Archdeacon James Palacious.
By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
ANGLICAN Archdeacon James Palacious said yesterday that the Progressive Liberal Party appears to be “fighting for its life” and predicted that neither the governing party nor the Free National Movement will win 30 seats in next month’s general election.
Appearing as a guest on “The Real Deal” with host Ortland Bodie, Archdeacon Palacious said this election will be “difficult” for both the PLP and the FNM and at this point there is no way to “properly gauge how the results will go.”
His comments came one day after Deputy Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis predicted that the PLP will win 30 seats in the upcoming general election and the FNM will win nine.
Mr Davis said Bahamian people know it is too “risky” to put the country in the hands of the FNM and its leader Dr Hubert Minnis - who he described as incompetent.
“No one will win 30 seats,” Archdeacon Palacious said.
“It’s going to be very difficult, on both sides. When you see the crowds and enthusiasm on both sides you will able to gauge how the vote will go but right now it appears as though the PLP is fighting for its life, there is no doubt about that. On the other hand the FNM already have their posters up, very few PLP posters are up so next week when the rallies kick off in earnest, the real stuff not constituency openings, shortly after that you will see and be able to make a prediction.
“People are disgusted in the process they say ‘Peter no better than Paul’ and that’s why the DNA got so many votes the last time...The nation right now is in many ways in terrible shape. No doubt about it, so many things are going wrong. So many things we have not gotten right. This is not a political statement, it is a fact. That’s the bad news but things will never go in a way we would like them to go unless we participate individually and collectively in making it right.”
Archdeacon Palacious also implored Bahamians to be civil during “silly season” because “we have to live with each other afterward.”
“Be civil and act in a Christian-like manner,” he said.
“With social media, so many accusations and terrible things are being said on all sides of the divide and some of us engage in them. Some are untrue others are halfway true. We just propagate it and I urge people to be sensitive and sensible in all these things because we still have to live with each other afterward. Let’s not as non-politicians beat up on one another. They will have a good time after the dust is settled in fact even while the dust is still stirred up.”
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced that the general election will be held on Wednesday, May 10.
Comments
John 7 years, 7 months ago
Whether the PLP wins this election or not there will be an obvious changing of the guard. Perry Christie will have to fight hard to retain his seat so will V. Alfred Gray, Bernard Nottage Allison Maynard Gibson among others. Obie Wilchombe and Michael Halkitis and Jerome Fritzgerald will be running on tarnished credibilities and while Shane Gibson and Leslie Miller may have favor with the people, the electorate is looking beyond that. After over a decade of hard times they are looking for help and hope. On the other hand they seem more willing to give Hubert Minnis a chance, if only to get away from the PLP for a while. Many still view the DNA as a new kid on the block with more growing up to do. Some still view the DNA as spoilers of the last election. And Loretta Butler-Turner will be the most lonely and Lone Ranger candidate in the Election 2017, if nothing changes before nomination day. Her behavior towards Hubert Minnis was the same as Hillary Clinton's towards Batak Obama in the two US elections prior to the last one. The outcome of the referendum on gender equality should have cautioned her that Bahamians, women especially, are not yet ready to have Bahamian males bullied or controlled, especially in public places, by overly aggressive and overly ambitious women. She was the second in command of both the Opposition and the FNM and was a good compliment to Hubert Minnis. Now she faces one of the most uncertain elections in her political history. But yes the PLP if fighting for its life and a defeat at the polls will lead to a tough road of rebuilding ahead.
diggy 7 years, 7 months ago
I giving Minnis a try!
TalRussell 7 years, 7 months ago
Comrades! Happy to see "His Eminence" “The Real Deal” Ortland Bodie Jr., has landed hopefully well-paid - back on his talkie show feets.
Archdeacon Palacious, I remind you that this and every General Election, held in the Bahamalnd, since 1967 - has and will be “difficult” to gauge with any voter certainty.
Despite the predictions of the doomsayers- the Bahamaland is a democracy and all will be well once the 2017 votes tallies are known and made official - regardless of which party, or parties, form our new government 2017-2022.
DDK 7 years, 7 months ago
Are you wearing rose-coloured shades today?
TalRussell 7 years, 7 months ago
Comrade DDK, just you go ask any head doctor - what are the major obstacles to recovery? You know what the likely answer is? It's all the things you imagine are for real going on in your upstairs that are out touch reality . Comrade DDK, until you admit they ain't for real, you can’t begin to heal your upstairs. The moral story - you shouldn't be allowed to cast a vote come May 10, 2017, if your head is unbalanced.
SP 7 years, 7 months ago
After 5 Years Of Jackassery, Blatant Corruption & Asinine Stupidity What Did They Expect?
Almost impossible to measure which of the last 2 prime ministers led the most corrupt Cabinet and proved to be the biggest jackass on an international scale.
One unquestionable fact is, the vast majority of Bahamians outside of the friends, family and lovers circle are totally ecstatic to have these two top class buffoons behind us.
The PLP and FNM are both badly compromised by decades of common knowledge abject corruption, crippling systemic failure and collaborative treason against the people of the Bahamas.
They suddenly find themselves "Fighting for their lives" at the end of the game? Jackassery!
sheeprunner12 7 years, 7 months ago
Someone needs to rise up in the PLP ........... read the original 1953 PLP constitution .......... and take back that party from the Pingdomite Mafia kleptocracy that has hi-jacked this party for the past 30 years .............. This present PLP culture has to be cut-off and retired for at least ONE generation
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