The Tribune

PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts has lambasted the Minnis administration for its first 100 days in office, saying the new government has not kept its key election promises.

The Progressive Liberal Party member’s comments came hours after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and the Free National Movement celebrated the anniversary of the FNM’s 1992 general election victory.

“I am loath to respond to any speech or public commentary attributed to Prime Minister Minnis because he is a stranger to the truth and Bahamians have no legitimate reason to believe anything he has to say,” Mr Roberts noted.

“As for the FNM’s August 1992 election victory, they have a right to celebrate that anniversary but their social policies over the years have led to mass social dislocation and a precipitous rise in crime and general social decay. Minnis could blame crime on the 1980s drug trade all he wants but the vast majority of the perpetrators and victims of crime are young black males in their twenties who were born during the 1990s. One of the most glaring failures of the FNM is their social policy that continues to cause this country great harm.”

He said in the first 100 days, Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation employees have been wrongfully arrested and detained while some civil servants have been fired “based purely on politics.”

Mr Roberts added: “None of the promises he made to the poor were kept: not on VAT elimination and not on tax exemptions for inner city communities to facilitate the development of those vulnerable areas. He has no policy on Baha Mar, Grand Bahama, the unacceptably high levels of crime, environmental protection, energy sector reform or the economy. He continues to talk down the Bahamian economy locally and internationally while injuring this country’s international reputation through ill-advised commentary.”

Mr Roberts said the FNM has moved to put in place measures which he believes will help big businesses and party donors, citing a reduction in business license fees as placing millions of dollars into the pockets of companies generating $50m per year or more.

He also said: “Absolutely nothing the FNM said during the election campaign was true and they have been walking back, back peddling and climbing down . . . ever since May 10.

“Minnis must abandon with his public relations stunts as he buys time, the pointless photo opportunities, the public deceit, the sleight of hands and misleading the Bahamian people and start addressing the issues that really matter to the Bahamian people.

“Bahamians are worse off under this Minnis led FNM government.”