“Rebel FNM’s refuse to quit –Key: I won’t be forced out of party” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “In the aftermath of Free National Movement Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis call for the ‘rebel’ seven members if Parliament to resign from the party or face disciplinary action, several signatories on the letter to revoke his appointment as Official Opposition leader in Parliament have said that they are declining to quit, one of them insisting ‘I won’t be forced out’ of the organization.

Central and South Abaco MP Edison Key told The Tribune that Dr. Minnis could not force him to leave the FNM.  Mr. Key maintained that instead if Dr. Minnis calling for their resignations, he should be the one to bow out of the top post of the party because his parliamentary caucus no longer reposes confidence in his ability to lead them.

Mr. Key, 78, said he expected to be expelled.  However, he said, this does not mean anything to him.

Meanwhile, Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant said he ‘respectfully’ rejected the leader’s request to leave the party.  Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn, North Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly and St. Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman, speaking to ZNS News, also said they had no plans to resign from the party.”

It is indeed has become a very precarious situation because as Mr. Key says, “I am an elected member of Parliament,’ Mr. Key said yesterday when he was contacted.  He, (Dr. Minnis) can’t force me to resign.  What he should do is the honorable thing and step down.  The parliamentary group has lost all confidence in Dr. Minnis and the stalwarts in the party should replace him.”

Oddly, from what I gather the stalwarts/MCM’s within the party actually support Dr. Minnis but as Mr. Key asks for Dr. Minnis to do the ‘honorable thing and step down’, it is obvious that they seek to force Dr. Minnis from the leadership position of the party, while insisting that he [Dr. Minnis] cannot force them out of the party; this is nothing less than rank and utter hypocrisy.

Darron Cash, former chairman of the Free National Movement once said that the party needed to have a “Come to Jesus moment” and I feel that this is it, because as the party had just began to attract quality candidates and attention from many undecided’s and supporter of other political parties, we now have this and the questions that will stand ; what does Ms. Butler-Turner and her colleagues wish to accomplish by this move and how will this change attract these persons that were giving the Free National Movement another look and can certain person in the organization be trusted at their word?

END

Since the Free National Movements convention earlier this year, where Ms. Loretta Butler-Turner opposed Dr. Hubert Minnis for leadership of the party and was defeated – no not defeated; as she withdrew prior to ballots even being casted in the leadership race; all thought that the leadership race had become a non-issue until yesterday.

All thought that it had become a non-issue and I am guessing that even Dr. Minnis and most of the Executive were of this opinion as he [Dr. Minnis] went about his role as party leader along with the executives, building a party with formidable, impressive and worthy candidates.

“Opposition failed” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner said yesterday she and six other Free National Movement (FNM) MP’s wrote to Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling, expressing a vote of no confidence in Leader of the Opposition, Dr, Hubert Minnis because the party has ‘failed’ as an effective opposition and the country needs change,’

In the Minority Room if the House of Assembly, Butler-Turner addressed the media alongside Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant; South and Central Abaco MO Edison Key; Montagu MP Richard Lightbourne; St. Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman; Fort Charlotte MP Dr. Andre Rollins and North Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly.

Butler-Turner said ‘We have failed to convince Bahamians that we represent a change for them to vote for.’

‘Instead, we have taken the position that the electorate will choose by default to vote against the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).

‘Such a strategy fails to meet the challenges of our time and is not deserving of the confidence of our Bahamian people.”

I am quite aware that as Ms. Butler-Turner and her six parliamentary colleagues express a vote of ‘no confidence’ in the Leader of The Opposition and states that the Opposition has failed, that she is conceding that she and her group of six have also failed.  Out of the seven that has passed this indictment on Dr. Minnis and presented this letter to the Governor General  one would be hard pressed to find one out of the six that has made any meaningful contribution to the representation of their constituency that they were elected to serve, to the country and to the Free National Movement party over the past four plus years and if one were to find that one person, it would be quite safe to say that they only spoke when actually necessary or rose to their feet to defend their ‘record’.

