Turnquest: Changes to Montagu are shameless

Deputy Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest.

As of Monday, February 13, 2017

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest yesterday accused the government of “shameless gerrymandering” over recently tabled boundary changes that he claims affect the “deliberate elimination of middle class areas” from the former Montagu constituency.

In an interview with The Tribune he characterised the proposed boundary changes as a “desperate and perverted” attempt to emotionally manipulate the electorate.

The draft order tabled by Prime Minister Perry Christie on Wednesday revealed a new inner city constituency, St Barnabas, formed from seats considered to be Progressive Liberal Party strongholds, and a name change for the Montagu seat to Freetown.

The new Freetown sheds two polling stations and is now bounded by St Andrew’s Drive and Village Road to the south.

Mr Christie explained that the Montagu seat name was changed to reflect the ancestral history of a major part of the constituency, pointing out that the Freetown seat was included in the 1968 and 1972 elections.

“The boundary adjustments smack of desperation and a government who know that they have lost the support of the majority of Bahamians,” Mr Turnquest said.

“They have played around with polling divisions seeking an advantage but as history has taught us, this too will backfire as the will of the people cannot be perverted. The last two referendums tell us that more clearly than any words.

“It has been famously said, lines on a map do not vote, people do, and that is still true today. Playing on the emotions of the public, particularly the vulnerable and less educated is a perverted methodology and has no place in a modern Bahamas. The renaming of Montagu to Freetown with the deliberate elimination of middle class areas is shameless and smacks of obvious gerrymandering,” he added.

The number of seats in the House of Assembly, as previously reported, has increased from 38 to 39, and are divided as such: 24 constituencies in New Providence; five constituencies in Grand Bahama and Bimini; and ten constituencies in the Family Islands.

Mr Turnquest underscored his party’s commitment to empowering Bahamians and ridding government of career politicians who fail to understand that their time is up.

He added that the FNM could not afford to be distracted by lines on a map in the midst of mounting social challenges, like joblessness, an underperforming education system, and crime.

“It is the people’s time and the FNM’s change team of bright, talented candidates will introduce reforms to ensure that the people benefit from the assets of this country and not just the same select crew of cronies who have been at the trough since the 1970’s,” he said.

“Young Bahamians and the not so young deserve a chance at quality employment and entrepreneurial opportunities, to have a real stake in our country with hope for a better future.”

Mr Turnquest added: “We cannot continue to allow these career politicians to block up the system and hold up progress because the country and its people are developing too fast for them to keep up. We need fresh perspective, fresh ideas and youthful energy missed with experienced professionals to guide us to the next phase of development – full ownership.

“So no matter what they have done, the FNM will meet them step for step on the political battlefield as we fight not for our own selfish interest or to retain power but to wrest power from the greedy and those who believe they have a right to strangle this country for their own self-interest and hold up broad based progress of our people,” the East Grand Bahama MP said.

sealice 7 years, 2 months ago

Desperate and perverted??? How about a flat our racist attempt to win in an area that the PLP will never win?? And getting rid of Montague for historical (racist)reasons? There aren't too many more landmarks in our country that have "more" history then Montague. Racist fucking crooks . . . .

Publius 7 years, 2 months ago

Will never win? They almost won it in 2012 and with the cuts now are very likely to take it this time. Do people actually pay attention to what happens from election to election? Regardless of a name change and whatever the rationale for it, how does a name change, change the minds of the voters if the voters are minded to vote the PLP out? If Montagu means "white" to the PLP, it obviously means the same thing to FNMs, else why the anger?

jackbnimble 7 years, 2 months ago

I agree with you sea.... It's gerrymandering at its finest.

I live in Montagu, I am black and I am offended.

If names don't mean anything, how about we rename Centreville "Outdoor Toilet Headquarters" since that has historical significance as being the one constituency with outdoor toilets that's represented by the man with the highest position in the land. How about that?

Publius 7 years, 2 months ago

the “deliberate elimination of middle class areas” from the former Montagu constituency.

Oh FNM just be honest. You are talking about white Bahamians who your candidate is now miffed about no longer being able to work with. Bahamians are Bahamians. We know the PLP's mindset, but why are FNMs so angry about whichever class of Bahamians they will have to work with in the newly drawn constituency? Is the constituency suddenly of lesser value because poorer black Bahamians and less white Bahamians, make up more of the numbers therein? Again as I always say, we can never have an honest discussion about race in this country, on both sides and the sides in-between. Are white Bahamians nearly as angry about all this as the FNM's candidate and others? I'm not. No name change or line change in the world could make me see the world or the PLP in a different light. If you are a solid PLP, you are going to vote for them come hell, high water or a line change. Same with hardcore FNMs. Can we please focus on the issues at stake instead of crying about who gets to represent white Bahamians and who does not?

Playing on the emotions of the public, particularly the vulnerable and less educated is a perverted methodology and has no place in a modern Bahamas.

Why isn't this considered a racist statement? So black means vulnerable and less educated?

jacko 7 years, 2 months ago

Perry Christie will come on the stage and say to these plp fools and shout "I have change the boundary to reflect the ancestral history of a major part of the constituency" and the crowd will go wild !lol this is the best Perry could do !lol #votetheyassout

TalRussell 7 years, 2 months ago

PM is showing-off his latest new shuffle dance move - No more UBP Montagu!

Publius 7 years, 2 months ago

Even the current MP Richard Lightbourn correctly says there is nothing in a name and it won't change people's minds. So what is all the fuss about from other FNMs? Times change and so has Montagu. Other constituencies across this country have sustained major changes under both parties, including historic name changes. The FNM should just be honest about what truly bothers them in this, but let them do that on their own time and focus on the issues and the needs of the people of the area. And if the FNM has that much of a problem with representing mostly "vulnerable, uneducated" people in that part of New Providence, perhaps they should simply concede the seat now and let the PLP deal with "their people". It truly bothers me the way we see each other in this country and the way our politicians play on the same.

SP 7 years, 2 months ago

No Matter How They Slice It, PLP Are Still Abject Failures With No Chance Of Winning

PLP clowns couldn't win with a buoyant economy and a 7% unemployment rate in 2007.

They certainly cannot win after promising "Bahamians First" "We Believe In Bahamians" "Help & Hope Is On The Way" "Mortgage Relief" "Solution To Crime" "Investors galore waiting On Christie", then doing a complete 180 turn "on day one" that TOTALLY decimated their own lower and middle-class base!

Look at Bain and Grants town constituency, a PLP "grassroots" stronghold that actually has the lowest voter registration to date of any constituency.

People black and white, rich and poor, across the board are sick and tired of the PLP non-stop deception, shenanigans, empty promises and outright lies which began unabated on "day one" of their winning in 2012.

Cut and gerrymander as they may. Cutting boundaries don't change the facts. Too many people are unemployed, suffering more than they ever imagined possible, and see no plausible reason to place further trust in the PLP.

Bahamians have come to the conclusion "Dis ey makin no sense". And THAT spells catastrophic doom for the PLP!