The Free National Movement launch event for its regional candidates at on Pinewood Park. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Deputy Chief Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr Hubert Minnis last night compared himself to Prime Minister Perry Christie, saying unlike the nation’s leader he will be fully in charge of his Cabinet, bringing direction and competence to government.
Pointing to his own shortfalls in public speaking, Dr Minnis said while he is not a “fancy” speaker, he is genuine and will bring straight talk to Bahamians if his party wins the imminent general election.
Speaking during his party’s candidate’s launch at the Pinewood Gardens Park last night, Dr Minnis said another term under the Progressive Liberal Party the country could expect to see more corruption.
He further alluded to Mr Christie’s infamous “flip of the bird” during a Progressive Liberal Party event last month, telling FNMs that the Prime Minister only expressed regret over the hand gesture because someone “took a photo” of the incident.
“Being Prime Minister requires many traits,” Dr Minnis told the hundreds of supporters gathered. “As Prime Minister, I will bring a strong ethic of hard work. I may not be a fancy talker, but I’m genuine. I will give you straight talk, not fairytales and make-believe. My government will boldly and resolutely embark on a new era of reform and modernisation for a 21st century Bahamas.
“Unlike Christie, I will be fully in charge of my cabinet. I will bring direction and focus, qualities Christie sorely lacks. I will bring discipline to government, something Christie is incapable of doing. I will not run a ‘late-again’ government. Unlike Christie, my administration will be decisive.
“Unlike Christie, I will be in charge of my government. The poor and disadvantaged will be front and centre in a Hubert Minnis administration. My government will not waste the VAT money and other revenue on lavish travel, Carnival and massive waste by ministers. Carnival will be privatised. My government wouldn’t even dream of giving away 20,000 acres in Andros to foreigners.
“The FNM will not allow foreigners to do commercial fishing in our waters. Unlike the PLP, my government will be accountable and transparent. I will expose the PLP’s wheeling and dealing over the past five years. We will weed the out the rot of the PLP.”
The event was the FNMs official regional launch of South Beach candidate Jeff Lloyd, Reuben Rahming for Pinewood, Romauld Ferreira for Marathon, Renward Wells in Bamboo Town and Halson Moultrie for Nassau Village.
Mr Wells, during his address to supporters, drew attention to concerns in the Parliamentary Registration Department. He said the PLP seemed to be preparing to “steal” the election. He echoed calls for international observers. The government announced yesterday that four international organisations had been invited to observe the process and that two had already accepted.
When he took the stage, Mr Rahming said the party intends to address chronic flooding in the constituency. He also pledged that should the FNM become the next government, many residents who are living in “death traps” will have their roofs repaired. He was referring to the concrete make-up of the majority of homes in Pinewood, which he now claimed were collapsing on inhabitants.
Mr Lloyd took a similar tone, pointing to the failures of the government. He said the Christie administration has not built any new schools this term and an FNM administration would not only build schools but give more attention to the educational system.
Comments
Hogfish 7 years, 7 months ago
We will be hoping the good doctor will remember his promise NOT to be taking a ministry !!
Will be the first test of his character and integrity if he is able to keeps his word and promises when the temptations of the cookie jar of the Ministry of Finance are dangled in front and for his taking.
Just like Mr. Panama Christie. !
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 7 months ago
Dimwitted Doc Minnis couldn't lead a swarm of flies to a pile of horse dung!
Sickened 7 years, 7 months ago
I wid you Doc. After voting for all kinds of third parties and independents that last 4 elections I am rocking' with the FNM this go round. I am taking no chances that liars and thieves are returned to office. Shit! I may even go to a rally and write a cheque.
Greentea 7 years, 7 months ago
Why am I not comforted by this statement?
jackbnimble 7 years, 7 months ago
Lol. My thoughts exactly.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 7 months ago
Doc Minnis is capable of being a CEO of The Bahamas........... he has a far better track record of managing a business and being a productive private sector entrepreneur than Pindling, Ingraham or Christie ......... The man came into politics as an accomplished professional and businessman ........ You cannot say that about our PMs of record
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 7 months ago
You are a truly blind fly but no doubt one with a great sense of smell. Therefore you might be lucky enough to land on that pile of horse dung without the help of the Dimwitted Doc.
concernedcitizen 7 years, 7 months ago
Are you a medical Doctor that came from poverty and built a multi million dollar net worth ?I,m tired of slick talk , my Legal counsel , may he RIP , went to law school w/ PGC and his nick name some 40 0dd years ago was "Lord Bull " I don,t swear by party , I have voted both PLP and FNM ,,but this time I will take my chance w, Doc ..Montel Williams told me all about the apartment PGC ,Bethel got from the Chinese over looking Central park to stiff Izzie out of Baha mar and sell out the Bahamas
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 7 months ago
So now you want the Dimwitted Doc to get an even bigger condo with a much better view of Central Park?! The Doc is very capable of "out doing" Crooked Christie when it comes to basking in corruption. No, I'm not a physician, and, as for my net worth, well that's really none of your business. But I can say I'm completely "self-made" and what I'm worth greatly exceeds the $12 million the Dimwitted Doc claims to be worth. You can waste your vote on the Doc or other FNM candidate running in your constituency, but you can be rest assured I will not do likewise and with good reason.
