By Juan Mccartney ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ juan@nasguard.com:
Two of the five men vying for the Elizabeth seat in the February 16 by-election are millionaires, while one is in arrears with at least two government agencies, according to their declarations of assets that were gazetted in yesterday's edition of The Nassau Guardian.
The wealthiest of the five candidates running is Dr. Duane Sands, who is running on the Free National Movement ticket. Dr. Sands, a heart surgeon who is chief of surgery at the Princess Margaret Hospital, declared a net worth of $6.785 million.
Dr. Sands reportedly earns $455,000 per year and has extensive real estate holdings, as well as more than $3 million in equity in his medical practice.
The second wealthiest man on the list of candidates is Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM) leader and business consultant Cassius Stuart. His net worth is listed at around $1.16 million dollars.
Stuart claimed to have more than $500,000 in real estate holdings, and about the same in the cash value of his life insurance policy. Stuart claimed an annual income of about $140,000.
Not too far behind Stuart is Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) candidate and tax attorney Ryan Pinder.
The 34-year-old's net worth is listed at just under $750,000.
Pinder, who claimed to bring in $220,000 per year, has about $900,000 in real estate holdings, but claimed mortgages on those holdings in excess of $725,000.
National Development Party (NDP) candidate and orthodontist Dr. Andre Rollins claimed a net worth of about $142,000.
That amount should put Rollins at the bottom of the list.
However, Rollins claimed nearly $1 million in assets, but it appears that hefty mortgages are affecting his bottom line.
Rollins claimed that he brings in about $80,000 a year.
Workers party leader and taxi driver Rodney Moncur, whose net worth is reportedly $152,000, should actually place him fourth on the list.
But Moncur's assets are nowhere near those of the other candidates.
In terms of income, Moncur claimed that he brings in about $615 per year.
And unlike his counterparts, Moncur also listed the individual value of his personal property.
Among that property is a dictionary he claims is worth five hundred dollars, as well as assorted fruit trees valued at $386 dollars. Moncur also claims to be in arrears with the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation and the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) to the tune of $1,200 each.
Parliamentary Commissioner Errol Bethel said the asset declarations are necessary so as to ensure that nominees who are participating in the race disclose everything about their financial lives to the public.
"We want to make sure that the nominees who are running are people who we can look up to as honorable persons," Bethel said yesterday. "And they are required by law to make a declaration as to what their assets are when they nominate for Parliament. The important thing is that people should be honest with these declarations. That's the most important thing."
Bethel admitted yesterday that the system of disclosure is not foolproof. He said there is no mechanism in place for the Parliamentary Registration Department to find out if a person is bankrupt, which would automatically disqualify them from being a member of Parliament.
"Nobody is bankrupt as far as we're concerned," he said. "Unless the person has actually been declared bankrupt. So when the person presents himself to us, the requirement of the law is that he presents certain documents and once those documents are in order and he presents the nomination fee ($400), then he is accepted as a candidate. And once the returning officer accepts these documents, then the person stands nominated as a candidate for the election."
As far as the validity of the declaration is concerned, Bethel said, "We don't do anything to verify that."
"There is a commission of public disclosure and if anybody is to check into that, it would be that body," he said. "But definitely not us."
February 2, 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.
Showing posts with label Elizabeth constituency by-election. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elizabeth constituency by-election. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Bahamas: Elizabeth by-election candidates
DR DUANE SANDS
FREE NATIONAL MOVEMENT
FOR the next 19 days the FNM candidate in the Elizabeth by-election plans to canvas the constituency to convince voters that he is the best man for the job.
In the meantime, Dr Duane Sands told The Tribune, the FNM "has a lot more work to do" to weed out ineligible voters who may be able to vote in the by-election although they no longer live in the area.
On the campaign trail, Dr Sands said he has been surprised by how many Bahamians are barely making ends meet. He has also been put off by a small number of greedy voters who demand money or goods in return for their support.
Dr Sands said the topmost concern of constituents -- aside from crime and unemployment -- is fair and accountable representation.
He said his time in the area revealed that many constituents have low expectations from a representative, something he feels is due to the representation the constituency had over the past six years.
