By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
PLP DEPUTY Leader Philip "Brave" Davis yesterday accused the Prime Minister and the government of "suppressing free speech" by allegedly removing PLP banners from across New Providence.
Mr Davis' comments came after several PLP billboards were allegedly removed by "FNM goons" from Saunders Beach and Thompson Blvd late Wednesday night.
Mr Davis said Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham is a "dictator" who is becoming more and more desperate as the election day nears.
"These billboards which have been torn down in numerous locations, and found in trash bins at government buildings, represent a larger pattern of strong-arm tactics normally associated with dictatorships," he said.
"Mr Ingraham has always been a bully. Now he seeks to be a dictator.
"He is crossing lines that have never been crossed before in the history of our democracy. His doing so signals his desperation and the desperation of those who require his continuation in power to keep their stranglehold on the Bahamian economy."
Mr Davis also dismissed rumours that the PLP removed their own signs as "nonsense."
"They were torn down and put in the bins of a government complex - the Department of Environmental services to be exact.
"I do not know why they would take the signs with the murder count on them. That's a fact. The fact is there were more than 490 murders in this country. We can not run away from that and it's not just that poster, they also took down posters with the unemployment statistics and others it was not just the murders," he said.
When asked if he thought the posters would scare potential tourists from visiting the country, Mr Davis said "we cannot hide the truth and we cannot suppress the facts, we have to address the issues of crime."
Chairman of the PLP Bradley Roberts said the party has filed a police report and reported the matter to the relevant authorities. He said they are not going to take this issue lightly and the public should "stay tuned" for what's about to come.
PLP supporters replaced the torn down signs on Saunders Beach and Thompson Blvd yesterday afternoon.
Comments
proudloudandfnm 11 years, 12 months ago
Those signs should've been taken down. Do the PLP truly care about our tourism based economy or what? Idiotic to put signs like that up, it hurts all of us, PLP or FNM.
The PLP truly scare me, I really wonder if it's just all about them. ANd by them I mean the higher ups in the party not the supporters. They truly are so obviously crooked...
Shame on the PLP. Time for them to grow up and accpet their responsibilities. The old days are gone, yinna PLP need to change, get rid of the corruption that is so prevalent in your party.
arenas 11 years, 12 months ago
I am shocked at my PLP party’s decision to endanger our tourist industry in the international media. This sign is not hurting Mr. Ingraham…it’s hurting the same people they expect to support them. If this is an act of political right, the PLP party should have at least soften the impact by telling the whole truth: “460 murders over 5 years”. Take those signs down now!!
newcomer2012 11 years, 12 months ago
So let me get this straight, putting up a billboard that highlights the fact on the murder rate gets more attention from the government than the actual fact itself? If there was a good record on crime then the FNM party rhetoric should have been able to cut through the message on the PLP bill board. Just as next to a PLP sign that says "Put Bahamians First" there is an FNM billboard touting the self starter program. The intention is to undercut what the opponent's billboard is suggesting. Nonetheless with murders being front page news many tourists voiced concerns over the years when seeing the paper headlines in coffee shops and street retailers. Should we not publish the story just to hide the facts from tourists? Why stop there, should we try to hide it from Bahamians too? On another note this highlights the need to diversify our economy.
Arob 11 years, 12 months ago
A newspaper article and a billboard serve different purposes: the Newspaper is about news and the billboard is about sensationalism.
Moreover, there is no such thing as literal "free speech". Free speech comes with responsibility. Everything we do in life affects someone or something. Ignore the rhethoric, Mr. Davis and his team regret their lack of forethought and exhuberance and are praying that that the reprecussion is only a ripple and not a tsunami.
newcomer2012 11 years, 12 months ago
I understand the difference between the purpose of a billboard and a newspaper however thats not up for discussion. All I am saying is if there was such a concern for hurting the tourist brand then the best way to deal with that is to prevent the murders themselves (I think we can all agree on that). The fact is depsite the efforts, the murders were NOT prevented. A billboard is going to do less damage than an australian documentary highlighting Bahamas crime or a travel warning to potential visitors on an official US website. (By the way, both of these things exist today).
