Mitchell says thank you – as election clock ticks

Former Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell.

As of Thursday, March 16, 2017

By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

AN emotional speech by Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell in the House of Assembly yesterday has heightened speculation that the government will “ring the bell” for the general election very soon.

Mr Mitchell thanked his colleagues in the House for their years of dedicated service and foreshadowed a win for the Progressive Liberal Party at the polls.

He told the Lower House that his party was “the greatest political organisation in this country” and said he looks forward to continue to serve “should the people allow it”.

Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins also thanked his constituents and Prime Minister Perry Christie for giving him the opportunity to serve while confirming that he will not be offering himself as a candidate in the next general election.

There has been no firm indication from the Christie administration on when the next general election will be held, with the Prime Minister suggesting three months ago that a potential date hinged on voter registration numbers.

Those comments came in December, amidst a slow registration period. Over the course of the last six weeks, however, numbers have steadily increased.

As of yesterday, 138,564 people of an estimated 172,000 eligible voting population have registered.

Political pundits have speculated that the PLP will dissolve the House of Assembly within the next two weeks, submit its writ for a general election and commence its campaign machinery. The next election must be called on or before May 9.

Mr Mitchell said regardless of the election date, the PLP will put up a “strong fight” with the hopes of being able to continue “making the country better and stronger”.

“The PLP is going to have a strong fight in the next general election. We have candidate in every seat and we will make a strong push as to why there should be continuity of governance in this country because we did the heavy lifting the past five years. We have given many people an opportunity and a chance to succeed,” Mr Mitchell said.

“The PLP is still the greatest political organisation in this country. There is none other that can compete with the PLP, none other. We pledge, as we face this country in the next general election, to provide a promise of good governance to make this country stronger. We took this country into independence and we mean to keep it the best little nation on this earth.

“To all my colleagues it has been a great honour serving with you and I look forward, if the people allow it, to come back here.”

For his part, Dr Rollins said he “did not know how many more opportunities” he will have to say goodbye, and as such, he thanked the people of Fort Charlotte and the Prime Minister for giving him a voice in Parliament.

“I don’t know how many more opportunities I’ll have to come to this place, but I wish to thank the people of Fort Charlotte for reposing their confidence in me and for allowing me to be what I said I would be and that is the voice in this place,” Dr Rollins said.

“I would be ungrateful if I did not say thank you to the Progressive Liberal Party, its stalwart councillors of Fort Charlotte, its foot soldiers and, yes, I want to thank the right honourable member for Centreville for giving me this opportunity. But I hope you understand that for all I have done to hold you accountable it has been to promote a better country, so that those in my generation would be in a position to see a better future than our present.

“So as I am a member of the FNM and I remain a member of the FNM I am not too big to acknowledge where I ought to be thankful.”

paperbahamian 7 years, 1 month ago

172,000 out of 350,000? Not good numbers when only half the population is eligible to vote.

sheeprunner12 7 years, 1 month ago

Because we have 100,000 illegals or "others" living here

sp1nks 7 years, 1 month ago

Oh boy, someone is preparing to lose a cabinet post. #cantwait

TalRussell 7 years, 1 month ago

Comrades! Upon refection over the past 5 years, Fox Hill's MP Freddy will be entering the 2017 General Election as the only current cabinet minster with broad cross political parties support. Too bad for constituents that a candidate can only run for one political party in any election to the House as a MP.

Honestman 7 years, 1 month ago

Reflection over too many glasses of whisky is unreliable! Fred Mitchell personifies the immaturity of The Bahamas as a sovereign Nation.

TalRussell 7 years, 1 month ago

Comrade Honestman, unless something dramatic occurs prior to the PM runging of the 2017 General Election bell, a new poll indicates that the really hard-core group of voters who will make up about 37.02% per cent of all registered voters, are of the mindset to mark their X's for the various PLP. candidates.

