The Tribune

AS the by-election in West Grand Bahama and Bimini approaches, there are a lot of voices striving to be heard.

This candidate proclaims what they’ll do if elected, that candidate blasts the rival party.

Of course, the most important voices are those of the people in the constituency.

What do they want? What do they need?

The Tribune’s Grand Bahama reporter, Denise Maycock, took the time to go and talk to some of the voters to find out what the sentiment is on the ground ahead of the upcoming vote.

It can come down to very simple requests. Take the call by one constituent however to deal with the situation that has seen Bimini’s only ambulance be left out of action for the whole of the year.

Imagine that situation – a vital emergency service simply not available.

That same resident called for a seawall around parts of the island where the shoreline is being eroded by rising sea levels.

Our leaders travel the world and talk and preach about the importance of action on climate change – well, here is a constituent pointing to the problem here on the ground. Will any action follow?

Another voter said she would not vote for the PLP – even though she has traditionally supported the party.

She said the government was “taxing the Bahamian people too much and it is overbearing”.

Not that the FNM gets her support, as she dismissed the pair as “just the same” and said: “We need a new party, that’s how I feel.”

Yet another constituent raised the problems people face who do not have a bank card with paying bills because everything is directed to pay by card or going online – which leaves some people behind.

She also talked about poor road conditions – a concern familiar to many Bahamians – and what she says is the high number of illegal taxi operators.

These are bread and butter issues that the candidates seeking to fill the role ought to face up to.

Voters such as these don’t need broad talk of dreams and visions, whether it be about a new day or about your future, whichever slogan is being used.

They need answers about when the ambulance will be working, when will action be taken to prevent flooding, when will so much money no longer be taken from our pockets, who will fix the roads, who will make sure the laws are obeyed?

One of those The Tribune spoke to was equally frustrated by both parties, saying: “It does not matter who wins for Bimini because our money still goes to Nassau, and it is never invested in Bimini.”

It would be beneficial to voters, of course, if they could see exactly where funds went. Sometimes, that can be down to the MPs themselves.

Each MP gets a fund to spend within their constituencies. It is intended that it should be spent on upgrades and maintenance.

In 2017, that added up to an investment of $3.9m a year over five years. How did your MP spend theirs? How is your current MP spending their constituency fund?

When a prospective MP doorstepped one of our editors during the election run-up there were promises of a local park – that has not materialised yet.

Just as MPs are supposed to be accountable in making declarations each year – though this year’s has perhaps been the worst failure in that regard in years with still no account of who followed the law correctly – why not require MPs to publish what they have spent their constituency funds on each year, so that those who cast their votes for them can see how those funds are being used?

Even if it is not required – MPs can simply do this if they wish. Tomorrow. They can show people how they are directly helping in their constituency.

Politics is too often detached from the voters on the ground. It doesn’t need to be. It can be simple and honest in terms of what is being spent, and what voter concerns will be tackled.

The hopefuls in West Grand Bahama and Bimini would do well to remember that.