DNA takes exception to Tribune headline

As of Friday, April 20, 2012

The DNA has taken exception to The Tribune’s Friday headline with a press statement issued yesterday morning.

The headline read: “DNA to get rid of Foreigners”, and the party called the title false.

“At no time did DNA leader, Branville McCartney or any other member of the DNA say that the Party intends to get rid of foreigners,” the statement read.

Political chief Branville McCartney has said he wants to “empower” Bahamians but that he has “nothing against foreigners.”

Mr McCartney, who is leader of the DNA, spoke after The Tribune published a report on his party’s rally on Thursday night.

He told the rally unemployment in New Providence was double that of the USA and the number of work permits issued to foreigners in the Bahamas has played a part in this.

The DNA would clamp down on the number of permits issued, said Mr McCartney.

His party took exception to The Tribune’s headline for the report, “DNA To Get Rid Of Foreigners,” branding it “false.”

“At no time did DNA leader, Branville McCartney, or any other member of the DNA say that the Party intends to get rid of foreigners,” a DNA statement said yesterday.

Mr McCartney said: “Many foreigners have contributed greatly to our country and many continue to do so. Indeed, we owe much of our progress in this country to those of foreign heritage. I want to make it emphatically clear that I have nothing against foreigners, as some political operatives would like you to believe. When I am successful in my bid to become the next Prime Minister of the Bahamas, God’s willing, my duty would be to ensure that Bahamians are empowered. If Bahamians cannot get equal opportunities in their own country, then where will they get it?”

Mr McCartney’s original comments came at the DNA’s first mass rally that was held in front of Bahamas Harvest Church on Prince Charles Drive on Thursday.

“Ingraham is saying now that in his next term he promises to issue work permits in areas where Bahamians cannot genuinely fill posts,” Mr McCartney told the crowd. “My God. What has he been doing for the past 15 years as the nation’s chief.”

Mr McCartney said 40,000 Bahamians were out of work, one in three Bahamians between the ages of 18 and 25 were unemployed and the New Providence unemployment rate was over 15 per cent.

“The last unemployment rate reported in the United States in March of this year was at 8.2 per cent and man, they are crying about how bad things are in the US,” he said.

“Unemployment in New Providence is double that of the US. Things are bad in the Bahamas and they have been getting worse for the last ten years.”

The Bahamas government has issued over 30,000 work permits to foreigners in the midst of an economic recession, he said.

“And they bragged about all the revenue they collected and now Ingraham is saying that he will get us straight next time,” Mr McCartney said.

“The DNA will not issue work permits to foreigners where Bahamians are qualified and willing to work. We will not add to unemployment in the Bahamas as Ingraham has done, but we will ensure that Bahamians have jobs and can own businesses,” he said.

C_MonMan 12 years ago

Tribune can you please cover some meaningful news. I am tired of reading about Bran and these other DNA guys making these immature, uninformed and stupid statements and then trying to retract and deflect responsibilty for having made the statements.The very same thing happened with the marital rape law issue and the issue with Edison Key. This is not news.

GFerguson 11 years, 12 months ago

It is good to know what all political figures are saying as they may be in power some day. Besides him correcting the tribune for a recent post, you now have in perspective the unemployment percentage and how much work permits were given to foreigners for jobs that Bahamians themselves can do. Let us be civilize about our views and the way we project our opinions.

deidrebarr 11 years, 12 months ago

were you there? he never said it, so talk what you know

TalRussell 11 years, 12 months ago

The Bahamas political scene was as ripe as any time in our history for a startup political party to break serious new ground as the voters go to the polls in a matter of days, bringing an end to the total arrogance one man's regime has ruled over the natives. It is not that the DNA is an untested group of politicians that will deny them the prize of power, but the inability of their leader to relate to the natives that will be the disappointed many had first hoped for with the DNA's Cable Beach launch. Comrade Bran has not turned out to be the charismatic leader that his slate of rookie candidates had hoped the present wave of discontent against this FNM PM and his regime would ride them to the native’s House. Many of us believe that PM Ingraham’s hands were at work with the formation of the DNA and with just another one of his sly and sneaky backdoor that acts it may just bite him in his backside to seal his FNM regime’s defeat.

dacy 11 years, 12 months ago

TALRUSSELL I AM SO GLAD THAT YOU BELIEVE THIS ELECTION IS ABOUT LEADERSHIP BECAUSE OUT OF THE THREE LEADERS HUBERT INGRAHAM IS THE BEST CHOICE FOR THS COUNTRY!

WHAT DID YOU GET FROM THE LEADER OF THE PLP SPEECH LAST NIGHT...DO YOU BELIEVE THAT IS THE BEST THIS COUNTRY HAVE TO LEAD US??? IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE BAHAMAS YOU MUST AGREE THAT WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!

IT WAS A SHAME, AN INSULT TO THE MANY EDUCATED BAHAMIANS WHO LOOK BEYOND COLOR CODE.

WHAT THE PLP DISPLAY THIS PAST WEEK IS THAT THEY ARE MAD, DISORGANIZED AND UNPREPARE EVEN AFTER FIVE YEARS OF WAITING FOR ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO GOVERN THIS COUNTRY.

SHAME, I SAY SHAME!

C_MonMan 11 years, 12 months ago

I repeat this, in my opinion, is not news. A high school seventh grader have both access to and can repeat and recite readily accessible and publicly available information about unemployment numbers and statistics. This is not what I expect from my potential political leaders. What would be news would be an intelligent and mature analysis of these facts and their implications. Maybe this is expecting too much. In fact, for the record, with just a cursory analysis of these 30,000 work permits one would note that the overwhelming majority of these work permits are temporary short term work permits (as short as a few days) relating to visits of persons from head offices of multi-national companies operating from the Bahamas or persons with specific skills or expertise who are employed on a short term basis by Bahamian companies and other non-profit organisations. I can go on and explain the implications of this and other issues like the structure and nature of unemployment in the Bahamas but I am really not trying to be negative on the DNA but just noting that it is not as simple as not issuing work permits and that would put a significant dent into unemployment.

GQ 11 years, 12 months ago

PLEASE, someone tell Mr. McCartney that he needs to get elected before he can be Prime Minister. I will wager that for any of the current crop of DNA candidates to see the inside of the House of Assembly that they will have to do so by sitting in the visitors gallery. He was an unknown prior to 2007 when Mr. Ingraham took him into a FNM stronghold and got him elected and he will be an HAS BEEN after May 7th. Remember what happende to Tennyson Wells, you too shall fail.

CoolerHeads 11 years, 12 months ago

Incorrect Headline>DNA to get rid of Foreigners

Correct Headline < <<<<DNA to get rid of HAITIANS

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