By Candia Dames ~ Guardian News Editor candia@nasguard.com:
Revisiting a theme he has used often in recent weeks, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham last night painted the Progressive Liberal Party as a "confused bunch, more disunited now than when they were last in office." Addressing the Free National Movement's first rally ahead of the February 16 by-election, Ingraham said with the loss of yet another MP — Malcolm Adderley — there has been so much confusion among the PLP that "they seek to confuse you with who is responsible for their former MP's exit from a divided and delusional party."
"Anyway, that's a conversation between the former MP and them," Ingraham said. "It's not our business to clean up their confusion."
He said when the PLP was in office, it proved to be a government of "national disunity, unsteady, unproductive and untrustworthy."
"They failed the test of good governance," he charged. "They will fail again given the opportunity.
"I believe that even many of their supporters are relieved that Hubert Ingraham and the FNM are in office during these tough and challenging times. They are relieved that things are getting done and that there are steady and safer hands at the helm. If you want to know Perry Christie's position on an issue, check the weather and see which way the wind is blowing. If the wind keeps shifting, so will he."
Ingraham said that while in office, the PLP accomplished very little, and out of office its members propose few sensible or workable solutions.
"They lack vision and unity. They lack a steady hand or clear vision for Elizabeth or the country," he said.
The Elizabeth seat became available earlier this month when Adderley resigned from the House of Assembly expressing his disillusionment with the leadership of the PLP. He also resigned from the party.
His resignation has thrust the country into election mode. In Elizabeth, trees and lamp poles are plastered with posters of the leaders of the two major political parties and the candidates in the race. This comes at the halfway mark of the Ingraham administration's third non-consecutive term in office.
"Since 2007, the FNM has provided more hope and help in difficult times, in half the time, than the PLP provided in good times in five years for both Elizabeth and The Bahamas," Ingraham said last night.
"In just two and a half years, under the most trying economic times in recent memory, your FNM government has delivered for you..."
But he said there is much more to do.
"Because no man is an island and no constituency stands alone in our family of islands, we are asking the voters of Elizabeth to help us to add to the halls of Parliament and our national team someone who, like your FNM government, has steady hands — yes, trusted hands — and a clear vision," said the prime minister, referring to Dr. Duane Sands.
"Because prevention is better than cure, we are offering Elizabeth someone who can help us to prevent those in opposition to us from once again dragging the country through another round of hopeless and helpless governance and scandal and shame at home and abroad."
Friday January 29, 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.