Yes. Ms. Butler-Turner, ‘country is in a shambles’ and I seek to find how the actions of you and others have taken will correct this situation.  It would seem that the six lack motivation and looked to the leader to tell them what to do as a source of motivation; this is a sad indictment on their behalf; because as Perry Christie stood as the Official Opposition his members were out making him ‘look good’, when we all knew that it really was not him calling the shot, but they did what they needed to do to keep the party alive and did not wait on their leader to tell them what needed to be done.

END

The current Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), once only seen as the most incompetent and inept government in the history of the Bahamas, has now set out to prove that it is also the most pettiest of all.

“PLP planning Majority Rule Day march” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Celebrating the 5oth anniversary of majority rule, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts said the party is planning a march on January 9^th.

The march is planned for the same day as the We March Bahamas protest downtown, though it is unclear exactly where PLP’s the march will take place.

‘The PLP will be marching in large numbers,’ Roberts said at a press conference on Monday.

‘It will be marking the 50^th anniversary that is significant for PLP’s in particular, if you want to go back in history.

‘We will be in big numbers.’

On January 10, 1967, both the PLP led by [Sir] Lynden Pindling, and the United Bahamas Party (UBP), led by Sir Rowland Symonette, won 18 seats in the House of Assembly in the general election.

The labour candidate, Rowland Fawkes, was also successful in the election.

Both he and independent candidate Alvin Braynen threw their support behind the PLP, with Braynen accepting the position of speaker of the House of Assembly.

Their support resulted in the PLP forming the government and ushering in black majority rule for the first time in the country’s history,”

I guess Mr. Bradley Roberts, the current Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) had already left the UBP by this time and joined forces with the PLP, but then I tend to digress.

When Majority Rule Day was first introduced as a national holiday in 2014, yes it took the Progressive Liberal Party to whom the Bradley Roberts says this day holds such ‘significance’ forty seven (47) years to set aside a day celebrate it; I waited with abated breath for the grand celebrations; which I figured would only be second to that of Independence Day itself but yet I got none.  There were no public celebration for the very first recognized Majority Rule Day holiday of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas – nothing for the people but now as “We Bahamas” plans a march, the Progressive Liberal Party now plans a march and have aligned it with the PLP brand, as Chairman Bradley Roberts says, “……marchers will be dressed in PLP paraphernalia….”, I see the PLP still is feeling ‘some sort of way’ about the first “We Bahamas” march and is still taking it as a personal slight against the PLP and not all Bahamas government; and there is a difference.

So the Progressive Liberal Party is about to finally  mark the Majority Rule Day with a march, I guess the 50^th Anniversary of Majority Rule is enough to wake one up to celebrate it because I feel that it would be far too personal, petty and beneath this government to attempt to divide the people of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas by detracting from a unifying march such as the one planned by the “ “We Bahamas” group that is merely asking for transparency and accountability from this government and all governments to follow.

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature

END

“Blackouts could be human error – PM ‘distressed’ by BPL issues” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “ Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday he has been unofficially advised that recent challenges at Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) which led to island-wide power outages could have been the result of ‘human error’.

However, BPL CEO Pamela Hill said she was ‘not actually familiar’ with the prime minister’s explanation.

Last Tuesday, a cable fault at the Clifton Pier plant led to a black out.

On Sunday, there was another blackout on New Providence, which lasted for hours.  BPL blamed ‘generator challenges coupled with transmission issues.’

Speaking to a reporter at the opening ceremony for the ninth International Civil Aviation Organization Air Services Negotiations Conference, the prime minister addressed the matter.

‘I am distressed about this as is every Bahamian,” Christie said.

‘I spent yesterday between church services and public functions talking to all the persons I could with respect to the cause of it.’

‘…….I know they’re troubling shooting now to determine [it].  I’ve been advised that this could be human error.”

