The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport

Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

UNITED Democratic Party Leader Gregory Moss said the party would begin to strategically unveil between five and 10 of its candidates at a time starting this month, and another batch at the end of year.

The UDP has found some candidates in Grand Bahama, confirmed the MP for Marco City who formed the fledging party following his resignation from the governing Progressive Liberal Party party last June.

“We will start rolling out our candidates this month as planned,” Mr Moss told The Tribune.

“There are candidates for Grand Bahama, yes, but I am not naming them now; we are only going to be bringing between five and 10 candidates out first.”

The Freeport lawyer said the party intends to unveil another set of candidates in November to December, and the last remaining candidates in January.

“We expect persons are going to try to personalise the elections so we don’t want to expose our candidates to all of that beforehand,” he explained.

When asked whether he would consider teaming up with Ft Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins, who has indicated that he may run as an independent candidate in the upcoming election, Mr Moss said that he has “great respect” for his former PLP colleague who also quit the party last year.

“I have great respect for him; on the other hand he certainly is carving out his own path, and I respect him enough to leave him to do that.

“In my view, he would be an asset to any party that could have him, and certainly we would welcome him, but there is no discussion going on to that effect and there is no expectation really that that will happen.”

Mr Moss described Dr Rollins as one of the most talented politicians in the House of Assembly.

“He has one of the steepest learning curves that I have ever seen, even in areas where he does not have a history of prior expertise, he comes up to speed and surpasses most people around him very quickly.”

The UDP leader said that the future of the country is at stake and both the PLP and Free National Movement offer the same business as usual approach with the same old, tired politicians.

“It is the kind of reshuffling of the same stale, old deck that they have been shuffling for the last 20 years at least, and it doesn’t speak well for what we can expect from the politicians for this country.

“And so we are coming forward with a very open and honest message and it has been foreshadowed already in the House, and as the candidates are rolled out Bahamians will see it is not just a message of economic triage,” Mr Moss said.

Mr Moss also outlined his party’s plans for the country.

“We intend to go much further in moving this country forward from where it got stalled in the ’70s to rebuilding the middle class, to re-empowering financially with subsidies for the middle class; making education once again free and including tertiary level, provided persons meet the grade; and to maintaining health care as free, and not just this debacle of NHI, of paying twice for the same public health system.

“And so all of that messaging is coming out, but the timing is important and we are very deliberate as to our timing with unveiling candidates,” he said.

Turning to Grand Bahama, Mr Moss said the UDP would repeal the $2 billion tax break given to the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) and Hutchison Whampoa.

“Parliament recently passed a law giving tax breaks to the GBPA and Hutchison Whampoa that equals $100 million a year for the next 20 years.”

He said it made no sense and will not benefit Grand Bahama.

“What has happened in Grand Bahama is that we have relegated once again to a pattern we have seen over the last 20 years. We have done nothing to improve it, and unless we change it’s going to just continue down this slide.

“Our party intends to repeal that tax break and use the money, a substantial portion of the $100 million per year to reinvigorate the economy of Grand Bahama, and particularly the middle class business sector,” he said.