candidate and the candidate will be announced very soon."
At that press conference over the weekend, Mr. Pinder told members of the media that his movement, as he calls it, is now in campaign mode and is putting all the necessary steps in place to run a successful crusade in the Elizabeth constituency.
He then moved to caution Bahamians who may have already counted them out already and told them not to, as he said members of his movement have already hit the ground running and have already launched their campaign.
"Yes, the candidate has been working in the area and he plans to get his name out there by actually going out and saying hello to the people and telling them, ‘I love you’," Mr. Pinder said. "My campaign is based on teaching people how to relate with each other, how to go back to the village concept when people were so loving with one another that they didn’t have any crime."
Mr. Pinder said too many of the other political entities have shied away from going back to the root of our being and tackling the simple issues of love, respect and consideration for others in trying to build a better Bahamas. He said that is why the UCLRM is coming to change the political game, starting with trying to win the Elizabeth constituency seat.
In a 55-page document outlining the UCLRM’s platform, Mr. Pinder explained that what his movement is really all about is forming "a more perfect political entity in bringing about United Christian Political Movement, based upon agape love form Jesus Christ."
The document added that "the movement" will seek to appeal to Bahamians by firstly appealing to their hearts and minds by delivering messages of hope, restoration and love.
"If we are concerned with loving our neighbors as ourselves, right across the board it reduces crime, politics as we know it will change, colonialism will change and nepotism will change," he said.
Mr. Pinder did not name other members of the UCLRM, claiming that he did not want to count numbers, however, he said the country could be rest assured that there are other notable members of the group who will be announced soon.
He said the UCLRM Elizabeth constituency candidate will be announced sometime this week.
January 11, 2010
jonesbahamas
Free National Movement (FNM) names likely man for Elizabeth constituency by-election
By ALISON LOWE
Tribune Staff Reporter
alowe@tribunemedia.net:
THE political field for the upcoming Elizabeth constituency by-election was narrowed over the weekend as the FNM announced its local constituency association has selected Dr Duane Sands as its chosen candidate.
In response, PLP chairman Bradley Roberts said his party is likely to pick either attorneys Ryan Pinder or Craig Butler.
At a press conference yesterday at Free National Movement headquarters on Mackey Street, FNM national chairman Carl Bethel announced that 47-year-old Dr Sands, a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, was unanimously elected by the Elizabeth Constituency Association as its preferred candidate.
Dr Sands tonight faces the scrutiny of the FNM Candidates Committee - essentially the executive of the party - and later its Executive Committee in what Mr Bethel described as the next steps in a "very detailed consultative mechanism" outlined in the party's constitution for selecting candidates in national elections.
The Chairman said that while he would not "presume" the outcome of those consultations, "having regard to what were the most persuasive and carefully thought out views" of the Elizabeth Constituency Association it is quite likely Dr Sands - who currently serves as Chairman of the Bahamas Medical Council, a Director of the Central Bank of the Bahamas and Chief of Surgery at the Princess Margaret Hospital - will be formally ratified as the party's candidate come Thursday.
He emphasised that the selection of Dr Sands thus far "was not an open and closed process or a closed door situation" but a democratic one.
Asked about how important a win in the constituency is for the governing party, Mr Bethel said: "Every constituency is politically very important and to win is also very important."
"Though we are confident of victory we appreciate and value the importance of every individual voter and will not take the concerns of any individual voter for granted. Each voter in Elizabeth can expect their concerns will be individually considered and assessed," he added.
He would not be drawn on the significance of the by-election as a litmus test of likely success in the next general election, stating only that to see it as such would be to take "too opportunistic a view" of the event, which he emphasised was precipitated by the "personal decisions" of Malcolm Adderley, the former PLP party member who resigned his seat last week.
Meanwhile, ending some initial speculation that it may not vye for the seat for fear of wasting resources, the PLP has confirmed that it will be running a candidate in the by-election.
PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts said it is "highly likely" at present that once final consultations are concluded, the Party's National General Council will ratify either attorney and party vice chairman Ryan Pinder - son of former PLP Malcolm Creek representative Marvin Pinder - or party treasurer Craig Butler as its candidate for the upcoming election.
The PLP was out in force in the constituency over the weekend, with numerous parliamentarians and party members doing the rounds.
