The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL kvirgil@tribunemedia.net DESPITE seeking election in a constituency that has been FNM for the past 10 years, PLP candidate Arnold Forbes insists he has a good chance of winning. Discussing his work in Mount Moriah, which began more than 18 months ago, Mr Forbes said he and his team are now ready to tackle the concerns of constituents. He said: "I believe that I bring to the table a representative who would care for his people. I would not be an absentee one. "I believe it is most important that people see me on a regular basis and that I am there to deal with problems in the community. "Most of the people I've touched are simple, with simple needs that have not been met. "In me, they have someone who will make sure their needs are met." Topping the list of concerns for residents, Mr Forbes said, is the need to feel safe and secure. "Most people have concerns over the crime situation and not coming back to their homes to find someone in it. They want to feel safe and come home to meet their home intact," he said. The president and director of Del Sol Productions Ltd and Bahamia Ltd said Mount Moriah constituents are also feeling the economic pinch and many are unemployed. "People want jobs," he said. "In every home that I've been to, there are people who just want to work. "They want to provide for themselves." Mr Forbes will be up against one of the leaders of the FNM, Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest, but the challenger is feeling confident, and is already making plans to hit the ground running after the election. He said: "Mount Moriah needs a food bank. There are people in the constituency, specifically children, who are going to bed hungry every night." A community after-school programme is another initiative Mr Forbes wants to introduce right away. "Idle hands are the devil's workshop, so the children need to have something to do after hours. In that, the education problem can be addressed," he said. "As far as crime is concerned and people not being able to get jobs, a lack of proper education is in the forefront," he said. In the coming four to six weeks, Mr Forbes hopes to canvas the areas of the constituency he has not yet visited.