By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
DEMOCRATIC National Alliance chairman Mark Humes yesterday accused the new government of 'backtracking' on election promises.
Hitting out at the government's recent admission that some promised initiatives will have to be scaled back in the first fiscal year, Mr Humes said the party should have been aware of the country's financial position before they took office.
"We notice how they're backtracking on stuff already despite the fact that they sat as opposition for the past five years," Mr Humes said.
He added: "They should have known what position the country was in, if they were paying attention. They should not have been surprised, they should have been prepared for the worst and had a contingency plan for the worst."
While unsuccessful in becoming the next government of the Bahamas, the DNA scored a significant and historic feat in the election.
The party, which celebrated its first anniversary on Saturday, garnered seven per cent of the electorate from the major parties and other independent candidates.
After taking time to reflect, Mr Humes said most candidates were in the planning stages of short and long-term community outreach projects.
He added: "We recognise that [the PLP] would say anything to get elected and that's what you're starting to see. Anything they said to get elected is proving to be nothing much. We're watching them, they asked for 100 days."
Mr Humes said the party remains vigilant on the issues and political landscape; however, they refrained from making any immediate press statements as the new Christie administration is established.
He said the party intends to release statements in response to a number of issues next week, including the government's mortgage relief plan.
Comments
dacy 12 years, 6 months ago
I AM SO GLAD TO SEE DNA DID NOT RIDE OFF INTO THE SUNSET...WITH EVERYONE MONITORING THIS GOVERNMENT THIS SOULD MINIMIZE THE DAMAGE WE CAN ALL SUFFER...
perspective 12 years, 6 months ago
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concernedcitizen 12 years, 6 months ago
you hit the nail on the head my good man/women
perspective 12 years, 6 months ago
BRANS THIRD PARTY MOVE WAS POLITICALLY AND STRATEGICALLY RETARDED. HE GUARANTEED THE WORST POSSIBLE ELECTION OUTCOME IN 2012 AND HE KNOWS IT.
NOW WITH DNA AND FNM COMPETING FOR A DIVIDED 50% OF THE ELECTORATE WHILE THE PLP KEEPS POSSESSION OF ITS INHERENTLY LARGER AND MORE LOYAL BASE....2017 WILL AGAIN BELONG TO THE PLP EVEN IF THE FNM AND DNA MAKE A CONVINCING ARGUMENT AGAINST THEM......IT IS A MATHEMATICAL INEVITABILITY.
CONGRATULATIONS BRAN FOR A GUARANTEE OF PERPETUAL PLP GOVERNANCE FOR THE NEXT 10 TO 15 YEARS.
THE ONLY SOLUTION IS A MERGER OF ELEMENTS OF DNA AND FNM........COUNTRY BEFORE VANITY AND POWER........WITH EGOS AS THE ONLY COMPASS FAILURE IS CERTAIN.
concernedcitizen 12 years, 6 months ago
once again your nailing it ,,,,,,theres an old saying "the people vote for a goverment that most represents themselves""" when the dodos out number thinking people this is what you get.............
Philosopher_King 12 years, 6 months ago
People get over this lesser of two evils corner you have painted yourselves in to. For most of us independent thinkers who supported the DNA have rightfully concluded that both the PLP and FNM are equally detrimental to our country's development and the vast majority of our interest. They both have basically the same fundamental positions on the pertinent issues, with the only real difference between their rule is who gets the greater share of the economic pie when either one is in office. For the PLP it is a few elite legacy families and individuals who descend from Africa and are uncomfortably too close to the political and party frontlines. While under the FNM it is mainly so called “Old Bahamian Families" of the established merchant class who lurk in the backgrounds and are the party’s financial benefactors, having had a virtual strangle hold on the economy from before prohibition days. Both negotiate with foreign investors from a position of weakness; allowing them to set our country’s development agenda and sell us out for cents on the dollar. Both neglect the whole development of the citizenry, ignore festering issues, are mired in last century’s thinking and are devoid of innovative 21st century solutions to our problems. So what the DNA represents to us is a glimmering hope of a chance that a younger post colonial Independence Generation lead group of intellectuals, entrepreneurs, professionals, artisans, activist and artist may be able to get past the vitriolic tribal politics of that has disadvantage the majority of us for 4 decades now. So if in building their party’s growing following they represent the votes that either the FNM or PLP mistakenly think caused them to lose another election or two, so be it “A pox on both your houses”.
concernedcitizen 12 years, 6 months ago
good comments ,both partys have to give give back to their financal backers ..i just think the fnm got more done with whats left ,,the dna is an interesting option ,maybe if they raised money with alot of small donations from the public ,,your comments bring up a good debate about campaign finance reform...just some musing, no pox on my house please
Philosopher_King 12 years, 6 months ago
CC the FNMs productivity is noted, dictatorships tend to accomplish a lot more than democratic debate on issues i.e. China vs India, but at what purpose and what is the ultimate cost? When FNM won in '07 I said that the urgency to regain power was driven by their financial benefactors desire to have a direct control over who would get the lion share of the pending record public works projects (New Port, Airport, Road Works etc…) and the $20B of then signed foreign investment deals the PLP initiated. This not the scandals or embarrassing behavior of the PLP was the driving factor behind the millions in contributions that flowed from the foreign interest, Eastern Road and Lyford Cay crowd to finance Citizen Igraham’s return. Thus ensued a 5 year period where Citizen Ingraham like an American politician mostly concerned himself with their agendas and dividing up the pie to them first, all while running record deficits and ignoring the financial ruin. social ills and crime that plagued the majority middle and working classes. Effectively they built a shining city on the hill inaccessible to the average Bahamian, and as long as their PLP nemesis didn’t get it and wealthiest Bahamians and foreign investors prospered it was fine with them. Well it’s not fine with me or many of us and unlike the US the vast majority of Bahamians who are not in the upper echelon of society vote. So all politicians need to face the new reality that they need to address a broader cross-section of society’s issues not just the moneyed up special interest or they’ll be kick to the curb in 5 years too.
TalRussell 12 years, 5 months ago
The DNA should not fear contesting the by election for Hubert's Abaco seat, if he really does resign. First order of business is to revise their strategy to get ready for a hard fight. Maybe allowing their party's chairman Mark Humes to take a new and fresh forward-looking approach over Comrade Bran's always on the 'backtracking' one that became even more confusing once the bell was rung. I personally would like to see the DNA 'win'' a seat to the native's House?
dacy 12 years, 5 months ago
wow TalRussell I agree with you Mark Humes as leader of the DNA! The moment I heard him speak at the Summitt 2012 I said there is the Leader...some have it and some dont....Mark Humes has IT!
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