Picewell Forbes' friends and supporters claim that the PLP is "showing great disrespect" for him by allowing two candidates from his own party - Keod Smith and Charmaine Austin to openly campaign against him in the South Andros seat

MP attacks PLP over candidates

By PAUL G TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
pturnquest@tribunemedia.net



FRIENDS and supporters of South Andros MP Picewell Forbes claim the PLP is "showing great disrespect" by allowing two candidates from his own party to openly campaign against him for his seat at the next general election.

And Mr Forbes himself told The Tribune yesterday how he feels a "disservice" has been done to him by his political party.

Speaking out for the first time on this controversial issue, Mr Forbes said the "entire country" knows he turned down two very lucrative job offers made to him by Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham for fear that his acceptance of them would cause "an embarrassment" to the party.

The furious MP said: "And this is the thanks I am going to get? I should not have to be going through this kind of (expletive)."

A close friend of Mr Forbes, who did not wish to be named, added: "By sending these two candidates to campaign for the South Andros seat, the PLP is showing great disrespect to Picewell.

"Where is Perry Christie? Why doesn't he act in Picewell's defence?"

Speaking out in defence of Mr Forbes, fellow PLP colleague Fred Mitchell, the MP for Fox Hill, told the media yesterday that in his estimation Mr Forbes was, and remains, the best candidate for the people of South Andros.

When asked for his opinion on the fact that the former MP for Mount Moriah Keod Smith and political newcomer Charmaine Austin were campaigning in the area, Mr Mitchell said he believes party leader Perry Christie has already made pronouncements on this that he would not go beyond.

"But I believe the incumbent is a good man, and I support him," Mr Mitchell said.

Out of the two other contenders for the South Andros seat, Mr Smith is said to be by far the most aggressive of the pair, having reportedly pledged to spend $17,000 fixing a dock in the Fresh Creek area, and also donating other cash to help in the staging of the island's annual Crab Fest celebrations.

These "grandiose shows" of money, coupled with the "door to door campaigning" has irritated some PLPs who sympathise with the fact that Mr Forbes is one of the most financially-challenged Members of Parliament.

During the radio programme 'Hard Copy' hosted by former BIS director Steve McKinney, many callers expressed the view that the leadership of the PLP should have by now stepped in and resolved this growing issue over the South Andros nomination.

This view was also shared by a senior FNM yesterday who used the opportunity to remind the Bahamian electorate that it was this same "indecisive leadership" within the PLP that caused the all-important 'independent voters' to turn against that party in favour of the FNM.

With the FNM not even naming a candidate for the seat as yet, some political observers also added that it was unfair to the area's current Member of Parliament to have to be "fighting amongst his own" before the "real battle even begins".

May 19, 2011

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