Speaking at FNM headquarters on Dr Sands nomination by the constituency association, Mr Bethel said Dr Sands was the only person who formally applied to be the party's standard bearer for the area and in the unanimous vote of around 20 constituency association members, three others who had verbally indicated an interest in putting themselves forward as candidates threw their support behind Dr Sands.
Freddy Sands, Chairman of the Elizabeth Constituency Association said that he is confident Dr Sands, who is married with four children, is a man who is "not about prestige ... not about money, (but) is concerned about our country and the way it is headed now."
Mr Bethel said that in choosing an FNM MP for their area, Elizabeth constituents can expect to have their first representative "in nearly a decade who will have an effective voice around the table of governance" given how Mr Adderley, who served as their MP since 2002, was purportedly undermined by PLP party leader Perry Christie.
Mr Bethel said those living in the area can expect to see the governing party "campaigning vigorously, consistently, and as much as is required to have the maximum possible impact and to hear the concerns of every single registered voter in the Elizabeth constituency".
"They can expect an attentive ear and that whatever it is possible for us to improve the condition of all in the Elizabeth constituency we will do," said the Chairman.
Asked what the party has budgeted to spend on its campaign, Mr Bethel said this figure has not yet been settled but it will "cost some good money." He added that any donations towards this effort would be "thankfully received and faithfully applied."
The Chairman encouraged "all eligible voters who are residents of Elizabeth who are not already registered to vote or who may have turned 18 since the last general elections or who may have moved into the constituency more than six months ago to take all the necessary steps to register to vote either at the Parliamenary Commissioner's office during working hours, or at the Thelma Gibson Primary School between the hours of 5pm and 8pm on weekdays."
January 11, 2010
tribune242
Tribune Staff Reporter
alowe@tribunemedia.net:
THE political field for the upcoming Elizabeth constituency by-election was narrowed over the weekend as the FNM announced its local constituency association has selected Dr Duane Sands as its chosen candidate.
In response, PLP chairman Bradley Roberts said his party is likely to pick either attorneys Ryan Pinder or Craig Butler.
At a press conference yesterday at Free National Movement headquarters on Mackey Street, FNM national chairman Carl Bethel announced that 47-year-old Dr Sands, a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, was unanimously elected by the Elizabeth Constituency Association as its preferred candidate.
Dr Sands tonight faces the scrutiny of the FNM Candidates Committee - essentially the executive of the party - and later its Executive Committee in what Mr Bethel described as the next steps in a "very detailed consultative mechanism" outlined in the party's constitution for selecting candidates in national elections.
The Chairman said that while he would not "presume" the outcome of those consultations, "having regard to what were the most persuasive and carefully thought out views" of the Elizabeth Constituency Association it is quite likely Dr Sands - who currently serves as Chairman of the Bahamas Medical Council, a Director of the Central Bank of the Bahamas and Chief of Surgery at the Princess Margaret Hospital - will be formally ratified as the party's candidate come Thursday.
He emphasised that the selection of Dr Sands thus far "was not an open and closed process or a closed door situation" but a democratic one.
Asked about how important a win in the constituency is for the governing party, Mr Bethel said: "Every constituency is politically very important and to win is also very important."
"Though we are confident of victory we appreciate and value the importance of every individual voter and will not take the concerns of any individual voter for granted. Each voter in Elizabeth can expect their concerns will be individually considered and assessed," he added.
He would not be drawn on the significance of the by-election as a litmus test of likely success in the next general election, stating only that to see it as such would be to take "too opportunistic a view" of the event, which he emphasised was precipitated by the "personal decisions" of Malcolm Adderley, the former PLP party member who resigned his seat last week.
Meanwhile, ending some initial speculation that it may not vye for the seat for fear of wasting resources, the PLP has confirmed that it will be running a candidate in the by-election.
PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts said it is "highly likely" at present that once final consultations are concluded, the Party's National General Council will ratify either attorney and party vice chairman Ryan Pinder - son of former PLP Malcolm Creek representative Marvin Pinder - or party treasurer Craig Butler as its candidate for the upcoming election.
The PLP was out in force in the constituency over the weekend, with numerous parliamentarians and party members doing the rounds.
