The Tribune

THE Progressive Liberal Party ratified insurance executive Chester Cooper and community leader Eva Bain last night to run in next year’s election.

Mr Cooper will vie for the Exuma and Ragged Island constituency while Ms Bain has been chosen for Central and South Abaco.

Speaking at PLP headquarters last night, Mr Cooper said it is “time to empower Exuma”. He said while the PLP is “not perfect,” the Christie administration “has laid a solid foundation for a new and stronger Bahamas, boldly and fearlessly addressing the challenges confronting this country from food security, energy reform and criminal justice reform to tax reform and health reform through NHI.”

He said if elected, he would fight for ownership of Exuma by local residents. He added that he plans to release a blueprint for Exuma’s development in the near future.

In her remarks, Ms Bain said she is ready to build on the strides the government has made for Abaco.

Once in office, she said she will advocate for community, youth and infrastructure development, mentorship programmes, increased educational opportunities for young people, economic empowerment for entrepreneurs and social justice.

PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts described the two candidates as “distinguished” Bahamians.

“I, Chester Cooper, came from humble beginnings in Forbes Hill, Exuma,” Mr Roberts said. “He is self-made; he is a self-starter; he is driven and he is focused. He understood and believed in the value of education and having educated himself, he rose to the pinnacle of the business world, specifically in the insurance and financial services industry locally and internationally. His training and knowledge positioned him to become an entrepreneur in that industry. He is currently one of the owners and president of British American Financial, one of the premier insurance and financial services companies in the Bahamas.

“Eva Bain, who will be ratified for Central and South Abaco, is an accomplished professional in her own right, having served as a senior executive at a public corporation. She is a community leader; she is well loved in the community because she loves people and is unselfish with her time and possessions. She is a woman of God and spends much of her time ministering to others,” Mr Roberts added.

Mr Cooper was supposed to be ratified on October 27, however that was delayed because Prime Minister Perry Christie reportedly had a “stomach virus” and Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis was out of the country.

The PLP’s current representative for Exuma and Ragged Island, Anthony Moss, has not spoken about the selection, despite many requests by The Tribune for his reaction.