By TANEKA THOMPSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net:
THE Progressive Liberal Party should nominate a by-election candidate in the Elizabeth constituency to fulfil the Opposition's mandate as a viable alternative to the FNM, urged PLP Deputy Leader Philip "Brave" Davis.
His comments came amid reports that the party is split on the by-election argument with several top PLPs said to be against entering the race.
It is reported that some senior members want to conserve the party's resources for the next general election, however Mr Davis feels that unless Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham intends to call a national election this year the PLP should vie for the Elizabeth seat.
"(The PLP) as a major political party, its existence is premised on the fact that it is existing for the purpose of contesting elections. Unless there are some exceptional circumstances existing, you start off on the premise that you will contest and you may be persuaded to not contest but only in exceptional circumstances," he said ahead of last night's public PLP meeting in the Elizabeth constituency to rally its supporters.
"If we are aware that Mr Ingraham will call a general election in the next two to three months, that will be a factor that we will take into account, that will be a compelling factor not to participate," Mr Davis said on the sidelines of yesterday's House Select Committee on Crown Land hearing.
Meanwhile the party has yet to officially select a potential by-election candidate but its National General Council is expected to meet over the next few days to weigh out its options.
Attorneys Ryan Pinder, Craig Butler and Ken Dorsett have expressed interest in the seat but it is unclear if any of these men will be chosen to represent the party. PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts has also been rumoured to join the fray, but Mr Roberts denied these reports.
Said to be the FNM's pick for the by-election is noted surgeon Dr Duane Sands.
The stage for a by-election was set when former MP Malcolm Adderley resigned from the House on Wednesday, days after delivering a one-line resignation letter to the PLP last weekend. The election is scheduled for February.
In an emotional speech, Mr Adderley told the House that the last seven and a half years as MP for Elizabeth were "the worst personal experience" for him. He claimed that party leader Perry Christie "undermined" him as an MP.
Disappointed by Mr Adderley's actions, Mr Davis said he expected more from his former colleague.
He added that Mr Adderley did not handle his departure from the Progressive Liberal Party with the respect and dignity his former party colleagues gave him.
"I do not share Mr Adderley's views on the leadership of the party. I'm disappointed that he was driven to that view and perhaps if he had time to examine, not just Mr Christie's conduct but his own, he may have had a different point of view going forward.
"I would have expected him to have conducted himself differently. I would have expected that because there is no doubt that the Progressive Liberal Party, as a party, quite apart from the individuals that make it up treated Mr Adderley with the respect and dignity that was deserving of a member of Parliament that was elected on a PLP ticket and he ought to have returned the same favour to us."
Despite the loss of Mr Adderley - compounded with the departure of Kennedy MP Kenyatta Gibson a year earlier - Mr Davis said the party remains as strong as ever.
It is rumoured that Mr Adderley will be appointed as a Supreme Court judge by Prime Minister Ingraham in the near future. He has previously worked as a public prosecutor, acting magistrate and a supreme court judge for one year.
He is the second MP in almost 13 years to resign as an MP -- the last being Sir Lynden Pindling when he retired from front-line politics in 1997.
January 08, 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.
Showing posts with label Ken Dorsett. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ken Dorsett. Show all posts
Friday, January 8, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
PLP by-election win 'would be indicator of party's strength and support'
By PAUL G TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
pturnquest@tribunemedia.net:
A PLP win in a likely by-election in the Elizabeth constituency would prove a good indicator of the party's strength and support with the voting public, it was claimed last night.
Attorney Philip Galanis, a former PLP senator, believes that in order to nab a possible by-election victory, the party must quickly determine the best possible candidate to outweigh the heavy resources the FNM will pour behind its prospective hopeful.
So far those who have expressed an interested for the Elizabeth nomination include attorneys Ryan Pinder, Craig Butler and Ken Dorsett.
Elizabeth MP Malcolm Adderley quit the PLP with effect from January 1, 2010, and is expected to resign from his seat in the House of Assembly when Parliament meets tomorrow.
It would set the stage for a hotly-contested by-election in Elizabeth, which PLP chairman Bradley Roberts estimates would cost the public purse upwards of $1 million.
"I think it would be a very good indicator of how strong the party is and would be a referendum, an indication by some, of what the people of the country feel about the performance of the Ingraham administration," Mr Galanis said.
"The party needs to really caucus with a view to determine who the best candidate is to contest the election, if one is called. It needs to impose some stringent policies to selecting its candidate and most importantly it needs to impress upon its stand bearers that that is all they are, any seat they might win in Parliament does not belong to them and their representation is a privilege, not a right."
However, PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts said the party has not officially selected a replacement for Mr Adderley reasoning that he has yet to resign from the House, thus leaving a vacancy in the Elizabeth seat, an area with a long history of voting for the PLP.
"We only found out on the weekend that Malcolm was going to resign from the PLP. We still don't know whether Malcolm is going to resign from the House," he told The Tribune yesterday.
"Some people may be doing some solicitation (in the area) that's not unusual (but) the party doesn't have a mandate to fill any position yet."
In the statement released yesterday, the FNM said it respects Mr Adderley's "personal decision" to cut political ties with the PLP.