Speaking at FNM headquarters on Dr Sands nomination by the constituency association, Mr Bethel said Dr Sands was the only person who formally applied to be the party's standard bearer for the area and in the unanimous vote of around 20 constituency association members, three others who had verbally indicated an interest in putting themselves forward as candidates threw their support behind Dr Sands.
Freddy Sands, Chairman of the Elizabeth Constituency Association said that he is confident Dr Sands, who is married with four children, is a man who is "not about prestige ... not about money, (but) is concerned about our country and the way it is headed now."
Mr Bethel said that in choosing an FNM MP for their area, Elizabeth constituents can expect to have their first representative "in nearly a decade who will have an effective voice around the table of governance" given how Mr Adderley, who served as their MP since 2002, was purportedly undermined by PLP party leader Perry Christie.
Mr Bethel said those living in the area can expect to see the governing party "campaigning vigorously, consistently, and as much as is required to have the maximum possible impact and to hear the concerns of every single registered voter in the Elizabeth constituency".
"They can expect an attentive ear and that whatever it is possible for us to improve the condition of all in the Elizabeth constituency we will do," said the Chairman.
Asked what the party has budgeted to spend on its campaign, Mr Bethel said this figure has not yet been settled but it will "cost some good money." He added that any donations towards this effort would be "thankfully received and faithfully applied."
The Chairman encouraged "all eligible voters who are residents of Elizabeth who are not already registered to vote or who may have turned 18 since the last general elections or who may have moved into the constituency more than six months ago to take all the necessary steps to register to vote either at the Parliamenary Commissioner's office during working hours, or at the Thelma Gibson Primary School between the hours of 5pm and 8pm on weekdays."
January 11, 2010
tribune242
Saturday, January 9, 2010
PLP Deputy Leader Philip "Brave" Davis claims Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham's appointing of political figures to bench undermining crime fight
By ALISON LOWE
Tribune Staff Reporter
alowe@tribunemedia.net:
PLP Deputy Leader Philip "Brave" Davis yesterday claimed the appointment of political figures to the judicial bench by the Prime Minister is undermining the fight against crime.
Essentially accusing Hubert Ingraham of master-minding the resignation of Malcolm Adderley from the PLP and politics this week, Mr Davis accused Mr Ingraham of playing political games with the country when there are more pressing matters like crime and unemployment that he should be addressing and called on Elizabeth constituents to use the upcoming by-election to "send a message" to the Prime Minister and the FNM that "enough is enough."
Mr Davis said: "Hubert Ingraham just this week spoke about new crime fighting initiatives. We need a new direction. Yet the man talking one thing and doing another! In order for the fight against crime to be effective there must be a well oiled, functioning and Independent judiciary! Since returning to power Hubert Ingraham has engaged in the most blatant politicisation of the judiciary!
"In the last 12 months he seen to it that at least two judges appointed to sit on the Bench of the Supreme Court came directly out of the belly of the FNM. At the same time he has done all in his power to rid the courts of any judge who he even dreams may have voted PLP at least once before!
"We have judge after judge after judge who due to political affiliation has to excuse themselves from hearing certain cases. How does this address the back log in our courts? It doesn't!" said Mr Davis.
Mr Davis made his charge as he addressed a PLP Rally at Doris Johnson High School in the Elizabeth constituency in the wake of Malcolm Adderley's resignation from the PLP and as MP for the area.
Speaking as he announced his resignation as the Elizabeth MP on Tuesday in parliament, Mr Adderley blamed his decision on his deteriorating relationship with PLP party leader, Perry Christie, throughout his seven and a half years as an MP.
He suggested Mr Christie's poor leadership and behind-the-scenes efforts to undermine him as a representative had left him with the belief that Elizabeth constituents "deserve better." Mr Adderley is rumoured to soon be set to take up an appointment as a Supreme Court judge, on the recommendation of Mr Ingraham.
Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP, Mr Davis, proposed that the move was orchestrated to look like it was about dissatisfaction with PLP leader Perry Christie when in fact it is an attempt to get Bahamians to "forget the misery they are experiencing daily" under his government's leadership
Mr Davis charged that it is irresponsible to precipitate a costly by-election when government revenue is down and people are suffering in bad economic times.
"People are hungry! Lights are off! Some of our schools are like war zones! People are in pain! And yet this Government can only find money when it is time to play political games and pursue selfish agendas!" said Mr Davis.
