The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE Democratic National Alliance’s membership has swelled to more than 30,000 people, according to leader Branville McCartney, who hit out at the government and official opposition over their lack of public disclosures yesterday.

With a fee of $10 for an annual standard membership, and $5 for students or seniors, the political organisation has raked in more than $150,000 since it was established in May 2011 from membership fees.

Yesterday, Mr McCartney questioned whether or not Prime Minister Perry Christie or Opposition Leader Dr Hubert Minnis intended to act on the admissions of members of Parliament that they were in contravention of the law.

“I want to know whether or not this prime minister, who has been sitting for decades, whether he has disclosed,” he said.

“If he has not disclosed, whether or not he is willing to pay the fine of 10,000 per nondisclosure? Dr Minnis has (disclosed), but his deputy has not. Last week, he made passionate comments about the matter, two days later his deputy admitted that she has not disclosed. In light of that, what is the leader going to do with his deputy?

Mr McCartney added: “Should his deputy go to jail, should his deputy pay the fine, should she remain as deputy? I’m curious to see whether the leader of the official opposition will act on that.”

To date, 11 of 38 members of Parliament have confirmed to The Tribune that they had filed all their annual disclosures.

Under the Public Disclosure Act, disclosures must be turned into the Public Disclosures Commission by March each year.

Mr McCartney underscored the impact of poor or weak leadership on crime and the rule of law in the country, adding that the current government has established a track record of indifference towards the law. He cited the debacle over tax consultant Ishmael Lightbourne, and recent revelations over the debts owed by chairman Leslie Miller to the Bahamas Electricity Corporation.

He added that the disclosure issue was also not taken seriously by the former administration, when he raised the matter some four years ago.

Mr McCartney said: “It shows that we as a society pay no attention to the law, which is a bad example for the people of this country, and again internationally. It does not bode well for persons looking in to see the number of persons who have not disclosed and sit in parliament [yesterday] with no repercussions.”

He said: “We have seen where leadership has paid no attention to the law, and hence crime is out of whack and persons are not paying attention to the law. This is just one example of it, they hired persons to do a certain job when those persons are in fault of the law. The prime minister was responsible for putting these people there and I look to him for the foolishness that has been going on.”

The DNA plans to host its convention shortly after the major political parties have held their own, according to Mr McCartney, who said his party plans to “wrap it up, and bring it home”.

The organisation has unofficially identified “the majority” of candidate hopefuls for the next election, but nominees will have to go through the candidacy committee process mandated by the DNA constitution, he said.

At that time, Mr McCartney said that all posts will be up for grabs - including his own.

In an interview with The Tribune, he attributed a recent jump in numbers to widespread dissatisfaction with major political factions.

Mr McCartney said: “The last time I spoke of card carrying members, it was over 25,000. Now you know people can support you but not necessarily have a card. The only time I became a card-carrying member [of the FNM] was when I was nominated to run. We just had a meeting, and the DNA has an excess of 30,000 card carrying members.

“People are saying (you all) don’t even have to say anything, [the Free National Movement and the Progressive Liberal Party] are imploding themselves, both of them. I was in Bamboo Town last night, where I may go back.

He said: “On the ground, all we’re hearing is ‘we tired of the FNM and the PLP, they are two sides of the same coin’. But look at what is going on, what a disgrace.”