FREE National Movement chairman Carl Culmer. (File photo)
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement Chairman Carl Culmer on Friday defended Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ decision to call an early election as COVID-19 strains the country's healthcare system, saying: “COVID ain' going anywhere.”
During a national address Thursday, Dr Minnis announced that the general election will be held on September 16 to give the next administration the mandate needed to address critical health and economic challenges facing the country.
This comes as the third wave of the COVID-19 crisis intensifies, with 157 people reported hospitalised as of August 19th, 16 of whom are in the Intensive Care unit.
Asked about going to the polls early in these circumstances, Mr Culmer said: “That’s why the prime minister ordered vaccinations. COVID ain' going any where. The point is to get as many people vaccinated and get enough vaccines so people can choose from among them.”
“We have to come to terms with the environment we are in. This is not unique to the Bahamas. We have had elections in a COVID environment throughout the world in the last few days. We see what’s happening now in Europe. You still need to run the country, still need to do things that bring prosperity.”
Mr Culmer said politicians and party operatives must operate within the confines outlined in the COVID-19 protocols.
“We will comply with all the requirements,” he said.
He also denied Progressive Liberal Party Leader Philip "Brave" Davis' claims that Dr Minnis has called an early election because of the fiscal pressures the country is facing.
“I don’t think that’s the case,” he said. “We just had different agencies look at the Bahamas and they didn’t say our situation was dire or make any statement that the Bahamian fiscal situation is concerning. You can’t listen to the rhetoric of the opposition. Persons will say what they think will get them mileage.”
Mr Culmer said Bahamians face an easy choice in the upcoming election.
“When you look at the record of Minnis and Brave there is no comparison,” he said. “When you see how Minnis and his team have managed the pandemic and still able to do infrastructure works and provide opportunities for young people, there's no comparison. When you look at our candidates compared to PLP candidates, it's day and night, they are far superior.”
Comments
mandela 3 years, 3 months ago
For Mr. Culmer or anyone else, just to BE fair, Dr. Minnis had a chance to prove himself in the capacity of PM, CEO of our Bahamaland he failed miserably. Mr. Davis on the other hand has never had a chance to do the same, oh and there is a vast difference between CEO and deputy CEO, so until he is given the chance the country will never know.
JokeyJack 3 years, 3 months ago
Oh, so now it's "fair" to switch back and forth? LOL
tribanon 3 years, 3 months ago
No my friend, it's so much more fundamental than that. It's really a matter of the people doing whatever is necessary to take their country back from a grossly incompetent and arrogant tyrant who is hell bent on transforming our country into an authoritarian police state ruled by himself. A vote for a FNM candidate on September 16 would be a vote for the Bahamian populace to lose their most sacred constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms.
Bottom line: Minnis would use another 5-year term as PM to demolish our democracy and put the vast majority of us back in the very same chains that our ancestors fought so long and hard to free us of. Make no mistake about it. This next election is all about avoiding a transformational ideology that would enslave all but the political ruling class in our country. And that must be avoided at any cost.
Please don't let yourself get 'swung' by Minnis and his FNM party again. If only we could have all known back in May 2017 what we now all know about Minnis and his FNM party. Sigh.
JokeyJack 3 years, 3 months ago
I am not. Im saying dont vote for FNM or PLP. Havent we had enough experienve with them? Who was Perry referring to when he answered the question of why Sears was not allowed to speak at convention by saying that he also was not allowed to speak? The stalwarts of course. You think those same stalwarts are not going to control Brave? If he was "brave" enough to stand up to them, he would have long time called a session of the PAC Committee to sit.
Topdude 3 years, 3 months ago
Tribanon are you sure you have been taking the correct dose of your medication? It appears as if you need to adjust the dosage.
@coakley4mical 3 years, 3 months ago
ATTACK THE MESSAGE NOT THE MESSENGER
@Topdude: I may not like what @JokeyJack has written either, but: Attack the facts or Attack the weak points of his argument or Fact check him, to show his error, mistake, misjudgment, or biasness or political favoritism or blindness,
But, no need to hurl depreciating mental incapacitation to adhere and cohere to reality in an attempt to demean his Intellectual Quotient, in other words no need to go personal. That is not mature nor does it edify the dialogue! . This is election period, when so many lies, deceits, fake news are out there and coming out that we need to remain grounded, because what you may rebuttal him with may not help him to see the light, but it may be the guiding key for others or others of others to see the light or the glare! . I am sure @JokeyJack can fight his own battles but, I felt I had to chime in on this its called ethical fortitude! . F<ID
Topdude 3 years, 3 months ago
And the country will never know because the Most Honorable Prime Minister and his party the FNM will be re-elected by another landslide.