Although it is believed the Government wooed Mr Adderley to give up his seat with promises of a plum job as a judge, the Ingraham administration said it did not know the reasons behind the decision while taking a jab at the upper echelons of the Opposition.
"Such a decision is not lightly made and obviously must reflect a deeply thought-out personal determination on his part. The Free National Movement does not have the benefit of knowing the inmost reasons behind Mr Adderley's resignation from the PLP.
"However, one has only to read and consider the vilification and bile which was spewed in the hysterical PLP press response to venture a guess as to why Mr Adderley, and perhaps others, may no longer want to be associated with what that organisation has become under the leadership of Perry Christie and Bradley Roberts."
The statement also thanked Mr Adderley for continuing to serve as Chairman of the Gaming Board after his party lost the 2007 general election, a decision that infuriated members of his party.
Yesterday, the FNM alluded to Mr Adderley's reported interested in joining the judiciary but did not confirm whether he has been offered or accepted the job.
"We understand that Mr Adderley is willing to continue in the service of his country as a Justice of the Supreme Court, a position for which he is well qualified, especially at a time when there is urgent need for qualified Bahamian judges willing to serve. If that is so, we highly commend him.
"We note that he has previously served in this position in an acting capacity while his political persuasion was well known."
Mr Adderley's move came after months of speculation about his strained relations with the PLP and party leader Perry Christie. Mr Adderley has reportedly long been at odds with his party and has been inactive in the party's Parliamentary caucus.
Mr Christie's decision not to expel Mr Adderley from the PLP long ago has garnered harsh criticism from observers, even former PLP chairman Raynard Rigby who accused the party leader "of being asleep at the wheel."
January 05, 2010
tribune242
Tribune Staff Reporter
pturnquest@tribunemedia.net:
A PLP win in a likely by-election in the Elizabeth constituency would prove a good indicator of the party's strength and support with the voting public, it was claimed last night.
Attorney Philip Galanis, a former PLP senator, believes that in order to nab a possible by-election victory, the party must quickly determine the best possible candidate to outweigh the heavy resources the FNM will pour behind its prospective hopeful.
So far those who have expressed an interested for the Elizabeth nomination include attorneys Ryan Pinder, Craig Butler and Ken Dorsett.
Elizabeth MP Malcolm Adderley quit the PLP with effect from January 1, 2010, and is expected to resign from his seat in the House of Assembly when Parliament meets tomorrow.
It would set the stage for a hotly-contested by-election in Elizabeth, which PLP chairman Bradley Roberts estimates would cost the public purse upwards of $1 million.
"I think it would be a very good indicator of how strong the party is and would be a referendum, an indication by some, of what the people of the country feel about the performance of the Ingraham administration," Mr Galanis said.
"The party needs to really caucus with a view to determine who the best candidate is to contest the election, if one is called. It needs to impose some stringent policies to selecting its candidate and most importantly it needs to impress upon its stand bearers that that is all they are, any seat they might win in Parliament does not belong to them and their representation is a privilege, not a right."
However, PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts said the party has not officially selected a replacement for Mr Adderley reasoning that he has yet to resign from the House, thus leaving a vacancy in the Elizabeth seat, an area with a long history of voting for the PLP.
"We only found out on the weekend that Malcolm was going to resign from the PLP. We still don't know whether Malcolm is going to resign from the House," he told The Tribune yesterday.
"Some people may be doing some solicitation (in the area) that's not unusual (but) the party doesn't have a mandate to fill any position yet."
In the statement released yesterday, the FNM said it respects Mr Adderley's "personal decision" to cut political ties with the PLP.
Although it is believed the Government wooed Mr Adderley to give up his seat with promises of a plum job as a judge, the Ingraham administration said it did not know the reasons behind the decision while taking a jab at the upper echelons of the Opposition.
"Such a decision is not lightly made and obviously must reflect a deeply thought-out personal determination on his part. The Free National Movement does not have the benefit of knowing the inmost reasons behind Mr Adderley's resignation from the PLP.
"However, one has only to read and consider the vilification and bile which was spewed in the hysterical PLP press response to venture a guess as to why Mr Adderley, and perhaps others, may no longer want to be associated with what that organisation has become under the leadership of Perry Christie and Bradley Roberts."
The statement also thanked Mr Adderley for continuing to serve as Chairman of the Gaming Board after his party lost the 2007 general election, a decision that infuriated members of his party.
Yesterday, the FNM alluded to Mr Adderley's reported interested in joining the judiciary but did not confirm whether he has been offered or accepted the job.
"We understand that Mr Adderley is willing to continue in the service of his country as a Justice of the Supreme Court, a position for which he is well qualified, especially at a time when there is urgent need for qualified Bahamian judges willing to serve. If that is so, we highly commend him.
"We note that he has previously served in this position in an acting capacity while his political persuasion was well known."
Mr Adderley's move came after months of speculation about his strained relations with the PLP and party leader Perry Christie. Mr Adderley has reportedly long been at odds with his party and has been inactive in the party's Parliamentary caucus.
Mr Christie's decision not to expel Mr Adderley from the PLP long ago has garnered harsh criticism from observers, even former PLP chairman Raynard Rigby who accused the party leader "of being asleep at the wheel."
January 05, 2010
tribune242
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