The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune. I'M A 42-year-old female who has only voted twice in my life, 1992 FNM, 2007 for the PLP, because I had rather abandon my party and for Vincent than Mrs Chandrice Woodside Rolle who at the time had no experience and was running her company with an iron fist. The people of North Andros were already feeling the victimisation at the hands of Ms Rolle and her husband, sending one to Parliament would been detrimental to the people of North Andros. However, I remained a strong supporter of the FNM party because I believed (and still do) that it is working towards the betterment of our country. When I see campaign messages aired on television and listen to election kick offs, it makes me wonder if these politicians themselves believe what they are saying. As a young girl growing up in Andros, I've seen and experienced the victimisation of the PLP, when I hear Perry Christie saying that he is the bridge from Sir Lynden makes me laugh. He could never one day walk in the shoe of Sir Lynden, that man had a plan, he had a vision and it's not only sad that he took that with him, but that he became completely corrupted by his power, which led to his political demise. However, Mr Christie has no vision, the only thing I remember during his tenure was him doing the junkanoo shuffle. How could a man without vision guide this country in the future? The PLP had 25 years of ruling this country, under Mr Christie's watch, they served one term - need I say more? With promises of giving BTC back to the Bahamian people and creating jobs for young people, surely Mr Christie is oblivious as to what it will take to lead this country to the future. It made me physically ill to see the uproar he and the unions created during their protest of the sale of BTC. My most memorable moment was to a see an old lady amidst the protest, when asked why she was there, her response was that she was against the sale because she wanted something for her grandchildren. BTC never belonged to the people of The Bahamas, it was a government entity. I, like everyone else, was paying for services it wasn't given to us free of charge, how could the government be taking away our birthright? But, hey - if it wasn't for the sale of BTC Branville McCartney would not have found his exit door. If it wasn't for the sale of BTC, I wonder what excuse would he have given to "Cross the Floor". Enter Branville McCartney and his message of "Change!" Change brings change he continues to sing in our ears like a broken record. What changes are you going to make, Mr McCartney? You promise the people of Grand Bahama jobs, a better future for their children! In his television message, he claims that our children are not able to perform on the world stage, despite the National D average Bahamian students continue to excel on the international stage both academically and in sports. This can been seen by the number of scholarships given each year to Bahamian students to further their education abroad. Maybe we're not all able to send our kids to Lyford Cay School, but our kids are excelling. Mr McCartney has ratified numerous candidates, yet he is the only one that speaks for the DNA. Did he create his puppets without voices? Not only is Branville McCartney arrogant, he's also inexperienced and oblivious as to what it takes to turn this country around. He talks about bringing in investors who were frightened off by the FNM. With the way his members are leaving his party it's going to take him five years just to figure who he wants to run where. When is he going to find the time to bring in investors? Enter Hubert Alexander Ingraham, while Mr Christie speaks of being a bridge from Lynden Pindling to you, Mr Ingraham was Sir Lynden's delivery boy. The FNM has done more in their reign than the PLP - imagine road works, Arawak Port development, upgrade of LPIA, and all the other projects put forth by the FNM suddenly come to an abrupt stop. This is what I personally believe will happen if the PLP or DNA is brought to power. Elections have become nothing more than a mud slinging contest where there is no regards for the Bahamian people. It's no secret that both parties see Mr Ingraham as the monster standing in the way of their reign as Prime Ministers and they are willing to sacrifice the Bahamian people to do so. They would jump to shut down any and everything the FNM has initiated or conceived instead of moving forward and completing the task at had. McCartney wants the notch of Prime Minister under his belt so badly I'm sure he can taste it. He not only bit the hand that fed him, but ate it all together. How could you trust a man that abandons his own party not to join forces with another, but to create one. Cassius Stuart was criticised for running to the FNM for a victory, didn't McCartney do the same thing? Christie slinging mud at the FNM for giving persons citizenships for vote, PLP did the same thing under the cover of darkness before the last elections and it backfired when persons instead of voting PLP, voted FNM. Mr Ingraham may have his flaws, after all he's only human, but he is a leader of transparency. He has no rogue Ministers in his cabinet, none of his Ministers has been hit with international scandal, none of his Ministers has ever been engaged in fist fights in the chambers of Parliament. What Mr Ingraham has is a strong group of men and women who are ready to deal with the social ills of our country, the FNM continues to introduce women to front line politics, proving they were the party of the times. They looked ahead and saw the contribution women made and continue to make in this country realising that women are the backbone of our country. I could go on and on about why Bahamians should go quietly amidst the noise and haste of this "Silly Season," but as I open the newspaper each day I see numerous letters to the editor reiterating the same thing, words of caution to fellow Bahamians. Will they listen? Only God knows as Bahamians are funny creatures. But I leave you with this, look beyond your nose, look at the world around you. Every country is feeling the economic crunch, there's a global rise in unemployment. There's a global rise in crime stemming from the rise in unemployment. It doesn't matter which government is in power we'd still be having the same problems we're having today, maybe even worse. The PLP had their 25-year run with Sir Lynden, who unfortunately did not leave a blueprint for his successors, who dropped the baton in 2007. The reality of it all, in these tough economic times we cannot withstand a government with no agenda, no experience and where one man seems to have the only voice in the party. Nor can it withstand a party with no vision (the PLP). So, my fellow Bahamians, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country! Look beyond your nose and look to the world at large. The Bahamas is not the only country that's hurting in these tough economic times as the deluded PLP and DNA would have you believe. The problems we're facing today is not the result of the past four plus years. But rather the result of the foundation on which our independence was built. A semi-communist approach where everyone had a job, but no one had a voice, we simply regurgitated what the PLP dictated to us. Don't look at the past five years, look at where the FNM has brought us from not only as a country, but as a people. PROUD BAHAMIAN Andros, February 9, 2012.