Bahamians are not naive. We go with a proven winner and will not take chances with a known crooked party. A party that specializes in corruption, perversion and kickbacks.
There are too many critical issues facing our nation for us to even consider giving the PLP another opportunity to pilfer and pillage the National Treasury.
And at any rate, the PLP’s boss man Nygard is broke and broken.
tribanon 3 years, 3 months ago
ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz.........
tell_it_like_it_is 3 years, 3 months ago
I don't know if the PLP or FNM will win the election, but I will find it very hard to believe that Minnis will win his seat.
@coakley4mical 3 years, 3 months ago
WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE GEESE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER.
Good Point Mandela but your argument is flawed! Reason is you don't have to go inside a bathroom to no it stink inside. Just walking pass the door will till you - in politics it's called the Sniff Test. Robert G. Ingersoll said; “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy.”
SOMETHING TO SHAKE YOUR MEMORY.
Please recall:
ohdrap4 3 years, 3 months ago
Liars from all parts of the West Indies Big shot liars from all them foreign countries
TalRussell 3 years, 3 months ago
The election pretense was a lie and now Red Party's chairman has knowingly compounded the lie. — Yes?
IslandWarrior 3 years, 3 months ago
**Sounding just like the days of the crack cocaine epidemic, "had a chance, now give someone else a chance" The 2 party "run" on the Bahamian People has to come to an end. We have had nothing but an industry of politicians (some ragtag street thugs) who waltz in with the fools game we call politics, excel themselves to a fictional status of elitism, entering a culture of systemic public service corruption and bamboozlement ...morphing into abusers and oppressors of the people who grace them with power.
This must come to an end; support your independent candidate.**
@coakley4mical 3 years, 3 months ago
GOOD POINTS IN YOUR ARGUMENT UNTIL AT THE VERY END WITH YOUR CLOSER...
@IslandWarrior What you were saying was good up until you ended your point with: "... support your independent candidate." .
THE PROCESS OF ELECTING WHEN THERE ARE NO GOOD CHOICE DOESNT MEAN YOU SHOULD MAKE WORST SELECTION...
In many cases those very same Pico's are even far worst off. Its like you know: (1.) One is the Devil, and (2.) The other is Lucifer. THEY BOTH ARE Masters of their trickery and deceit. (3.) Then, there are those who are like Little babies holding and playing with a loaded Gun and their little hands are always on the trigger, and the barrel is either pointing at you or it's in their mouth. The big takeaway here is, that those same babies will quickly grow up into men and women, and they will still have the gun in their hands; this time if they survived there infancy; the barrel of the gun will now be pointing at you, you, we or me. It's that simple! Look at some of these independent candidates (Pico's) or at the Minor Political Parties (Mino's) or, Nano-Political Parties (Nano's) and stop and think would you really trust them. .
THIS ELECTION IS ABOUTWHO YOU DISTRUST THE LEAST...
This Election seems to be, which political party or independent do you DISTRUST THE LEAST and How far are you willing to take it, that is how much are you willing to bet on the greater risk. What do you think?
bahamianson 3 years, 3 months ago
Such political nonsense, Brave cried for Minnis to ring the bell. Now, the bell has rung, he looks to find sometjing else to complain about. If the sky is blue, he would complain that itnis not red. If it is red, he would complain it is not blue. This is whag oppositions do, they must criticise and complain about something. Who cares. I do not rhink anyone will be voring rhis term, I am not.