Something sinister is going on at Bahamas Power and Light (BPL), formerly The Bahamas Electricity Cooperation (BEC), after the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government made the big deal over the fact that BPL will remain Bahamian owned and controlled, as it would only be managed by the foreign entity PowerSecure.  The prime minister now lays the blame for the power outages at the feet of Ms. Pamela Hill CEO of Bahamas Power and Light and asks her to report to him saying; “That is too catastrophic [two island wide black outs in one week] and its deserving of the highest investigation.”

While the Prime Minister demands answers of BPL that now manages power distribution for the country as the infrastructure still belong to the government i.e. us, we ask what is PowerSecures motivation to actually to ‘give a damn’ and what is the government currently doing to aid in updating the infrastructure? What are the details of this deal? ;beside the Management Service Agreement (MSA) whose terms has the PoswerSecure team receiving a baseline annual payment fee of $2 million, also has them only if they can achieve the pre-defined performance indicators (KPIS) related to cost reductions, reliability improvements and customer service enhancement, receiving potential additional performance-based compensation of up to 150 percent of the management fee per year; so far we have yet to see reliability improvement and cost reductions is being argued even as I speak, so will they get their yearly bonus?

Has the new power company even began to ‘repair’ the power grid that keeps failing, as it has been outdated for quite some time, most of us knew this before they were even heard of.

“Yesterday, Hill held a press conference at BPL headquarters to address the blackout issue.

Asked if the outages were a result of ‘human error’ as stated by the prime minister, she said, ‘I wasn’t actually familiar with that.”

She also seemed unclear as to what the prime minister meant by ‘an investigation’; amazingly she sounds just about as ‘enlightened as our Prime Minister actually she should better at it than him.

This ger be long, buy candles!

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END

It is interesting that when Leslie Miller speaks out against his own party and government he is seen as a ‘maverick’ or a man of the people but when a young man organizes a group of people to come together to speak out against not only this government but all recent governments and questions the flaws in the system; he is seen as by Mr. Miller and others as being “in over his head”?

“Leslie Miller: Henfield in over his head” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller said yesterday ‘We March Bahamas’ organizer Ranford Henfield is ‘in over his head; following ‘outrageous’ demands, including demanding that Prime Minister Perry Christie address the nation by Thursday or face consequences.

Miller referred to Henfield as an ‘egotistical maniac’ whose ‘ego has surpassed his common sense.’

‘I told the PM not to answer [him] to begin with’, Miller said.

‘I told the PM that he shouldn’t be putting himself on par with this fellow, a no-name who just came out of the blue with what he is doing for Carmichael.’

‘He’s never been involved in frontline politics in his life; never elected, nobody ever voted for him and he’s now making these outrageous demands.

He never represented anyone in his life, never got a vote in his life but he is making demands of the government.

‘…….you cannot believe that you can dictate to elected officials.  That is the right of the Bahamian people, not one man or little group.

‘Who the hell this guy believes he is?”

Flashback backs of a golf cart incident on a certain island, involving a certain Member of Parliament, some time back, but I digress.

Yes, Mr. Miller, just who does this guy believe that he is, as an individual to organize a group, which then organized thousands to march into Bay Street and ask for better representation and answers from the present elected officials?

I would like to ask, do you have to be a politician/elected official to have your voice heard and is the only time that a non-elected official able to voice any sort of displeasure or question any government is at the ballot box on Election Day?  The mere suggestion of this is ‘outrageous’ and should have all Bahamians really concerned.  Is Mr. Miller intimating for one moment that he [Henfield] or anyone else that is not an elected-official needs to ‘sit small’ then?

Is this is what ‘true democracy’, our democracy is built on?

Is this is how ‘true democracy’, our democracy was intended to work?

Is Mr. Miller suggesting for one moment that advising the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to set himself far above the common man?

