By KRYSTEL ROLLE ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ krystel@nasguard.com:
The by-election for the Elizabeth constituency will be held on Tuesday, February 16, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham announced yesterday.
Speaking in the House of Assembly, Ingraham said the writ for the election will be issued today and nomination day will be Friday, January 29.
"We will come back to Parliament on the 24th day of February, 2010 to swear in a new member," he advised.
The Elizabeth seat became vacant when Progressive Liberal Party MP Malcolm Adderley resigned from the House of Assembly on January 6. He also resigned from the PLP.
Tax attorney Ryan Pinder is running on the PLP's ticket, while Dr. Duane Sands is the Free National Movement (FNM) candidate.
Following Ingraham's announcement yesterday, PLP leader Perry Christie expressed confidence in the opposition party's chances of winning the seat.
"I believe that I have offered an extremely talented and gifted young man in the person of Ryan Pinder," Christie told reporters outside the House of Assembly.
"I believe also that Ryan Pinder will prove to be a good representative if he is elected. So we are very confident on the basis of what we have seen in Elizabeth that this is the seat that we can win. We are going to be very, very aggressive in our campaigning in ensuring that people are able to resist the normal temptations and inducements that are given in a by-election and the pressure of the government when it brings it to bear in a by-election and that's what I spoke of last year."
Both major political parties have already jumped into election mode.
The PLP has held two rallies already in Elizabeth and both parties have started newspaper advertisement and radio commercials.
Christie admitted that the party would be challenged by the FNM.
"A by-election brings in special considerations where a government is able to move in, bring its entire government in and bring in a lot of pressure. We are ready for it and we will resist it and that's why I said, 'no retreat, no surrender.' I feel very, very confident about our chances in the Elizabeth constituency. I believe the people will give our candidate a fair chance."
Ingraham, who is the leader of the FNM, said the party should be the clear choice for Elizabeth constituents. However, he added that he isn't overly confident of the win.
"You're never confident in an election; it is determined by the people who vote. People don't like presumptuousness or arrogance. We are appealing to them to support us because we think we are the better of the two parties to represent them."
Ingraham added that the people of Elizabeth know who he is and who he represents.
"I'm reasonably comfortable that the people of Elizabeth would be responsive to our candidate. We think he is a very good candidate who has some hands that can be trusted," the prime minister said.
The FNM will hold four rallies in that constituency leading up to the by-election, Ingraham said.
Several other people have voiced their intention to run in the by-election.
Workers Party leader Rodney Moncur, United Christian Love Revolution Movement leader Godfrey 'Pro' Pinder, and Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM) leader Cassius Stuart have confirmed that they will contest the seat.
Christie said he believes the election will define the tone for the general election whenever the prime minister calls it.
January 21, 2010
thenassauguardian
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.