SP 3 years, 3 months ago
Please STFU man. This stooge never had an "independant" thought, and would agree to anything Minnis says regardless!
ohdrap4 3 years, 3 months ago
He mussy be a top dude too.
tribanon 3 years, 3 months ago
Good one. LOL
TalRussell 3 years, 3 months ago
PM's calling of September 16 much earlier than the required general election — is not a breach of the law. — But the remedy is still one be left to voter turnout, the casting, and of the tallying and official certification of the ballot boxes. — Yes?
licks2 3 years, 3 months ago
Yinna een gat a clue it seems. .. .just because yinna een see this before dont mean something wrong. . .it is just that yall dont have a clue of what can be done or what cannot be done!! I was taken by suprise also. . .but this is a "clean" shoot!! The PLP were caught with they pants down!!! This one is between Brave and Doc. . .dumb and dumberer!! I think that Doc outsmarted the PLP!! IT OVA!!! Them PLP know it OVA!
I passed a white truck on Wulff Rd. by Columbus Primary School with some very loud speakers blasting "f...k the p...y good"! The music was reggae!! The driver was making a complete ass of himself. . .driving slow and stopping where he liked. . .banging out his music!!
I overtook the truck and saw on the front part of the truck FNM posters and colors!!!
I said to masef: "sef, the FNM dem cant be dis dumb"? People on the side of the road were looking at the "jackassness" of what was going on!!
SOMEBODY DONE GONE AND LOST THEIR DAMN MIND. . .I THOUGHT!!
After I got down the road from the truck, I though. . .Drave is not "below" doing something dis damn dumb to win power. . .nor will Fred be as well!! But . . .then. . .will the FNM do so as well?? If the FNM did. . .then they must have a political death wish!! SOMEBODY IS PLAYING A DAMN "DUTTY" GAME. . .A CHILDISH GAME AT THAT!!
@coakley4mical 3 years, 3 months ago
In this day of technology and News of BN or BC, TriB, NG, FN, you didn't pull out your smart phone and record it. "Seeing is believing..." The Doubting Thomas Syndrome (DTS)!
whogothere 3 years, 3 months ago
Let’s not be under any delusion of why the doc is running now - the speaker said it 4 weeks ago :
Which will likely include plans of a tax increase...
www.tribune242.com/news/2021/jul/21/pm-…
John 3 years, 3 months ago
The WHITE RACE is on a decline in the US snd worldwide. THIRTY FIVE PERCENT of the population of California is now Hispanic and the Black population across the US is increasing by 9 percent annually. So this Covid-19 is about population control. And those who get elected in this country will have to be with the program. And it looks like mandatory vaccines are in the near future. And the hints that they may cause infertility or even death are not far fetched, but only for certain peoples if the earth. Don’t take your decision to vote lightly. And take even more seriously who you choose to vote for. Amen.
tribanon 3 years, 3 months ago
As a reminder, Minnis has demonstrated over the past 4+ years that he is pure Kryptonite of the most destructive kind. He has proven himself to be a grossly incompetent failed leader who is hell-bent as an arrogant tyrant on transforming our nation into an authoritarian police state in which the vast majority of us would be stripped of the rights and freedoms that we hold so dear.
Whatever you do, don't make the unforgivable mistake of voting for a FNM candidate on September 16. If you can, vote for an independent candidate who has no known serious 'baggage'. But above all else, never lose sight of the fact that another Minnis led FNM administration would be by far the absolute worst of all possible outcomes for our nation.
tribanon 3 years, 3 months ago
P.S.: Already it seems corrupt foreign investors, like the cruise ship companies, and the tourists that come to our shores enjoy more rights and freedoms in our country than we do. This madness must stop.
TalRussell 3 years, 3 months ago
The 2021-2026 government is to be sworn in. — Would be wise to — navigate, with extreme caution, — The dependency upon cruise passengers,— Left so economically unsustainable— that it renders the entire cruise industry — incapable of manning their mega floating resort properties — Safely afloat through the 2021 - 2026 money lenders heavily loaded with loan shark interest rates are constantly stacking high — forever demanding choppy sea waters. — Yes?
John 3 years, 3 months ago
And Minnis continues to spread LIES! ‘Covid ain’t going no where’, he says. As a trained medical doctor he knows this is a lie. These viruses appear, make their presence around the globe then disappear or, in the alternative, become seasonal, like the common flu. But whatever are in those vaccines is causing the Covid-19 to act ‘out-of-character’ and to continue to linger and mutate and combine, yes combine. They are saying different strains of the virus combines to create new strains. And the greatest fear is one will be created that will be vaccine-resistant. And this will pose the greatest threat to vaccinated people. So how many more booster shots can they take?
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