As Leslie Miller suggests that his young man woke up one day with a list of ‘nonsensical demands’ to impose on the government, did he [Mr. Miller] even consider that these ‘demands’ were derived from the unfulfilled promises that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) made on the campaign trail and have been making for the past four and half years as the government of The Bahamas and the people are merely questioning him as to what went wrong?

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END

A war of words has erupted between former Progressive Liberal Party MP, George Smith and current PLP MP and Speaker of the House, Dr. Kendal Major.  This disagreements originated in the wake of the ‘We March Bahamas’ protest, a week ago, with Dr. Major, MP for the Garden Hills constituency suggesting that the Progressive Liberal Party brand is ‘damaged’, with George Smith insisting that this is not the case; the ‘Old Guard’ versus the ‘Bridge to the future’.

The question now arises, what exactly is the Progressive Liberal Party’s brand?

“Smith :PLP brand intact” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Cabinet Minister George Smith said yesterday although the PLP has faced ‘great challenges’ and made several mistakes over the past four years, the party has managed to keep its brand intact.

‘[The party] has faced some great challenges as an organization and it survives’, Smith said.

‘…….The last four years has been a very challenging period.”

Indeed, Mr. Smith, it has also been for the Bahamian people but before I go off script, my main focus is what exactly is the Progressive Liberal Party’s brand?

“In November 1943, the people of The Bahama Islands having for centuries endured the injustices of slavery and second class status in their own homeland, acclaimed and embraced the formation of the PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL PARTY, as a political organization established by the founding fathers to seek and secure the improvement of the lives of the poor, the downtrodden and the dispossessed and to bring hope and promise to the young people.” – First paragraph of the “Preamble” of The Constitution of the Progressive Liberal Party.

There is a ‘bill of goods’ that the Progressive Liberal Party sells to it members and persons wishing to bring about change from the front line of politics under their banner and this is that the Progressive Liberal Party is here to ‘free’ you from your oppressors and make you a first class citizen in your country, this appears to be their brand; to date we still await this to be fulfilled by this party.

Oddly enough, some person, especially younger people still buy into this rhetoric, as they claim to be able to see their own ideals and principle aligning with those of the Progressive Liberal Party; this is a fallacy and illusion, nothing but smoke and mirrors and is the basis on which the Progressive Liberal Party’s brand is built.

First, Mr. George Smith, the ‘great challenges’ that the Progressive Liberal Party now face are, in my opinion, of their very own making, sort of like Lady Macbeth being haunted by the blood spots of her murdered husband and also to say that the party has made ‘several mistakes over the past four years’ must be the greatest understatement of the year.

The Progressive Liberal Party’s Constitution Article 2. Objectives can all be considered a lie when you look at the performance of the Progressive Liberal Party over the past four plus years.   In this article it speaks about “…the economic independence of The Bahamas and empowerment of the people of the Bahamas  and seeking to maintain and promote a political, economic and social order which provides equal rights and opportunities for ALL citizens of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas within the framework of the party’s philosophy and Constitution, while we have only seen an increasing economic dependence on the government, which has actually been brought on and encouraged by this PLP government with very little in the way of having Bahamians become owners in their own country, as promised in the Preamble of The Progressive Liberal Party’s Constitution.

So maybe, Dr. Major is speaking from a more youthful perspective of what he once expected and what the march/protest highlighted was never delivered on, while George Smith still hangs on to the past, ever so resistant to change that is inevitable.

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END

The first thing that came to mind when I read the headline of The Nassau Guardian yesterday was the saying “Stupid is as stupid does”.  I always took this to mean that persons with the propensity to be stupid would always be followed by those that are just as stupid but I was wrong; it basically means that a person’s intelligence and commonsense are evidenced by the persons actions and not by a person’s looks.  In other words, stupid person is a person who does stupid things.