Honestman 7 years, 1 month ago

And polls were really reliable in the case of BREXIT and the more recent US elections weren't they? In all my years of living in The Bahamas, I have never known a more unpopular Prime Minister and government. I can't find anyone who has a good word to say about them but then I don't travel to Fox Hill very often.Mitchell is probably in safe territory in that blinded constituency.

banker 7 years, 1 month ago

Tal has a mental handicap when it comes to arithmetic. He/she/it makes up numbers. Remember the wildly popular Rawson Square March, and Tal said that there were exactly 437 marchers -- an invented number that was an order of magnitude or more inaccurate. Tal - the .02 was an incredibly nice touch. It is the exact fraction of a decent person that Fred Mitchell is. Have you read the Wikileaks about what the Americans have to say about Fweddy? Or the Chinese intelligence agencies for that matter when he went to China to visit our Ambassador, Phillip Miller, who is a bird of a feather. I am told that it was a culinary feast, they particularly enjoyed authentic dishes like Sum Yung Guy.

kairosmatt 7 years, 1 month ago

Search Mitchell on this site or Guardian. He is well spoken( unlike our vocally crippled and challenged PM) but his record is horrid. Especially on issues of free speech.

John 7 years, 1 month ago

Hope Minnis is taking hints. The window is quickly closing for elections to be called. One print shop is burning the midnight oil printing political posters and paraphanila. So apparently when Christie does ring the bell all of his party's battle gear, including money bearing t-shirts will be ready.

Publius 7 years, 1 month ago

The next election must be called on or before May 9.

Not correct.

sheeprunner12 7 years, 1 month ago

True ............ Perry has until July- August (if he so chooses) ........ people need to know what is in the law .......... Pindling used the "delay tactic" many times!!!!!!!!!

ThisIsOurs 7 years, 1 month ago

Can't happen till after the euphoria of the relays and carnival

licks2 7 years, 1 month ago

THE HOA MUST BE DISSOLVED BY MAY 2ND. . . HE CAN MAKE THE BIG FIGHT IN AUGUST. . .BUT IF HE DOES. . .HE WILL SHOW US THAT HE KNOWS WHAT WE GAT FER HE BACKSIDE. LOL! Either way. . .may 2nd we are done with his bucha poor politicians. . .how long after that he wait for that bust him we ger gee him. . .let him wait!!

Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 1 month ago

Re-post: For Brave Davis to confess that the Bahamian government was aware early on of the human rights abuses by the Red China government occurring on Bahamian soil but did nothing about it is tantamount to an admission that these abuses were sanctioned by the Bahamian government and, worse still, in the eyes of the world, the Bahamian people. The crimes committed here go well beyond the human rights abuses many claim the incarcerated at Fox Hill prison are subjected to. The CCA employees were foreign nationals on our soil who were effectively enslaved by their employer (CCA) with the knowledge and consent of the Bahamian government as a result of CCA taking custody and withholding their travel documents (passports) and work permits. This is unconscionable and violates numerous international accords on human rights abuses to which the Bahamas is a party. But true to form we do not hear a peep from Fred Mitchell, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, or Perry Christie, as Prime Minister, about the reasons why the Bahamas government allowed itself, by its own inaction, to play a duplicitous role in foreign nationals on Bahamian soil being subjected to abject conditions of forced labour that meet the very definitions of human bondage and slavery. And to think our DPM, Brave Davis, has effectively confirmed that these same human rights abuses are likely still going on in our country today with respect to CCA's employees engaged at the Baha Mar and The Pointe construction sites. This is truly unfathomable as we have here proof of Bahamian government officials confessing to having knowledge of, and participation (by omission of necessary action) in internationally recognized crimes of the highest order against foreign nations. Perry Christie and Fred Mitchell truly belong you know where for having effectively sanctioned these atrocities!

DDK 7 years, 1 month ago

Very well put. These gangsters MUST go!

Porcupine 7 years, 1 month ago

If the PLP and people like Fred Mitchel are the best The Bahamas has to offer, God help this country. I have never witnessed such a shabby group of individuals, dressed up as respectable people, with their heads up their butts. Mitchel alone is enough to make one wonder what this world is coming to. an it really get any worse. Sadly, it seems, yes.

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