The Tribune

By MORGAN ADDERLEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

madderley@tribunemedia.net

THE Progressive Liberal Party will be training aspirant candidates in Grand Bahama at the end of the month, PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell announced this week.

The training module will be staged for people interested in running in the next general election, for local government, or who wish to serve on statutory boards or as diplomats.

This module - a new party initiative - will take place September 28-30 at the party's headquarters in Freeport, and follows a similar initiative held in New Providence earlier this year.

Those from other islands in the northern Bahamas such as Abaco and Bimini are also encouraged to attend.

Mr Mitchell said the module aims to educate supporters on what it means to serve in public life and the pressures that come with being a public figure.

Courses focus on topics ranging from the history of the country and party to parliamentary procedures.

Concerned

With a registration fee of $120, Mr Mitchell said, "this is a very serious thing" and "people have to put their money where their mouth is". He added party members were "very concerned" by the actions of former PLP members of parliament, who use the party to "get into public office" and "turned around and attacked the party that gave them life".

Mr Mitchell said the party is looking for candidates from a wide range of demographics, including women and young people.

He added that any interested person who is not presently serving as a member of parliament must participate in this course and be certified, noting this applies to former MPs, including himself and former Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe.

"(PLP Deputy Leader) Chester Cooper was quoted in the newspaper this morning about the search for candidates for the PLP and what our expectations for candidates are in the next general election," Mr Mitchell said.

"As you know, we've begun that process. We've already started in New Providence earlier this year. We held a module for candidates in the next general election and those people who want to serve on statutory boards or run in local government or who want to serve as diplomats."

"And the hope and the expectation is that having run through this, that people will have a better appreciation of what it is to actually serve in public life.

"And in fact, what it is to be a public figure.

"People seem to think that you can just become a public figure by rolling out of bed in the morning and saying, 'I want to run for the House of Assembly', and often go into this job not prepared for the pressures which actually come with serving in public office."

The scheduled speakers include Professors Chris Curry and Michael Stevenson on the political history of the Bahamas, Obie Wilchcombe, Senator Michael Darville, and Edison Key.

PLP Leader "Brave" Davis, Mr Cooper and Mr Mitchell will speak at the event.

A public meeting also will be held at the PLP Headquarters at 7pm on September 29.

"The important point that (Mr Cooper) made this morning is we want the Progressive Liberal Party and the candidates who run in the next election to represent the country at large-- all demographics, all ages, races, creeds," Mr Mitchell said.

He added one of the "gaps" in the New Providence module was that it "did not pay sufficient attention" to women's causes.

Therefore, in Grand Bahama, women's causes will be "addressed properly" and former Social Services Minister Melanie Griffin will speak on the issue.

The party's youth affiliate organization, the Progressive Young Liberals, also will be in attendance to address young people.

When asked if the party has been gaining support through this initiative, Mr Mitchell said people have been coming to the party to serve, as a result of both opportunity and "rising disgruntlement" with the Free National Movement.

Admitting that he is unaware of the status of applications the FNM has received, Mr Mitchell said: "If you look at it, if you want to be a member of parliament, they've got 35 incumbents. So, they've got a problem, because anybody who wants to run, there's no entry point.

"But we've got…35 vacancies.

"So, people who want to serve are actually coming to the PLP to serve. And at this point what is happening is, with the disgruntlement with the FNM, people are coming forward even more.

To this end, Mr Mitchell said 90 people signed up for New Providence module--raising approximately $10,000.

Rush

"The rush which took place last year has worn off, and there's a rising level of disgruntlement, which is proven not only anecdotally, but also in the stats which show up in the polling… We want this to be a process which is structured and not just willy-nilly."

He added this initiative is the first of its kind and said it's a "direct response" to the actions of former PLP members of parliament.

"It's a direct response -- you know party members were very concerned with the Andre Rollins, Greg Moss…and Renward Wells (group) who just seemed to use the PLP to get into public office, and then turned around and attacked the very party that gave them life.

"Well, two of them are thankfully out of public life. One of them remains, we have to get him out. So, we're trying to find a good candidate to put in Bamboo Town to make sure that he doesn't return to office either."

Anyone interested can register on the Progressive Liberal Party's Facebook page.