"We're going to go out and talk to every single registered voter that we can get to and hear what their concerns are," Dr Sands said, ahead of the FNM's rally last night and nomination day today.
"Our strategy is to demonstrate to people that the FNM and Duane Sands would be a much better alternative and that we could offer better governance."
"(Voters') expectations have been diminished in part because they've been let down. Many of the constituents are not demanding a pound of flesh. They have a reasonable expectation that their concerns are listened to, and want accountability, availability, and access to government," he said.
His party is also still focusing on limiting possible ballot tainting due to a loophole in the voter registry which may allow residents who no longer live in the Elizabeth constituency to vote.
"Even the Registrar General has alluded to the fact that this is a huge challenge even for them and we are obviously trying to make sure that there is a proper correlation between the register and what we find on the ground. I expect that as we get closer to February 16 we would have made some headway in identifying some of the people who ought not be eligible, but I doubt that it's going to be perfect," he said.
Campaigning in Elizabeth, Dr Sands, a noted heart surgeon, said he has been struck by how many Bahamians have to endure financial hardship.
"While I happen to see people at their worst in the hospital, Bahamians are really struggling, and as you enter their homes and see them as they are it (adds to) the immediate need of restoring hope," he said.
The Elizabeth seat was held by Malcolm Adderley, who resigned from Parliament and the PLP last month. Although the PLP won the constituency two terms in a row, their last win was a narrow one of only 45 votes over the FNM.
More than 4,000 voters are expected to cast their votes in the by-election on February 16.
RYAN PINDER
PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL PARTY
Mr Pinder said the response to the "hectic and fast" campaign the PLP has so far mounted ahead of the February 16 by-election has been "extremely positive".
The tax attorney said he will move in a motorcade with PLP supporters and leaders from the party's Elizabeth Headquarters at around 9.30am tomorrow, making it to Thelma Gibson Primary School by around 10.30am to nominate.
"It's very encouraging. I'm in the area every day meeting with residents. I've certainly been able to speak with a lot of the constituents and the response has been very positive and encouraging," he said.
"We had a mass rally (Wednesday) night, thousands and thousands of people were there. At the opening of the Prince Charles (party) headquarters we had in excess of 1,000 people show up. The energy level in the area is very high."
He added: "Elizabeth's concerns revolve around the difficulty with the Bahamian economic situation, there's a high level of unemployment in Elizabeth just like throughout country. There's a real concern that there's not an opportunity to succeed in business and there's a real entrepreneurial spirit but many feel they don't have the right opportunities and programmes and platforms to succeed. They are also concerned about the crime rate in the country and particularly in the constituency," said the candidate.
With regards to the concerns that some people who were registered to vote in the constituency in the last election have since moved out of the area but still appear on the register - making it possible they could vote despite not living in the constituency - Mr Pinder said the party has been "on the ground meeting with constituents night after night seven days a week" and he is confident that by election day, February 16, the party will have a strong handle on who is and is not entitled to vote.
CASSIUS STUART
BAHAMAS DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT
Mr Stuart said the BDM's effort to win over the Elizabeth constituency has "been going very well" but complained that the party encountered some "disturbing issues" as went around the constituency knocking on doors.
"These guys (FNM and PLP campaigners) have been playing extremely nasty. FNMs and PLPs have been telling constituents I dropped out of the race. What they are finding out is that more and more people are tired of the PLP and the FNM and so they are telling them I dropped out. I want to let people know I'm still in the race and I'll be nominating (today)," said Mr Stuart.
In speaking with the "hundreds" of residents he has thus far been able to encounter on the campaign trail, Mr Stuart said he's found that they are concerned primarily about crime.
Other issues raised include the two "shanty towns" within the constituency's borders and infrastructural problems such as a lack of speed bumps and street signs. Flooding and traffic congestion in the area are also concerns.
Mr Stuart called out the FNM for allegedly "using government resources to aid their candidate".
"If you go in Kool Acres Drive, the Ministry of Works has equipment out there now paving roads, so we want to make that known.
"It is very unfair, you're using power of government against other candidates," he claimed.
