Protestors at the 'Enough is Enough' march.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Free National Movement has dismissed Wednesday’s protest march as a Progressive Liberal Party event, calling it disorganised and small.
Several hundred people had protested from Blue Hill Road to Bay Street, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis over a host of reasons, including escalating electricity costs.
In a press statement, FNM chairman Carl Culmer said: “Weeks prior to the march they heavily promoted the event and went on to say the event is non-political, however, as the march drew closer it was clear that it was a PLP-led demonstration.
“Much like the PLP, the march was a complete failure as they could draw only 300 people to march with them. Apart from the small numbers, the march was disorganised with printed paraphernalia and the two main leaders arriving late.”
A source in the FNM said insiders had been concerned about the march until several days out when it seemed unlikely to rival the significance of the We March protest in the months before the 2017 general election.
The FNM’s statement said: “The FNM supports the freedom of speech and the right for people of this country to demonstrate freely. The march on Wednesday showed us several things - the PLP is desperate to get back in power and will use anybody to disrupt. The march also showed us the level of support for the PLP in this country is less than it was May 10, 2017, however, the old, tired and hypocritical ‘Brave’ Davis and his PLP still do not understand the people are done with them. Finally, the march showed us that the people of the Bahamas are still prepared to give the FNM time to do its job to ‘repair’ this country from the damage it received under the PLP administration. The old and tired PLP had a strong message sent to them today by the people of the Bahamas. They were soundly rejected by the poor turnout Wednesday morning.”
FNM Senator Jamal Moss hit out at the protest in his own statement yesterday, calling the PLP hypocritical.
He said: “PLP Leader Philip Davis and Englerston MP Glenys Hanna-Martin were among the same characters who did not come out of the House of Assembly during last year’s ‘We March’ to hear the cries of the people or even pay mind to them. Instead, these were the same people who told their supporters not to march or in the words of their former MP, now chairman, Fred Mitchell, ‘no PLP should be caught dead in it.’ Now suddenly, the PLP MPs, former MPs and their supporters can find the time to either march, be with the people or even speak for them. There is an old saying in politics that ‘hypocrisy is a political sin’ and by what we saw, this is hypocrisy at its best. Davis should be the last person to talk about Bahamas Power and Light because he serves as the former minister of works and under his watch nothing substantial was done to improve the company.”
Comments
proudloudandfnm 6 years ago
Wow. No way this administration can be this clueless....
Wow....
This administration is a total failure. Yinna better wake up...
SP 6 years ago
What jackass Carl Culmer is pretending to ignore is those 300 people each represent a minimum multiple of 5 persons average per household, which actually equals 1500 people! When compounded with thousands more like myself with families of 5, who could not go, the march was actually a tremendous success!
We must get rid of the FNM and PLP if we'er serious about saving our country.
BahamaPundit 6 years ago
Speechless. I have never heard such a stupid assertion. Wow. Wow. Wow. That's it. Man. Bahamians cannot be trusted with power. It goes to their heads. They become completely insane with power!!!! I cannot cannot believe they said this!!!!
stillwaters 6 years ago
This fellow is becoming dismissive, just like Bradley and Freddy. My God, is this what I voted for???????? To just casually dismiss people's concerns. Only a small number were there, but many of us would have been there if we had known about the march.
BahamaPundit 6 years ago
I now realise no laws will save this country. The corrupt mindset of our leaders will usurp any laws we pass. There is no hope with this lot. Bahamian leaders are enemies of the citizens period.
birdiestrachan 6 years ago
WE March came about to close to the general election, Toggie and boggie and the release of Mr: Fitzgerald memos. it was all a plot.
Their FNM beliefs are good. They should just continue to believe their own Lies.
The lives of Bahamians has become worse under the FNM. they have made life harder. They have taken away the buying power of the average Bahamians. 60 % increase in VAT is not easy.
stillwaters 6 years ago
Wasn't a plot, Birdie. The PLP were actually, in real life thieves, gangsters, and the most arrogant people in the world!!!!!!! I am disappointed with the FNM, but NEVER want to see the PLP back in power!!!!!!
DDK 6 years ago
Right on!
BahamaPundit 6 years ago
I agree.
tell_it_like_it_is 6 years ago
To be honest, the FNM is proving itself to be just like the PLP!
I am truly disappointed in ALL of them.
I no longer have faith in our political systems. This is all so disappointing and SAD! Culmer is totally out of touch with the struggles of the average, everyday Bahamian!
BahamaPundit 6 years ago
Yes. This too. I have thought a bit more about it, and I see little difference between the PLP and FNM. Both appear to be insanely derangedly criminally minded beyond saving. The only hope for the Bahamas is to cast both parties into the pit. The corruption is too deep to be purged.
joeblow 6 years ago
Why are people disappointed, MInnis clearly lacked the skills needed to lead even while vying for the leadership for the FNM. He is PM solely because no one could take another day of Perry!!
BahamaPundit 6 years ago
FNM IS DRUNK WITH POWER!!!!
stillwaters 6 years ago
Power gave the PLP a disease called 'sticky fingers'
DDK 6 years ago
Such stupid comments. The FNM chairman should be concerned that Bahamians are unhappy with The Bahamas Government. It's time to wake up and rebrew the coffee!
sheeprunner12 6 years ago
A few hundred may have been on that march ........... but another two hundred thousand can identify with their reasons for protesting .......... be they PLP, FNM or XYZ.
stillwaters 6 years ago
Amen
TalRussell 6 years ago
Rare me agree with anything this chairman red party has say but little I agree with - does move me to alter my opinion that the comrades who act as today's public face of the PLP, shouldn't begin think all is PeoplePublic forgiven sufficiently elevate the party from a total failure at honest governing to own status of a government-in-waiting definition.
