PLP road back to power ‘not easy’

Opposition leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis.

As of Wednesday, July 26, 2017

By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION Leader Philip “Brave” Davis called Exuma MP Chester Cooper’s evaluation of the Progressive Liberal Party’s election defeat “a newbie assessment” and - while accepting some of the critique - likened him to a child who tells the truth, no matter the cost.

While addressing PLP supporters Monday night at a monthly Yamacraw meeting, the interim PLP leader emphasised the Official Opposition is “down but not out” and Mr Davis said he is certain that the PLP “will return to governance.”

Last month, Mr Cooper, in a speech before the PLP’s National Progressive Institute said the party lost the recent election for many reasons.

The first time MP said the party ignored scandals and condoned behaviour it should not have.

He also said the party lost touch with the people it most sought to help. Although Mr Cooper said the PLP made contributions that the country will come to appreciate in the future, his speech was striking for its criticisms of the organisation.

On Monday night, Mr Davis said he understands the road ahead for the PLP “is not an easy one” and indicated the leadership of the party will “embark on a listening tour” throughout the Bahamas in the coming months.

“PLP’s, we are down, but not out; chastised, but not rejected as this election loss is not unchartered waters for the PLP. We will return to the governance of this country. That much is certain...How do we win again? How do we regain the support of public officers, our major labour unions, our millennials, and the next generation?” he asked.

“Who will take our party’s positive message into the highways and byways to regain what has been eroded over time? Chester has gotten some criticism for his dissection of the general election’s aftermath. For my part, I call it a ‘newbie’s assessment’. Do any of you have children who, no matter how well you think you are doing, they tell you the truth? “They give it to you straight. You may be upset in the first instance, but when you look at circumstances with their optics, you see it – even if the light is painfully bright.

“Notwithstanding that light, Chester’s chief summation is true. ‘Despite our shortcomings, history will judge us fairly… we helped many, we tackled key issues, we left the Bahamas, as a whole, better than it was in 2012.’ Still, our work must start from the foundation and now. This is the age of social media. Whoever gets the best message, the best alternatives for good governance out fastest and clearest will win in 2022.”

He also said: “The road ahead is not an easy one. That is why our leadership team will embark on a listening tour. In the coming months, we will constructively engage our Bahamians from Abaco in the north to Inagua in the south. We hear your demand to be fully engaged every step of the way. As such, we go back to the basics, carrying out this exercise that is critical to servant leadership.”

Mr Davis also criticised the Free National Movement (FNM) and its leader Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis for “fostering division” and villainising PLP members and supporters under the guise of cleaning up corruption.

“The ‘new sheriff’ has gone to great lengths to foster division, painting our Bahamas as a corrupt nation in the international arena, with no thought as to the consequences,” Mr Davis said.

“Many of you, like many other Bahamians, must be deeply concerned and personally offended by what many Bahamians view as political persecution, political intimidation and victor’s justice being meted out against the PLP and played out in the media under the guise of ‘cleaning up corruption’ by this FNM administration.

“This should come as no surprise though. This is a typical action in the FNM’s playbook. They like to demonise, scandalise, and villainise...I received many calls from citizens who have expressed deep concern that our system of democracy, undergirded by the prevalence of the rule of law, is under vicious attack. They dislike the methods they liken to the ones used by dictators, despots and tyrants, who eventually destroyed their countries. Tactics like jailing opposition members, and firing or casting aside perceived opposition supporters.”

Mr Davis urged PLP members and supporters to “be strong in the face of a purely political exercise designed to demonise our party, demoralise us, and weaken our political resolve.”

John 6 years, 8 months ago

At some point the PLP has to roll back its election artilliary, pack up its battle tents and allow the country to be governed by those who were elected to do so. They continue to expose themselves to more wounds (many self inflicted) when they continue to launch attacks on the sitting government. Many of the healing and rebuilding and restructuring of the PLP party does not need to happen in the public eyesight. Remember in years and especially the recent months prior to elections, no one could even fathom the strength, the cohesion and the readiness of the FNM even to fight the election much less to win in such a resounding way. They ignored the noise in the market for the most part and continued steadfast. This determination help cause the PLP get the cut a$$ they got.

Sickened 6 years, 8 months ago

'Not easy' - more like impossible. You old guard can NEVER be trusted again. Scared Davis, you need to get out of the way just to give the PLP a glimmer of hope.