GODFREY PINDER
UNITED CHRISTIAN LOVE REVOLUTION MOVEMENT
Despite recent professional tribulations (Pinder was suspended from practicing law by the Bahamas Bar Council earlier this month following a complaint from a former client, but has appealed the suspension), Mr Pinder said he is ready to "ask Lizzie to be my valentine" in the February 16 by-election.
The colourful candidate said that thus far his campaign, launched after he announced the formation of his Love Revolution Movement earlier this month, has been "going marvellously."
"Basically I'm love in action," said Mr Pinder, whose manifesto states his desire to set up "Love Universities."
The would-be candidate claims he plans to send a love poem to "the lady of every household" in the constituency in his bid to woo Elizabeth into his camp.
"I'm going to touch everyone in a very, very nice way," he stated.
Yesterday Parliamentary Registrar Errol Bethel said that "as far as he knows" Mr Pinder's recent professional issues should not affect his ability to nominate.
RODNEY MONCUR
WORKERS' PARTY
DESPITE meagre campaign funding, Workers' Party candidate Rodney Moncur thinks he will overcome the political heavyweights in next month's by-election in the Elizabeth constituency.
He launched his campaign on January 7, a day after former MP Malcolm Adderley resigned from Parliament.
Without the money to hold mass rallies, run ads or blanket the area with posters, Mr Moncur gets up before sunrise every day to knock on doors and lobby for precious votes.
His group of about a dozen supporters spends most of the day in people's living rooms and on porches getting to the core of residents' concerns.
Chief among these complaints are high unemployment levels, rising crime levels, while the government's recent suspension of its education loan programme came in third place on their list of concerns.
While he tries to sway voters with minimal resources, Mr Moncur accused operatives of the two major political parties of running dirty campaigns.
He charged that the PLP and FNM are "exploiting" constituents with money woes by offering them liquor and jobs.
"The PLP and FNM have resorted to some of the most unethical forms of campaigning that I have ever seen. They are keeping the men drunk, that kind of thing," said Mr Moncur.
"I think the FNM and PLP in a very ungodly manner are exploiting the poor -- they call it campaigning, I call it gangsterism."
Like FNM candidate Dr Duane Sands, Mr Moncur has also been moved by the disparity between the "haves and have-nots" in the Elizabeth constituency.
"As you move through certain areas of the constituency you can see the economic desperation and the hardship," he said.
"I went to a Haitian community off Joe Farrington Road and they are living in abject poverty. And these persons are supporters of the PLP and FNM but they are living in squalor."
If he wins, the activist is prepared to sacrifice his time to be a man for the people, working out of an office in Elizabeth every day and foregoing other employment.
"I will go to work at my office in Elizabeth every day, they would be my employers, as opposed to the other candidates who will return to their law practice, medical practice or other profession. The candidate who is elected as a representative should report to his constituency office every day and if the salary is not sufficient he should not seek office."
Up to press time, Mr Moncur said he had raised most of the nomination fee with a final donation of $80 expected to arrive last night.
DR ANDRE ROLLINS
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PARTY
THE newly formed National Development Party and its candidate Dr Andre Rollins are hoping to finally part the sea of red and yellow - colours of the FNM and PLP respectively - at the upcoming Elizabeth by-election.
The NDP hopes that voter frustration with the established parties will sweep Dr Rollins into the House of Assembly.
Although in its infancy, the NDP believes that its message and policy platform will sway many voters.
Dr Rollins was elected as the party's candidate in the Elizabeth by-election after a public political debate and primary election - trials which other political parties shied away from.
A newcomer to politics, the 34-year-old dentist feels Bahamians are ready for a change, starting with their political representatives.
His party's approach to the race has been to offer more accountability.
Without the money for rallies or other election gimmicks, Dr Rollins hopes that each candidate's message, not campaign funding, will be the deciding factor in the hotly contested race.
Whether he wins or loses, Dr Rollins plans to continue to hold both major parties to account, criticising them when appropriate.
"If you don't do the job that you were entrusted to do we are not going to show any fear or favour. We are going to go straight down the middle whether you are FNM or PLP," he told The Tribune recently.
Dr Rollins beat out NDP member C Rashad Amahad at Wednesday's event. Both men took blind questions from the audience and moderator Judy Hamilton.