Arob 11 years, 12 months ago
Ahah! But, we are discussing Bahamians; specifically, we are discussing political candidates who hope to become the next government--the government that will have to spend monies to improve the image of The Bahamas as a safe tourist destination.
How far are they willing to go, to win?
Good marketing is based on word-of-mouth. I hope that the passengers in tour bus No. 611 travelling West on Tonique Darling Hwy yesterday, agree with you. They were very busy taking pictures of the billboards. Human beings commit murder. Perhaps, you can share how a government can instill the the value of human life into its citizens.
BigD1 11 years, 12 months ago
It takes a special sort of idiot to see these billboards make no sense. I guess using this rational let's put up billboards with child rapes as well. Since its in the papers lets put it in front of the airport with pictures of the victims. This smacks of desperation but hey it's the facts right.
setfree 11 years, 12 months ago
This is not about signs roads or big boards, or how the tribune and the media report! It is just not Hubert or Perry, it's sin and the nation that has forgotten and turn it's back on God, Hubert and Perry are bosom buddies and we here hating one another because of our political beliefs? grow up people, when the righteous rule the people rejoice and when the wicked rule the people mourn you decide who's the wicked ones. stay safe people and pray for both parties including now the DNA and remember it's God to raise up and bring down kings. No matter what color shirt you wear, keep the candidate on your chest but keep Jesus Christ in your hearts.
arenas 11 years, 12 months ago
Since Mr. Philip “Brave” Davis was more concerned about the tearing down of those billboards rather than the negative impact created in our tourism industry, I would like to ask him one question? How many of those 490 murders is he responsible for as a direct result of his actions as a defense lawyer? I read about him all the time in his tireless efforts in trying to get murderers out on bail to commit more murders once they’re out. And since he feigned such aversion to suppression of the truth, how many family members has he caused to suffer, all for the sake of the mighty dollar in the exercise of his profession. In some murder cases the evidence is so overwhelming that the legal expression, “a person is innocent until proven guilty” should not even apply.
newcomer2012 11 years, 12 months ago
It sounds like you have problem with our legal system in that every person charged with a crime has a right to defend him/herself. If Brave didn't defend them it would have been another lawyer. How about the question how many of those 490 murders was a direct result of lack of education? My guess is 100%. Every year we are releasing thousands of high school attendees (notice I didnt say graduates) into the market that cant even read. To blame crime on defense lawyers is an unfortunate red herring.
TalRussell 11 years, 12 months ago
While this FNM is complaining about the PLP’s “truth” campaign posters, the natives should be paying closer attention to the reasons why just days ago Carnival Cruise Lines massive Sensation ship will no longer overnight in Nassau. Don’t you think the crime epidemic of which this FNM regime has not been able to arrest might have had something to do with this decision that will financially harm local businesses? Why is there no bloggers talking about the bigger problem here? All natives should be shocked when the PM of our Bahamaland attacks lawyer Brave Davis for providing legal representation to those charged with serious crimes, and yes even with the most heinous charge of murder. Apparently this FNM regime’s PM and minister of the people’s security have a problem with our legal system’s fundamental belief that “all” natives, and those visiting our shores alike, are treated ‘equally” before the courts and that only through attorney representation can the safeguards exist to ensure that all charged can avail themselves to attorney representation. How else do we ensure that none accused are not to be treated arbitrarily or unfairly by our courts, our government, our police or officials of this FNM regime. Tommy as a incompetent dumb ass I can excuse but not the PM who is an officer of the courts, who would be the first to retain the likes of a Brave Davis should he become embroiled in this legal morass after being defeated in a mater of days. Hopefully the PM’s attorney will hold his interests above the state and all others.
BigD1 11 years, 12 months ago
Yes let me be the first to blog about carnival ships not overnighting any more. Isn't it a coincidence that that this happened two days after the PLP posted those rediculous murder billboards. Hmmm curious
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