SP 6 years, 8 months ago

Davis is not scared, terrified maybe, but not scared!!!

Naughtydread 6 years, 8 months ago

With Davis at the Helm of the PLP ship they are sure on their way to strike a reef and sink to the bottom of the Atlantic. I wouldn't trust this old rusty bastard as far as I could throw him, he skin even looks slippery like a snake. Give it a rest you old crook.

ted4bz 6 years, 8 months ago

"...leadership of the party will “embark on a listening tour” throughout the Bahamas in the coming months." Hopefully the people you are listening to are in the same frame of mind, DENIALS. Hopefully the people you hearing is telling you what you want to hear, LIES. All this and more just so you don't change a thing. We like you just the way you are, out of our way, don't change a thing...

sheeprunner12 6 years, 8 months ago

They do not have to stop in Long Island ....... save the plane tickets

Greentea 6 years, 8 months ago

lol

Tarzan 6 years, 8 months ago

Maybe leader Davis will take his listening tour to the U.S. That way no one will have to worry about him any longer as he will be incarcerated at another country's expense.

Sickened 6 years, 8 months ago

Perfect!

Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years, 8 months ago

Bahamians are in the process of burying for all eternity the PLP as a viable political party. Once the current investigations and resulting prosecutions have been completed, the stigma attached to the PLP organization, and the evil connoted by its name alone, will rightfully be much too great for it to ever again be resurrected as a political force within our country. The time has never been better for the conception, gestation and eventual birth of another political organization to take the reins of governance in a future general election when (not if) the Minnis-led FNM government missteps in a serious way that leaves the people feeling the best interests of the country are not being well served.

TalRussell 6 years, 8 months ago

Comrades! I've previously posted my prescription for the PLP and it does not include any of the current House of Assembly MP's. It has be a comprehensive prescription and the new team fresh and not yet known PLP's - might want to consult with Dr. Elwood Donaldson? Right now the PLP has a bad look, and it needs be prettied up.

ohdrap4 6 years, 8 months ago

the party will “embark on a listening tour”

They mussy used stem cell therapy to grow ears.

SP 6 years, 8 months ago

Yuck, yuck, yuck....The PLP as a party, is T-O-T-A-L-Y D-O-N-E?

NOBODY with less than an ounce of sense will trust the PLP with taking out the trash.

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by SP

licks2 6 years, 8 months ago

That party needs to gee us 40 years before we even start to think about them again.. .all of them. . .including Munroe and Cooper needs to be off the scene first. . .that's how deep corruption is among them as a party! NOBODY WILL EVER OPENLY TRUST THAT GROUP OF DUMB CROOKS WITH OUR GOVERNMENT AGAIN. . .I see the DNA or some other coming party as government or opposition. . .PLP is Done!!

Please don't waste our times. . .can't yinna PLP see that we were trying to wipe the whole party out. . .we missed only by four. . .but don't worry. . .five years is a short time to wait for another swipe at the crab. . .we een ger miss next time!!! Fred Mitchell and Mr Davis only making us mad like we were with PGC. . .we can't wait bouy!!

Greentea 6 years, 8 months ago

Why would "a leader" publicly chide a new, younger - up and coming MP unless he is a terrible leader and, or feels threatened by this new, younger, up and coming leader who didn't have to buy votes to win? I am willing to bet a new penny that this 'leader' is threatened by Cooper. Did Davis really say "Whoever gets the best message, the best alternatives for good governance out fastest and clearest will win in 2022.”? Is there an alternative to good governance? Or is this what they call a Freudian slip? The details of this speech re-emphasize the problem of the PLP- they say what they think they have to say but they have their heads so far up their azz they cannot see how they are perceived and they certainly cannot hear dissenting opinions. I doubt people will come out to the listening tour. Why bother talking to those who refuse to listen?

BahamaPundit 6 years, 8 months ago

Davis and the PLP must scrape off the mud of evil. This evil that made their mouths speak 100% lies to the Bahamian people. Only once they have bleached their mouths can they stand again. It looks like they won't do this. They still speaking with maggots and guts in their teeth with breath that smells of decay.

BahamaPundit 6 years, 8 months ago

Can someone please tell the PLP to remove the roaches from their teeth before speaking another word. Thanks.