concernedcitizen 7 years, 7 months ago
If as you say your net worth is none of by business , but you couldn,t help yourself from claiming to be worth more than 12 million , so you think it is my business .Well my net worth,, be it more than one dollar or less than a billion really is no ones business . Voting for a independent is a waste , even though we have a parliamentary system we are mostly voting for the leader . I know how much Christie and the Bagman Bethel will sell us out for , I will take my chance w/ Doc .The same way Williams threw Bethel off his yacht my Pop and I politely asked Bethel and M Butler to leave our office b/c we where busy when they tried to get their claws into something my great granddaddy founded
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 7 months ago
Geeez! I didn't raise the matter of net worth - you did!
Honestman 7 years, 7 months ago
Mudda / Reality Check: your supposed high net worth only gets you one vote like the rest of us. The FNM will win the upcoming election whether you rate Doc or not.
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 7 months ago
Sadly though, money does indeed buy the outcome of elections and favoritism from governments. Just ask Sebas Bastian and Craig Flowers.
banker 7 years, 7 months ago
And you sir, are on a level as bullshit artist with the best of them. I really don't understand your agenda, considering that I think that I know who you are.
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 7 months ago
No, I'm not Russian!
birdiestrachan 7 years, 7 months ago
Right Just as he was in charge of Butler Turner and the other FNM Members of the house. The FNM believe him ,though, because they believe the sky is Red even when it is Blue.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 7 months ago
Birdie ......... you do not know the difference between a CEO and a despot ...... The three Bahamian PMs were all despots
TalRussell 7 years, 7 months ago
Comrade Minnis. More Bahamalanders want to support you for PM but remain sitting on the support fence.
This has little to do about how good or bad you talk. They're just not sure if they want to risk wasting their vote on your leadership?
To become Prime Minister in mere weeks, you must get about the work of proving that you're worthy of the nation's top chief executive's job?
There's no running away from reality that it was you as party leader who allowed Loretta to position herself into your job as official opposition leader. It was under your leadership that your House Of Assembly MP's were shrunken by Seven, and left the core base of thousands red party supporters feeling demoralized.
With all due respect, Minnis, granted you're a rich man, a nice man, a honest man, a medical doctor, good family man, and with business success - but your problem has and remains leadership, not how good or bad you talk.
Cases in point. You should have dismissed Loretta, from day one her backstabbing, and not allowed her monkey around with you.
You should have either made a deal with Bran, or kissed him goodbye.
Others see you as indecisive.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 7 months ago
Tal ............ God works in mysterious ways ........... as with Nature, you grow best after having been pruned ..... the pruning that took place within the FNM last December was the stimulus that has led to the impending "red tsunami"
TalRussell 7 years, 7 months ago
Comrade Sheeprunner12, days to maybe 2 weeks, before the PM rungs the 2017 General Election cow bell - so tell Minnis, to take his pruning shears to clip a few them announced red candidates out the red party's garden. .
Cobalt 7 years, 7 months ago
I'm not particularly "gun- hoe" about voting for Doc Minnis either. But the sad truth is the Bahamas would not survive another five years under Perry Christie.
The PLP has been a failure beyond belief. There is no doubt that Perry and his crew has brought our country to social and financial disaster. We're still not sure what we're going to get under Hubert Minnis. But we're already 100% sure what we will get under Perry Christie.
So I'll take my chances with Doc Minnis. This will be the first time in Bahamian history that our country will have a PM who was never a PLP nor brought into politics and trained in the political tactics of Sir Lynden Pindling. For the first time we'll have a PM who is not a PLP.
Emac 7 years, 7 months ago
Yep!
Honestman 7 years, 7 months ago
Amen to all that!
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 7 months ago
If Minnis was honest he would tell you himself that he has voted PLP on more occasions than he has voted FNM. But that's irrelevant. The man is simply too darn dumb, incompetent and greedy to do anything but make matters much much worse than we could ever imagine.
banker 7 years, 7 months ago
I am friggin' amazed at some of the policy coming out of doc's assemblage of candidates. It is progressive first-world shiite and it will fundamentally change many things. The policy that is being discussed as platform gives me a small measure of hope in the darkness. I am hearing things that take courage to implement, yet are finally, for the good of the country.
Stapedius 7 years, 7 months ago
Whatever happens this election I pray our country can move forward. We are too stagnant and slow to progress. The PLP has frustrated the country with its lack of action. This is what happens when you have an indecisive, lazy PM. He didn't even make the effort to shuffle his cabinet. Just comfortable with the status quo. So now we can only hope for meaningful change and governance . Whoever has the privilege of serving our country as government I would hope fights for us and makes some big bold moves to advance this country.
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