The Tribune

By PAUL G TURNQUEST Chief Reporter pturnquest@tribunemedia.net BRANDING Branville McCartney as a man with unbridled "ambition to achieve power", Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said Bamboo Town now deserves an MP who is more interested in them, rather than "himself". Opening his party's constituency office for his candidate Cassius Stuart, Mr Ingraham told party supporters last night the next FNM government would need "reliable, committed people" on their "delivery team". "We need Cassius Stuart. Even though still a young man, Cassius has earned his stripes. He has been in the vineyard for some time. This year here in Bamboo Town he will reap what he has sown in terms of his love for the Bahamian people. He will be the next MP for Bamboo Town. "Cassius is a fighter. He desires to be of service to The Bahamas. He is making that desire come true through the FNM. Cassius is a smart man, Bamboo Town. He has both a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree. He has a passion for youth development and business. This is the kind of young man who can help motivate other young Bahamians," he said. Taking a swipe at the area's current MP, Mr McCartney, who heads the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), Mr Ingraham said the FNM did send a 'young man' to Bamboo Town in 2007 - but misjudged him. "He swore on to our team and you elected him as an FNM. We misjudged him. Behind his affable smile was unbridled ambition to achieve power. He proved not to be interested in delivering for you but rather, achieving for himself. "Now he tells you the Bahamas needs new leadership. Well in order to lead, you must first learn to follow. Anyway, show him what you 'gat plan for him this time," Mr Ingraham charged. If re-elected to office, Mr Ingraham said his party would build an "Opportunity Society" by providing every major island with the infrastructure and services necessary to attract domestic and foreign investment. This initiative, he said will also be geared towards attracting Bahamians to also return to 'the island'. "So, in our next term we will launch the "Back to the Island" initiative, which will provide additional incentives for those from New Providence who seek to return to the Family Islands to start businesses and create employment. Already, the Family Island Development Act provides customs duty concessions for developments taking place in our less developed islands especially in the Southern Bahamas. "In our next term in office, we will extend those concessions and introduce new incentives including microloans and other measures meant to spur on investment in all of our islands from Grand Bahama and Abaco to Inagua. "New Providence is our capital island. But we have a whole country to build from Inagua to the Abaco Cays. Your FNM has begun this work. We will do even more in our next term," he said.