“Gibson defends Mitchell – ‘Minister had a right to urge PLP’s not to march” – The Nassau Guardian 11.30.2016

Excerpt from this article; “Minister of labour Shane Gibson yesterday accused the organizer of ‘We March Bahamas’ Ranard Henfield of practicing ‘selective democracy’ in his criticism of Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell, who urged PLP’s not to attend the event Friday.

‘Democracy must be democracy’, Gibson told The Nassau Guardian yesterday.

‘There cannot be selective democracy.  What gives you the right to say come and me not have the right to say don’t go?

What gives you that right?

‘Who crowned you and made you king?’

You tell people to come and the next mans tells people not to go, and you criticize him?

‘I don’t understand that.  Do you want democracy or not?  Do we have a new king?”

Mitchell has come under fire over a voice note in which he claimed the Black Friday march was politically motivated and said no PLP should be caught dead on it.”

Of course, Mr. Mitchell can say what he what he thinks is right but it does not make it right and since we live in a democratic society, he can be criticized for saying something that others may believe is not a proper statement from a member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister or just improper in general.

In my opinion this statement reeks of autocracy; allow me to explain why.

First, it would suggest that the minister speaks for all supporters of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) supporters and as the march called for transparency and accountability from this government and all successive governments, it would suggest that no PLP supporter that should have any faults with this government on any of these issues; this cannot be so and should never even have been suggested and two; there is nothing democratic about suggesting that a person’s constitutional right to freedom of association be based on party loyalties; this is an inherently wrong assertion and an even more asinine intimation.

Undoubtedly, there will be those that may read this and be offended by its ‘arrogance’ and brash expressions and I am willing to accept and live with this, as they to have their opinions, in a democratic society, I to have mine, so when did we get a new king and just purely out of curiosity; who was the old ‘king”?

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END

It is now four days since the “We March Bahamas” protest, which saw thousands of concerned citizens walk from Arawak Cay to Rawson Square, in demand of accountability and transparency from the present government and from all those with aspirations of one day representing the people of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas as an elected official, yet today the governing Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) still continues to feel ‘some sort of way’ about the march; taking it personally and attacking the organizers of the protest, the funny thing about it is that the march really wasn’t an anti-PLP demonstration, they just happened to be the government caught at the time being less than accountable and transparent with the people but then a guilty conscience can really take a toll on some people, damn who knew that anyone in this government even had a conscience?!

In an odd twist the Hon. Kenred Dorsett, Minister for the Environment, has stepped forward to show that himself to be a latest purveyor of utter nonsense and filth, as he seems to have become unhinged like some of his parliamentary colleagues, and attacks the organizers of the march.

“Dorsett: March organizer made mistake in rejecting PM meeting” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Minister of Environment Kenred Dorsett yesterday expressed disappointment at the ‘arrogance’ of organizer of ‘We March Bahamas’, saying while the Black Friday event was a testament to the strength of democracy in The Bahamas, the organization made a ‘mistake’ by turning down Prime Minister Perry Christie’s invitation to meet and discuss their concerns.

In a response to a letter from organizers, the prime minister released an open letter on Thursday night, inviting them to meet to engage in dialogue aimed at ‘improving the lives of citizens.

But founder of Our Carmichael and event organizer Ranard Henfield said o Friday he did not wish to meet in private.

He said the prime minister should address people publicly.

‘That was a mistake Dorsett said in a statement.

I believe the only way to address the challenges facing our country is to do so together and by staying open to talking to each other.

‘Divisive politics and rhetoric are not conducive to a stronger Bahamas.”

Actually, this is quite true, Mr. Dorsett, divisive politics and rhetoric’ really are not conducive to a stronger Bahamas, and the whole notion of the five-paged open letter/invite at the 13^th hour is a perfect example of ‘divisive politics and rhetoric’ and as it was seen as such, it was therefore rejected.  As minister Dorsett now wishes to express ‘disappointment at the arrogance of the organizers of ‘We March Bahamas’; I hang my head in shame as I too must express ‘disappointment’ in the ineptitude and incompetence of The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), as it seems to have made this vile but yet attempt to derail the planned march, when a letter asking for these issue to be addressed publicly was received by the OPM over a month before the event.

