The Tribune

By DANA SMITH

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

THE FNM and the PLP have governed the Bahamas "into the ground" through fiscal recklessness and irresponsibility, DNA leader Branville McCartney said.

Speaking Wednesday evening at a street meeting in Killarney, he said the two parties have the country "backed against the wall".

"Perry Christie and Hubert Ingraham have evaded responsibility for the past 20 years and now today we find ourselves in this economic and social disorder," he said.

The leaders are responsible for "failed crime policies" and the Bahamas' "poor fiscal state", he added.

"And now they want another five years so that they take us further down the path of social decay and a stagnant economy."

Speaking about the FNM, Mr McCartney said the party "made no progress" in terms of restoring the country's economy and national security.

"Under (Mr Ingraham's) watch, the Bahamas has had three economic downgrades. We have had record unemployment, record home foreclosures, record business closures, an increase in the misery index and increasing gas and fuel costs," he said.

"Ingraham has not created the environment for national security. No one in the Bahamas feels safe today. We are always looking over our shoulders when we go to the food stores, the mall and when we return to our homes. The Ingraham government has produced almost 500 murders in five years. Ingraham has produced a per capita murder rate so high that we are near the top in the world."

He also claimed the FNM has produced no effective policies to combat illegal immigration, illegal guns and human trafficking.

Referring to the PLP, Mr McCartney said their leader is "again promising" National Health Insurance when the party couldn't bring this initiative on stream during their last term in office.

"The PLP hasn't even completed their revised National Health Insurance Plan and now Christie expects Bahamians to believe that we will implement National Health Insurance in the first three years of governance under the PLP?

"I say to you Bahamas: Don't fall for Christie's promises again."

The PLP has also promised to increase the education budget to $580 million annually and will borrow $300 million to finance ongoing capital works, Mr McCartney said.

"Does this mean that Christie will borrow near to one billion dollars within the first year in office?" he asked. "How much debt will be placed on the backs of average Bahamians, who are not getting a fair piece of the economic pie, but are getting more than their fair share of the national debt?

"Christie is now saying that he will create 30,000 jobs if re-elected to office. He never said how these jobs will be created but just blurted out that the country needs 30,000 jobs."

Mr McCartney said since the election date was announced, many promises have been uttered by the FNM and PLP.

"This for them is business as usual. It's just another day at the office for them. They will promise you snow in the Bahamas, all in an effort to gain votes and get elected to office."