The Tribune

THE Progressive Liberal Party will hold its next convention from November 14 to 16.

The announcement was made yesterday by the party’s leader, Philip “Brave” Davis, during the party’s monthly press briefing.

Mr Davis told reporters the party would seek to ratify its constitution at the event.

The party’s last convention was held last October and was fraught with drama, confusion and speeches which called for period of self-evaluation following the party's defeat in the 2017 general election.

The most shocking commentary came from Monique Pindling, the daughter of former Prime Minister and PLP Leader Sir Lynden Pindling, who blasted the organisation as “weak” and “dishonest.”

Ms Pindling said the party had allowed the political ambitions of a “few men to dash the aspirations of a whole people.”

The critique led Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to dismiss the party’s ability to form a functioning government if was to ever be re-elected to office, saying if the opposition party could not properly pull off an internal event, it cannot lead the country.

The event eventually saw the elections of Mr Davis as leader, Exuma and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper as deputy leader and Senator Fred Mitchell as chairman.

Meanwhile, Mr Davis also took time yesterday to address the government’s much-touted ‘public-private partnership’ policy, dismissing the framework as “complicated.”

Mr Davis said the policy, which he and members of his party have recently reviewed, is inherently discriminatory against Bahamian businesses in favour of foreign entities.

In a statement earlier this week, the Ministry of Finance said the policy was designed to better define PPPs and bring order to a previously ad hoc approach to such arrangements, enhancing their governance and ensuring better value for money for Bahamian taxpayers.

The ministry said the policy's development, and issuance, will bring greater transparency and accountability to PPP deals, while creating a set of criteria and objectives against which proposals can be rated and benchmarked.

However, in his response yesterday, Mr Davis said the policy, down to its letter, tone and tenor, does very little to truly aid Bahamians.

He said, echoing an earlier statement issued by Mr Mitchell, the government could have simply written a document that illustrated its interest in working alongside private sector persons.

“The simple fact is that the choice will always be in favour of the foreign business because cost of US capital is cheaper than (Bahamian) dollar lending rates,” Mr Davis insisted.

He called on the government to consider a concept he referred to as “economic patriotism,” saying a strategy where government economic policies are geared toward lowering the barrier to participation and favour Bahamians, could drastically shift economic opportunities for locals.

“We must pursue a policy of broad based economic empowerment that favour Bahamians,” he said.

“This is what I am hearing as I move around the country and talk to Bahamians, most of whom are young, about the future of this country,” he added.