At the primary, Dr Rollins urged supporters to be optimistic that the underdog can be victorious at the by-election polls.
Dr Rollins served as president of the Bahamas Dental Association from December, 2004 to December, 2009. He is a founding member of the NDP, formed in October 2008.
January 29, 2010
tribune242
FREE NATIONAL MOVEMENT
FOR the next 19 days the FNM candidate in the Elizabeth by-election plans to canvas the constituency to convince voters that he is the best man for the job.
In the meantime, Dr Duane Sands told The Tribune, the FNM "has a lot more work to do" to weed out ineligible voters who may be able to vote in the by-election although they no longer live in the area.
On the campaign trail, Dr Sands said he has been surprised by how many Bahamians are barely making ends meet. He has also been put off by a small number of greedy voters who demand money or goods in return for their support.
Dr Sands said the topmost concern of constituents -- aside from crime and unemployment -- is fair and accountable representation.
He said his time in the area revealed that many constituents have low expectations from a representative, something he feels is due to the representation the constituency had over the past six years.
"We're going to go out and talk to every single registered voter that we can get to and hear what their concerns are," Dr Sands said, ahead of the FNM's rally last night and nomination day today.
"Our strategy is to demonstrate to people that the FNM and Duane Sands would be a much better alternative and that we could offer better governance."
"(Voters') expectations have been diminished in part because they've been let down. Many of the constituents are not demanding a pound of flesh. They have a reasonable expectation that their concerns are listened to, and want accountability, availability, and access to government," he said.
His party is also still focusing on limiting possible ballot tainting due to a loophole in the voter registry which may allow residents who no longer live in the Elizabeth constituency to vote.
"Even the Registrar General has alluded to the fact that this is a huge challenge even for them and we are obviously trying to make sure that there is a proper correlation between the register and what we find on the ground. I expect that as we get closer to February 16 we would have made some headway in identifying some of the people who ought not be eligible, but I doubt that it's going to be perfect," he said.
Campaigning in Elizabeth, Dr Sands, a noted heart surgeon, said he has been struck by how many Bahamians have to endure financial hardship.
"While I happen to see people at their worst in the hospital, Bahamians are really struggling, and as you enter their homes and see them as they are it (adds to) the immediate need of restoring hope," he said.
The Elizabeth seat was held by Malcolm Adderley, who resigned from Parliament and the PLP last month. Although the PLP won the constituency two terms in a row, their last win was a narrow one of only 45 votes over the FNM.
More than 4,000 voters are expected to cast their votes in the by-election on February 16.
RYAN PINDER
PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL PARTY
Mr Pinder said the response to the "hectic and fast" campaign the PLP has so far mounted ahead of the February 16 by-election has been "extremely positive".
The tax attorney said he will move in a motorcade with PLP supporters and leaders from the party's Elizabeth Headquarters at around 9.30am tomorrow, making it to Thelma Gibson Primary School by around 10.30am to nominate.
"It's very encouraging. I'm in the area every day meeting with residents. I've certainly been able to speak with a lot of the constituents and the response has been very positive and encouraging," he said.
"We had a mass rally (Wednesday) night, thousands and thousands of people were there. At the opening of the Prince Charles (party) headquarters we had in excess of 1,000 people show up. The energy level in the area is very high."
He added: "Elizabeth's concerns revolve around the difficulty with the Bahamian economic situation, there's a high level of unemployment in Elizabeth just like throughout country. There's a real concern that there's not an opportunity to succeed in business and there's a real entrepreneurial spirit but many feel they don't have the right opportunities and programmes and platforms to succeed. They are also concerned about the crime rate in the country and particularly in the constituency," said the candidate.
With regards to the concerns that some people who were registered to vote in the constituency in the last election have since moved out of the area but still appear on the register - making it possible they could vote despite not living in the constituency - Mr Pinder said the party has been "on the ground meeting with constituents night after night seven days a week" and he is confident that by election day, February 16, the party will have a strong handle on who is and is not entitled to vote.