CaptainCoon 6 years ago
Carl Culmer is conducting himself like a proper Jack@$$. Sad!
BahamasForBahamians 6 years ago
Lol carl culmer still living in lala land.. lets leave him there.
Sickened 6 years ago
Has any FNM MP come out to address the concerns of these protestors? Even if there were only 5 people protesting I would expect for Minnis or PT to acknowledge them and address their concerns.
BahamaPundit 6 years ago
The root of the problem is both FNM and PLP represent themselves and their own private personal agendas when put in office, not the interests of the citizens. For all the taxes we pay, the people of the Bahamas still don't have a horse in the race or even a seat at the track. This is unacceptable!
sheeprunner12 6 years ago
But they are ALL happy to stand in Parliament and say "I represent the good people of Blah, Blah, Blah" ............ So frigging disingenuous ...... They represent themselves, family, lovers and Party ......... They duck 99% of their constituents after the election.
Damifiknow 6 years ago
Prime minister duck and hide like mommy going to whoop him!
licks2 6 years ago
The root of these rants is just as I told yinna around here over and over. . .EEN NOBODY ON YALL YARD CHICKENS RUN!!
Stop with yinna self-induced LYING. . .pure LYING. . .making yall self of no reasoning value for in this national/global dialogue!! YALL STAY ACTING LIKE DISGRUNTLE LBT OR HAI FNMS OR WHOPPED AZZ PLPS, PERSONS WHO CAN'T RIDE THE GRAVY TRAIN ANYMORE, SPOILED ENTITLED ELITE AND DUMB CHIRRINS THEM!!! OTHERWISE WHY YINNA CONSISTENTLY SOUND SO STUPID AND CHILDISH. . .NO MATTER WHAT THE SUBJECT!! MORE JEALOUS THAT ANYTHING. . .NEVER OBJECTIVE. . .DUMB!!
I was all for the march until I saw who the leaders were. . .GREEDY HOGS WHO CAN'T WAIT TO GET THEIR GRIMMY HANDS BACK ON THE REIGNS OF POWER!!
i WONDER HOW MANY OF YINNA SIGNED THE CITIZEN POLL AGAINST THE HIGH BPL BILLS? Yinna yard chickens probably don't even know about that partition! Listening to yall whine is worse than watching wet paint dry. . .slow, runny, slimy and losing its shine as the heat is applied!! Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. . .
TalRussell 6 years ago
Few comrades from among 91,409 voting red 562 days ago - would not agree that a
'dead fish' been left at pending defeat door 35 Imperial red politicians. Just maybe, fledgling green party leader Bran, was too quick make his exit... was hoping he'd preferred ungo a more PeoplePublic appealing personality makeover.......... We sure need lacking someone speak moment.
bogart 6 years ago
I must agree also having heard the stories....so much has been expected from such a historic election high..35 - 4..never before.....plea...for the dowmtrodden...wretched of da earth...pore....victimized....to be uplifted....powers granted to be uplifted immediately.....not decades later like ED Moxey.......the fact that persons are so embolden....to walk RIGHT psat dere ...own...CONSTITUENCY OFFICES ...And protest in the Main Square...tourists....Cruise Ships....against the ... 35 -4....... Members WESTMINISTER SYSTEM...Administration....says a lot ...IN all fairnrss...the PM....Roc wid Doc.most immrdiately had committee set up to investigate their concern on electricity...AND...acknowledges their RIGHTS to Assembly ....an...protest....Such a ephipany...must be an eye opener....for erry MP.......erry lousy bureaucrat....erry lousy...crony.....erry lousy bureaucrat holding down...denying.... hard working staff....erry lousy victimizing sob..to know .......justice and the inevitable settling of accounts will elecit willing audience to settle..... some real dead bad soul searching...injustices...right down to the small pore suffering wretched downtrodden...victimized... needs to be corrected....immediately.....
SP 6 years ago
As long as the FNM or PLP governs the country, we will NEVER get anything tangible accomplished!
They are two sides of the same coin and both deep in the pockets of a handful of pirate white Bahamian families that have had economic control from the UBP time.
We the people must ditch the FNM and PLP if we ever expect to have an equal share of the economic pie
There is no other way!
Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years ago
The FNM leadership has every reason to be so dismissive of such a small crowd of protesters. Not a one of you posting here (including myself) participated in the protest. We think typing our lives away on blogs like Tribune242 will solve our country's problems. LMAO Big Time!
sheeprunner12 6 years ago
No Sir ........... this too is a form of protest .......... and the politicians take note of these postings ......... believe me, they tell me that.
bogart 6 years ago
If yinna want to hide anyting put in writing.....but I agree wid ya form of protest....an Mudda tek sic's...BUT note..erry Bahamian in erry International Corporation....at erry level.....in erry Foreign Nation...Capitals....reads to finds out ....whats goin on..back home......many are abroad for number of reasons.....common thread to do better....think about it.....thousands.....das why sometimes its incomprehensible why some local politicians make such statements.....
truetruebahamian 6 years ago
I hold that the long term benefits to the country , the healing of a trashed economy by the PLP a hunt down of the PLP friends family and lovers club and others who have stolen from our coffers and an eventual reduction in taxes will come about under the FNM. But Carl Culmer is a complete jackass if he honestly believes what he says.
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