The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Staff Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Constituency Party leader Ali McIntosh yesterday announced that a newly-formed coalition of independent candidates aims to either directly contest, or support a candidate in all seats in the upcoming general elections. Determined to encourage a "conservative agenda", Ms McIntosh said, the coalition will endorse candidates from mainstream political parties who represent its values. "Despite being disadvantaged by financial constraints, direct sabotage by political operatives of other political parties, the BCP will not be deterred in its efforts to provide hope for the Bahamaland," she said. "Independent candidates involved in collaborations, and several candidates from other parties that we believe will represent the type of values and integrity we believe is necessary for good governance - the BCP will not offer candidates in those areas, it will provide an endorsement of the candidacy of the individual, despite their party affiliation." BCP candidates announced so far include: Colin Miller, Exuma and Ragged Island; Brenda Harris, Seabreeze; Dr Shandy Andrews, Bamboo Town; Dr James Lowe, South and Central Abaco; Simone Smith, Pinewood; Roderick Smith, Fox Hill; Paul Rolle, Englerston; Troy Garvey, Marco City; Philip Thomas, East Grand Bahama. Ms McIntosh, a former journalist and youth counsellor, will contest the North Abaco seat against Free National Movement leader Hubert Ingraham. With 12 years of planning and development behind it, Ms McIntosh said, the party represents a new and enlightened effort to support the core values embraced by the nation's founders. These values include: Self-discipline, industry, loyalty, unity, and an abiding respect for Christian principles and the rule of law. Ms McIntosh said: "When we bring that out as a mandate for the BCP, it gives not only politicians and leaders a new look at how they should be governing but it gives the people, the electorate, an opportunity to view what the founders intended in terms of how we create a country, and to look at candidates based on those core values and how they should elect people." More information on the party's platform and mandate can be found at www.bcp bahamas.com.