CASSIUS STUART
BAHAMAS DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT
Mr Stuart said the BDM's effort to win over the Elizabeth constituency has "been going very well" but complained that the party encountered some "disturbing issues" as went around the constituency knocking on doors.
"These guys (FNM and PLP campaigners) have been playing extremely nasty. FNMs and PLPs have been telling constituents I dropped out of the race. What they are finding out is that more and more people are tired of the PLP and the FNM and so they are telling them I dropped out. I want to let people know I'm still in the race and I'll be nominating (today)," said Mr Stuart.
In speaking with the "hundreds" of residents he has thus far been able to encounter on the campaign trail, Mr Stuart said he's found that they are concerned primarily about crime.
Other issues raised include the two "shanty towns" within the constituency's borders and infrastructural problems such as a lack of speed bumps and street signs. Flooding and traffic congestion in the area are also concerns.
Mr Stuart called out the FNM for allegedly "using government resources to aid their candidate".
"If you go in Kool Acres Drive, the Ministry of Works has equipment out there now paving roads, so we want to make that known.
"It is very unfair, you're using power of government against other candidates," he claimed.
GODFREY PINDER
UNITED CHRISTIAN LOVE REVOLUTION MOVEMENT
Despite recent professional tribulations (Pinder was suspended from practicing law by the Bahamas Bar Council earlier this month following a complaint from a former client, but has appealed the suspension), Mr Pinder said he is ready to "ask Lizzie to be my valentine" in the February 16 by-election.
The colourful candidate said that thus far his campaign, launched after he announced the formation of his Love Revolution Movement earlier this month, has been "going marvellously."
"Basically I'm love in action," said Mr Pinder, whose manifesto states his desire to set up "Love Universities."
The would-be candidate claims he plans to send a love poem to "the lady of every household" in the constituency in his bid to woo Elizabeth into his camp.
"I'm going to touch everyone in a very, very nice way," he stated.
Yesterday Parliamentary Registrar Errol Bethel said that "as far as he knows" Mr Pinder's recent professional issues should not affect his ability to nominate.
RODNEY MONCUR
WORKERS' PARTY
DESPITE meagre campaign funding, Workers' Party candidate Rodney Moncur thinks he will overcome the political heavyweights in next month's by-election in the Elizabeth constituency.
He launched his campaign on January 7, a day after former MP Malcolm Adderley resigned from Parliament.
Without the money to hold mass rallies, run ads or blanket the area with posters, Mr Moncur gets up before sunrise every day to knock on doors and lobby for precious votes.
His group of about a dozen supporters spends most of the day in people's living rooms and on porches getting to the core of residents' concerns.
Chief among these complaints are high unemployment levels, rising crime levels, while the government's recent suspension of its education loan programme came in third place on their list of concerns.
While he tries to sway voters with minimal resources, Mr Moncur accused operatives of the two major political parties of running dirty campaigns.
He charged that the PLP and FNM are "exploiting" constituents with money woes by offering them liquor and jobs.
"The PLP and FNM have resorted to some of the most unethical forms of campaigning that I have ever seen. They are keeping the men drunk, that kind of thing," said Mr Moncur.
"I think the FNM and PLP in a very ungodly manner are exploiting the poor -- they call it campaigning, I call it gangsterism."
Like FNM candidate Dr Duane Sands, Mr Moncur has also been moved by the disparity between the "haves and have-nots" in the Elizabeth constituency.
"As you move through certain areas of the constituency you can see the economic desperation and the hardship," he said.
"I went to a Haitian community off Joe Farrington Road and they are living in abject poverty. And these persons are supporters of the PLP and FNM but they are living in squalor."
If he wins, the activist is prepared to sacrifice his time to be a man for the people, working out of an office in Elizabeth every day and foregoing other employment.
"I will go to work at my office in Elizabeth every day, they would be my employers, as opposed to the other candidates who will return to their law practice, medical practice or other profession. The candidate who is elected as a representative should report to his constituency office every day and if the salary is not sufficient he should not seek office."
Up to press time, Mr Moncur said he had raised most of the nomination fee with a final donation of $80 expected to arrive last night.
