By Candia Dames
Guardian News Editor
candia@nasguard.com
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham’s recent comments on Bamboo Town and Democratic National Alliance (DNA) leader Branville McCartney last week might have been a sure sign that election season is heating up.
At a recent reception at Workers House for DNA candidate Alfred Poitier — the DNA’s candidate for Kennedy — McCartney called Ingraham a bully and Progressive Liberal Party leader Perry Christie a wimp.
“I don’t want my children to watch my prime minister any more,” McCartney told DNA supporters.
“Can you imagine? Shame on you, prime minister. The game is over.”
Speaking in the House of Assembly last week, Ingraham said McCartney was not in his or Christie’s league and that if the Free National Movement does not win Bamboo Town then the Progressive Liberal Party would.
Ingraham also said that when he was a young MP, he was arrogant and had hard mouth, but was able to back up everything he told then Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling about taking on the Progressive Liberal Party.
At his political meeting, McCartney said, “At the end of the day he talks about backing up. He called Mr. Pindling out and said this and said that. But I don’t care what he said to Mr. Pindling 20 odd years ago.
“...He could not back up the crime problem, reduce the crime problem, he could not back up the illegal immigration problem and he could not back up what we have with this economy today.
“He has no answers. He is void of answer. He could not back up at the end of the day our broken education system. He could not back up the issues. He could back up his mouth.
“All he is is a big bully and Mr. Perry Christie sat back and took it like a little wimp.”
McCartney has previously suggested that he might not run in Bamboo Town, a seat he won as an FNM candidate in 2007.
He said last week that the good thing about being leader of the DNA is he could decide which constituency he runs in.
The PLP did not contest the Bamboo Town seat in 2002 or 2007, but will be running Renward Wells in that constituency in the next general election. Wells is a former executive of the National Development Party.
Former Bahamas Democratic Movement leader Cassius Stuart is expected to be the FNM’s candidate for Bamboo Town.
Ingraham has suggested that McCartney would be competing in his league with those two candidates as his competitors.
The prime minister also referred to Bamboo Town as “my things” and said McCartney was not going anywhere with it.
Oct 17, 2011
thenassauguardian