"They think you are blind! They think that you cannot see what they are doing! They think you cannot see the games!" he added.
While the PLP has yet to announce who its candidate will be in the by-election, or to specifically confirm if it will nominate a candidate to contest the seat under its party's banner, Mr Davis told those at the meeting that the party is "ready".
"Stand strong and brave with the Progressive Liberal Party!" he added.
Mr Davis told The Tribune on Thursday that he firmly believes the party should contest the seat, although other senior party members are said to be unsure.
No date has yet been publicly announced for the election to take place however it is expected to occur sometime in February.
The Bahamas Democratic Party is the only political party to so far officially declare that it will be contesting the seat, with party president Cassius Stuart the intended torchbearer. President of the Bahamas Medical Council Dr Duane Sands is rumoured to be the FNM's preferred candidate for the area, although this has not been confirmed.
January 09, 2010
tribune242
Tribune Staff Reporter
alowe@tribunemedia.net:
PLP Deputy Leader Philip "Brave" Davis yesterday claimed the appointment of political figures to the judicial bench by the Prime Minister is undermining the fight against crime.
Essentially accusing Hubert Ingraham of master-minding the resignation of Malcolm Adderley from the PLP and politics this week, Mr Davis accused Mr Ingraham of playing political games with the country when there are more pressing matters like crime and unemployment that he should be addressing and called on Elizabeth constituents to use the upcoming by-election to "send a message" to the Prime Minister and the FNM that "enough is enough."
Mr Davis said: "Hubert Ingraham just this week spoke about new crime fighting initiatives. We need a new direction. Yet the man talking one thing and doing another! In order for the fight against crime to be effective there must be a well oiled, functioning and Independent judiciary! Since returning to power Hubert Ingraham has engaged in the most blatant politicisation of the judiciary!
"In the last 12 months he seen to it that at least two judges appointed to sit on the Bench of the Supreme Court came directly out of the belly of the FNM. At the same time he has done all in his power to rid the courts of any judge who he even dreams may have voted PLP at least once before!
"We have judge after judge after judge who due to political affiliation has to excuse themselves from hearing certain cases. How does this address the back log in our courts? It doesn't!" said Mr Davis.
Mr Davis made his charge as he addressed a PLP Rally at Doris Johnson High School in the Elizabeth constituency in the wake of Malcolm Adderley's resignation from the PLP and as MP for the area.
Speaking as he announced his resignation as the Elizabeth MP on Tuesday in parliament, Mr Adderley blamed his decision on his deteriorating relationship with PLP party leader, Perry Christie, throughout his seven and a half years as an MP.
He suggested Mr Christie's poor leadership and behind-the-scenes efforts to undermine him as a representative had left him with the belief that Elizabeth constituents "deserve better." Mr Adderley is rumoured to soon be set to take up an appointment as a Supreme Court judge, on the recommendation of Mr Ingraham.
Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP, Mr Davis, proposed that the move was orchestrated to look like it was about dissatisfaction with PLP leader Perry Christie when in fact it is an attempt to get Bahamians to "forget the misery they are experiencing daily" under his government's leadership
Mr Davis charged that it is irresponsible to precipitate a costly by-election when government revenue is down and people are suffering in bad economic times.
"People are hungry! Lights are off! Some of our schools are like war zones! People are in pain! And yet this Government can only find money when it is time to play political games and pursue selfish agendas!" said Mr Davis.
"They think you are blind! They think that you cannot see what they are doing! They think you cannot see the games!" he added.
While the PLP has yet to announce who its candidate will be in the by-election, or to specifically confirm if it will nominate a candidate to contest the seat under its party's banner, Mr Davis told those at the meeting that the party is "ready".
"Stand strong and brave with the Progressive Liberal Party!" he added.
Mr Davis told The Tribune on Thursday that he firmly believes the party should contest the seat, although other senior party members are said to be unsure.
No date has yet been publicly announced for the election to take place however it is expected to occur sometime in February.
The Bahamas Democratic Party is the only political party to so far officially declare that it will be contesting the seat, with party president Cassius Stuart the intended torchbearer. President of the Bahamas Medical Council Dr Duane Sands is rumoured to be the FNM's preferred candidate for the area, although this has not been confirmed.
January 09, 2010
tribune242
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)