BMW 6 years, 8 months ago

Left the country better than in 2012. WTF. This man is just dumb.

Jonahbay 6 years, 8 months ago

Didn't the PLP just have a listening tour? It was called an election campaign! They would have heard many people say carry your @$$ and other such pleasantries. I can't see the PLP being elected again in my lifetime. Let some new parties spring up and let these old people die. The Bahamian people have had enough.

John 6 years, 8 months ago

PEEP This: Perry promised to turn over the leadership of the PLP to Phillip 'Brave' Davis more than three years ago. That didn't happen. If fact Christie went to convention and fought tooth and nail to hold ont to the leadership post of the PLP . More than once in fact. Now look what happens: Brave Davis gets the PLP party dumped in his lap and basically all the die hard Christie supporters have been delivered deathly wounds. Sounds familiar? You sure? Remember how Hubert got to where he is today? Prime Minister of The Bahamas and still leader of a once wounded, crushed and publicity embarrassed and humiliated FNM? Remember how Hubert Ingraham so unexpectedly and unceremoniously dumped the remains of the defeated FNM into the lap of a surprised Hubert Minnis and quit? Ya see what Minnis did. So Brave Davis is your turn now. What you gonna do? Are you gonna search for the light at the end of the tunnel or are you gonna stay in the dark tunnel and throw wild blows? Beneath the belt even. Wounding yourself and inflicting your foot soldiers even more. Ya gonna sit around and lick ya wounds for five years ay? What you gone do Davis?

Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years, 8 months ago

This pudgy short man (Davis) with his stubby grubby dirty yellow sticky fingers is much too corrupt to ever have the political success that Minnis has had. The Bahamian people will never allow him to follow in Minnis's footsteps, and Davis knows that to be the case!

OMG 6 years, 8 months ago

This failure of Davies to accept reality and Mr Coopers summation of the PLP election defeat is just what we expect. Mr Davies, your party was riddles with corruption and it would take a book to mention them all.Minnis spoke the truth about getting the financial house in order and this will be distorted by Davies and his followers. The message needs to be clearly conveyed in simple language to the average Bahamian how financially ill this country is. Some points you might want to ponder Mr Davies re "being painted in a corrupt light" 1.First class travel to China several times, first class hotels 2.Fweddy travelling all over the globe, first class and for what ? 3.Our hypocritical minister of education (Fitzgerald) telling students to work hard to getr employment whilst trying to get all the lucrative contracts at BaiMar. 4.Maynard Gibson,(family) having the shops in BahiMar. 5 A geriatric 80+ year old being paid over $450,000 as advisor. 6.Minister in charge of BEC not paying his own electricity bills. 7. Contracts given out to PLP supporters (CHristies own words).No bidding. 8. Private land being purchased for the Government when Crown land is available nearby. 9. Hiring unqualified persons with no meaningful function to simply make the party look good.

Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years, 8 months ago

Repost: Minnis needs to table the threatening letter he recently received from Davis at the next sitting of the House of Assembly and it will then be for the Speaker of the House (under the Rules of the House) to demand that Davis immediately offer a formal apology for his poor choice of words that were interpreted by many in the public to be a threat of physical harm to the PM if he does not stop the ongoing investigations into corruption by senior officials in the last government. Threatening physical harm to the PM or possibly inciting others to cause such harm to the PM is totally unacceptable behaviour and conduct on the part of anyone, especially a fellow sitting member of parliament. Minnis has an opportunity here to ensure the right message is sent everyone in the country when it comes to this most serious matter.

Reality_Check 6 years, 8 months ago

Repost: This should be done whether or not Minnis himself may have felt threatened - it's the perception / interpretation by many in the public that counts in a serious matter like this one!

sheeprunner12 6 years, 8 months ago

Davis committed Sedition ......... Just like Minky ........ These are direct attacks on the Chief Executive of the country ......... PLPs are a dangerous bunch

BahamaPundit 6 years, 8 months ago

I agree. Davis crossed the line in that letter big time. It seemed like a direct threat of physical violence written by a mobster. If this happened in another country, Davis would have to resign.

MaLambee 6 years, 8 months ago

PLEASE I dont support Davis as Leader, and yes I heard about his 'doings" however, lets not forget, someone have to keep the fnm accountable....they have potentially corrupt people too. Left to their own, they will do what the plp did.. All i am saying is that a watch dog is needed

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