DR ANDRE ROLLINS
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PARTY
THE newly formed National Development Party and its candidate Dr Andre Rollins are hoping to finally part the sea of red and yellow - colours of the FNM and PLP respectively - at the upcoming Elizabeth by-election.
The NDP hopes that voter frustration with the established parties will sweep Dr Rollins into the House of Assembly.
Although in its infancy, the NDP believes that its message and policy platform will sway many voters.
Dr Rollins was elected as the party's candidate in the Elizabeth by-election after a public political debate and primary election - trials which other political parties shied away from.
A newcomer to politics, the 34-year-old dentist feels Bahamians are ready for a change, starting with their political representatives.
His party's approach to the race has been to offer more accountability.
Without the money for rallies or other election gimmicks, Dr Rollins hopes that each candidate's message, not campaign funding, will be the deciding factor in the hotly contested race.
Whether he wins or loses, Dr Rollins plans to continue to hold both major parties to account, criticising them when appropriate.
"If you don't do the job that you were entrusted to do we are not going to show any fear or favour. We are going to go straight down the middle whether you are FNM or PLP," he told The Tribune recently.
Dr Rollins beat out NDP member C Rashad Amahad at Wednesday's event. Both men took blind questions from the audience and moderator Judy Hamilton.
At the primary, Dr Rollins urged supporters to be optimistic that the underdog can be victorious at the by-election polls.
Dr Rollins served as president of the Bahamas Dental Association from December, 2004 to December, 2009. He is a founding member of the NDP, formed in October 2008.
January 29, 2010
tribune242
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The Elizabeth constituency by-election will be held on Tuesday, February 16, 2010
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
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
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Governing Free National Movement (FNM) is 'delighted' that the Official Opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) 'gave up' Elizabeth seat
By CANDIA DAMES ~ Guardian News Editor candia@nasguard.com:
The Free National Movement is delighted that the Progressive Liberal Party gave up the Elizabeth seat so the FNM can pick it up, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said Saturday.
Ingraham spoke to reporters as the FNM launched its Elizabeth campaign.
The seat became available earlier this month after attorney Malcolm Adderley resigned from the House of Assembly, citing disaffection with the leadership of the PLP.
Asked whether he was in a position to say whether another event is yet to unfold in the House of Assembly in terms of the numbers in the FNM or the PLP, Ingraham said he was not.
"I take these things one day at a time," he said.
"The people of Elizabeth trusted the PLP with their seat in the last election. The PLP cashed in; threw their hands in and said they don't want the seat. The man that they put in the House of Assembly has decided he wants to resign, which has put Elizabeth now back in the election place.
"The FNM has come along and said 'let us have it please, we know what to do with it, you can trust us with your seat.' We will not be cashing in our seat: We will not be throwing our hands in. We will hold it, we will defend you, we will promote you, we will represent you and we will govern in your best interest. And so we are delighted that the PLP gave it up, so that we can pick it up."
Adderley won the Elizabeth seat over the FNM's Elma Campbell by 45 votes.
Ingraham was asked how he felt about his party's chances of winning the seat.
"Ever since the election of 2007, indeed since January of this year, some 290-plus persons have either registered to vote or have been transferred into this constituency so that essentially, this constituency has probably five or six percent more voters than it had the last time," he noted.
"Of course, some people would have moved out also. I do not know what the net result is going to be at the end of the day. We think it is a competitive seat, and we are going into it hopeful that the people of Elizabeth will join the FNM's Trust Team.
"We have selected a first-class candidate, we think that we have provided good governance for The Bahamas, and we think that we have the programs and the vision for The Bahamas and that we are the better of the two major parties to represent Elizabeth and to govern The Bahamas at this time."
He said the party has a national message for Elizabeth - "that we are the government in these tough times, that the Bahamian people have trusted us to lead them and we have demonstrated that we are compassionate, considerate, concerned, focused, and prepared to be accountable and transparent in the governance of the affairs of the people of The Bahamas. "
Ingraham said he had no idea how much money the FNM will spend in Elizabeth.
"I know we have very little money," he added.
"We have to buy posters - we are not like the PLP, as you see they have posters left over from the last election because their posters came in late. And so they can plaster [PLP leader Perry Christie] all over the place telling the Bahamian people that he is still the right choice for The Bahamas.