It is clear that the OPM attempted to engage in its own style of ‘divisive politics’ and lost.

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END

It would seem that the each and every time that any person of group of persons speaks out against the current Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government, then they are branded as being ‘unpatriotic’ or ‘dissidents’ with a political agenda; thus was the response by the PLP government to the “We March Bahamas” protest organizers that was held this past Friday; but the most amusing thing about this overreaction to this protest was that the protest was not anti-PLP but rather a protest against our eroding style of governance and the inaction to certain key social issues.

“PM suggests march was politically motivated” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article: “Prime Minister Perry Christie suggested over the weekend that the Black Friday march, organized by community activist Ranard Henfield and was attended by hundreds of Bahamians, was politically motivated.

Christie made the suggestion while on the new ‘What’s Happening’ show on Cool 96 in Grand Bahama.

‘The people who marched in New Providence and Grand Bahama and wherever else they marched. I invited them to come in and talk, because we’re at a very advanced stage (of the National Development Plan).

We finished the first draft of a national plan for the Bahamas, and the national plan picks up every issue they spoke about.”

I am sure that each and every church or/or civic organization consulted with can attest to the first draft of this plan being completed and being released to them for their review, right? 

It seems that whenever the Prime Minister is criticized for his inaction or the inaction of his government, he then proceeds to claim how he was just about to ‘pull the rabbit out of the hat’ and proceeds to speak to the wonderful ‘things’ that he and his government have been working on and the tremendous efforts being put into these ‘things’, so therefore while it may seem like a long time, it isn’t as long as it once was – the Prime Minister’s main philosophy ‘ ‘stall them”.

As expected the Prime Minister suggests that the march/protest was totally unnecessary because he had already reached out to the protest organizers to have a ‘talk’, the only problem is that the letter inviting the organizers to the Office of the Prime Minister for this ‘talk’ came on the eve of the protest/march; some now suggesting that it was sent earlier but the mail system has proven to be slow; really?

It is indeed ridiculous for the Prime Minister to now assert that he had extended the ‘olive branch’ when it now proven that is was just a little too late; as it would appear that the purpose of the letter in the first place was merely a late minute effort to make the case for the argument that he presents in the press today; that he has indeed responded and given the ‘invite to talk’; what was his reasonable expectation though?  That the event would be cancelled because the Prime Minister finally answered so now we are in ‘talks’?

So I shall end with words from the website ‘BahamasUncensored’, now confirmed as the brainchild of the member of Parliament for Fox Hill and minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Fred Mitchell; “At this point, letter writing, talking ain’t gonna do it.  Talk is cheap, money buys land.  December 2016 dictates that it is time for a Hail Mary F**king pass.  Don’t say we didn’t tell ya”, Is the Prime Minister aware that the time for talking has passed and now it the time for action?

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END

Prime Minister Perry Christie response to the Black Friday March is exactly why the march was put on in the first place, to demand accountability and transparency from the people that are supposed to govern the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and a part of this accountability is to be truthful with the people and I guess in the prime minister’s defense he was and this truthfulness that he allowed to slip  is indeed frightening.

“PM: I will meet protest leaders – Christie responds on eve of Black Friday March – The Tribune.

Excerpt from this article; “Amidst a defense of his government’s performance this term, Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday told organizers of today’s ‘We March Bahamas’ protest that he was ‘painfully aware’ that the country has suffered tremendous setbacks.

In advance of what has been foreshadowed to be a major protest against governance, Mr. Christie released a five-page response to the protest organizers that itemized reform initiatives and made the case that many setbacks were ‘beyond’ his administrations control.’

Here we have a group of disappointed members of the public that have come together four and half years into the Christie administration to voice their concerns about the state of the country and they are being told by Prime Minister Perry Christie that “he is painfully aware that the country has suffered tremendous setbacks’ and [that] “many of the setbacks were beyond his control”, thank you for your brutal honesty Mr. Prime Minister.

“In his letter, Mr. Christie told the group that his government remains resolute in its commitment to build and a peaceful, economically, progressive and politically enlightened society, and invited organizers to a meeting at his office at a ‘mutually convenient time’.

Mr. Christie stressed that his government has always worked and continues to work toward its core goal of improving the quality of life for its citizens”

The reason why many people marched was because in the past four and half years they have seen the quality of life on the decline for the average citizen so when the Prime Minister admits to being ‘painfully aware’ that the country has suffered tremendous setbacks, is he conceding the fact that his administration has failed at its core goal ‘of improving the quality of life for its citizens’?

It was my understanding that Prime Minister Perry Christie was notified of the march twice, far enough in advance of the planned date of the march to not have to pen a letter to the organizers the night before, but this seems to be typical of Prime Minister Perry Christie, always a day late and a dollar short, or maybe his intent was to dampen the impact of the demonstration in light of the traction and support that it had gathered by saying that he ‘reached out the them’, but the Prime Minister’s response, beside being late, in itself is indeed a troubling sign of a ‘leader’ that has lost all grasp of reality.

After four and half years the Prime Minister now seems to be willing to admit that the country has suffered ‘tremendous setbacks’, while after repeatedly reassuring the public that things were looking ‘dead good’ and getting better, we all knew they were not and this is why we marched and demanded answers and now we know why, it because the setbacks were beyond the control of the present administration, I honestly and fervently believe that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government, through sheer incompetence, ineptitude and laziness, created the environment for these ‘setbacks’ that the Prime Minister now claims was ‘beyond’ their control but now he would still wish to reassure the Bahamian people that him and his administration really do have all the answers; well a lot of the Bahamian people are not buying it because the PLP’s 2012 election campaign also sought to assure the people that the Christie administration has the answers, the people trusted him and his party and voted for his administration, and here we are four and a half years later with the Prime Minister now suggesting to us, the Bahamian people, that he may be out of his depth; why should we think that with more time he would be able to get control of the current issues that plague our country?

But as the Prime Minister sits back and does what he does best, play with words at the 13^th hour, we have Fred Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs, weighing in with nothing less than a blistering insult to the people of the Bahamas, who seek to ask for change, accountability and transparency from this government and all governments to follow that they entrust the affairs of country to, expecting them to  manage them in the best interest of the Bahamian people.

“Mitchell says protest won’t change ‘diddly squat’ – The Tribune 11.25.2016

Excerpt from this article; “Hours after the start of the ‘We March’ demonstration in Nassau on Friday an apparent audio recording of Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell condemning the protest as a propaganda exercise and forbidding his party’s supporters to attend was released on social media.

In the recording Mr. Mitchell aligned himself with political website bahamasuncensored.com – an admission that has long been rumored due to the pro-Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) slant on its content and vitriolic takedowns of persons or entities in opposition to the Cabinet minister and Fox Hill MP. “  It is good to see the member of parliament finally stop being a coward and finally coming out of the closet as the voice behind the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) propaganda webpage and I say kudos to him but I must ask, how can Fox Hill MP see it fitting and right for him to even suggest that supporters of the PLP should not have supported the protest that simply asked for transparency and accountability from government?  Is Fred Mitchell intimating for one minute that no matter what his government does and how adverse the public at whose pleasure  they serve feel about a certain issue, our only recourse would be to endure it; whatever happened to the PLP’s “I have a Voice”, pitch to the Bahamian people during the 2012 election campaign, was this a lie?

Has Mr. Mitchell taken the “You can go to God but it still has to come through me” approach to governance that Prime Perry Christie took?

Indeed, a lot is out of the Prime Minister and his government’s control; and we now have began to wonder if they ever had control of the situation.

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END