"They are arrogant. They couldn't care less about how the people felt - they say they are still the right choice. Well they will find out whether they are still the right choice. The people told them already [that] they are not the right choice for The Bahamas. He is not the right man for The Bahamas. He might be the right man for the PLP, but not for The Bahamas."
Ingraham told reporters he could not say whether the response from voters in Elizabeth will be overwhelming, but he said the FNM hopes to motivate a large number of voters to vote.
"Generally speaking, many people don't view by-elections in the same way they view general elections in that at the end of the day, the government will still be the FNM and they would have a change of membership in a seat," he said.
"But we hope to convince them that it is just as important to vote in a by-election as it is to vote in a general election, and Elizabeth ought to have its voice heard in the Parliament of The Bahamas and its representations heard by the Government of The Bahamas."
January 18, 2010
thenassauguardian
The Free National Movement is delighted that the Progressive Liberal Party gave up the Elizabeth seat so the FNM can pick it up, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said Saturday.
Ingraham spoke to reporters as the FNM launched its Elizabeth campaign.
The seat became available earlier this month after attorney Malcolm Adderley resigned from the House of Assembly, citing disaffection with the leadership of the PLP.
Asked whether he was in a position to say whether another event is yet to unfold in the House of Assembly in terms of the numbers in the FNM or the PLP, Ingraham said he was not.
"I take these things one day at a time," he said.
"The people of Elizabeth trusted the PLP with their seat in the last election. The PLP cashed in; threw their hands in and said they don't want the seat. The man that they put in the House of Assembly has decided he wants to resign, which has put Elizabeth now back in the election place.
"The FNM has come along and said 'let us have it please, we know what to do with it, you can trust us with your seat.' We will not be cashing in our seat: We will not be throwing our hands in. We will hold it, we will defend you, we will promote you, we will represent you and we will govern in your best interest. And so we are delighted that the PLP gave it up, so that we can pick it up."
Adderley won the Elizabeth seat over the FNM's Elma Campbell by 45 votes.
Ingraham was asked how he felt about his party's chances of winning the seat.
"Ever since the election of 2007, indeed since January of this year, some 290-plus persons have either registered to vote or have been transferred into this constituency so that essentially, this constituency has probably five or six percent more voters than it had the last time," he noted.
"Of course, some people would have moved out also. I do not know what the net result is going to be at the end of the day. We think it is a competitive seat, and we are going into it hopeful that the people of Elizabeth will join the FNM's Trust Team.
"We have selected a first-class candidate, we think that we have provided good governance for The Bahamas, and we think that we have the programs and the vision for The Bahamas and that we are the better of the two major parties to represent Elizabeth and to govern The Bahamas at this time."
He said the party has a national message for Elizabeth - "that we are the government in these tough times, that the Bahamian people have trusted us to lead them and we have demonstrated that we are compassionate, considerate, concerned, focused, and prepared to be accountable and transparent in the governance of the affairs of the people of The Bahamas. "
Ingraham said he had no idea how much money the FNM will spend in Elizabeth.
"I know we have very little money," he added.
"We have to buy posters - we are not like the PLP, as you see they have posters left over from the last election because their posters came in late. And so they can plaster [PLP leader Perry Christie] all over the place telling the Bahamian people that he is still the right choice for The Bahamas.
"They are arrogant. They couldn't care less about how the people felt - they say they are still the right choice. Well they will find out whether they are still the right choice. The people told them already [that] they are not the right choice for The Bahamas. He is not the right man for The Bahamas. He might be the right man for the PLP, but not for The Bahamas."
Ingraham told reporters he could not say whether the response from voters in Elizabeth will be overwhelming, but he said the FNM hopes to motivate a large number of voters to vote.
"Generally speaking, many people don't view by-elections in the same way they view general elections in that at the end of the day, the government will still be the FNM and they would have a change of membership in a seat," he said.
"But we hope to convince them that it is just as important to vote in a by-election as it is to vote in a general election, and Elizabeth ought to have its voice heard in the Parliament of The Bahamas and its representations heard by the Government of The Bahamas."
January 18, 2010
thenassauguardian
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)