PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis sidestepped a question Friday about whether he is preparing to lead the country to an early general election, telling reporters he always prepares for events a year in advance.
Asked in Eleuthera if he plans to dissolve Parliament within the next week or two and call an early election, he did not give a definite answer.
He said: "You would note I've said repeatedly and it's been demonstrated, I always prepare at least one year in advance. I'm one of those who believe in preparation and we're going through our preparation and in the event things should change we're ready."
Some Free National Movement insiders expect Dr Minnis to soon call an early election. This newspaper understands the party is preparing a short, but vigorous campaign that pits the leadership battle between Dr Minnis and Progressive Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis front and centre. The party has secured its paraphernalia inside the country and rally dates have been drawn up through to at least mid-August.
However, officials acknowledge Dr Minnis' plans can change for whatever reason .
On Thursday, Health Minister Renward Wells expressed confidence that the country could hold an election despite the COVID-19 pandemic, even as cases climb.
Dr Minnis suggested on Friday that he has no plans to extend the COVID-19 emergency orders beyond August 13 when they expire, saying he expects people to get vaccinated when additional vaccines soon arrive in the country.
Asked about extending the emergency order, he said: “I think once we receive the vaccines, you can be assured that Bahamians will be reporting in droves to receive that jab and once we reach a decent level I don’t see a need in addition to the vaccines once individuals are disciplined and follow the protocols. I think seeing what’s happening around the world we will be extremely disciplined.”
“We are aggressively pursuing and obtaining vaccines so that we can vaccinate our nation. What we’re finding worldwide (is that) those individuals who are becoming ill are the unvaccinated individuals. Those who are being hospitalised are unvaccinated. Those who are dying are unvaccinated. We know that the solution moving forward is to vaccinate our population and that’s why we’re presenting pursuing four fronts to obtain as many vaccines as possible. I am certain that the Bahamian populace recognises the challenges and they will present themselves for vaccines.”
Comments
Topdude 2 years, 9 months ago
This is leadership plain and simple. This is the kind of leadership we are entitled to and deserve. Dr. Minnis is akin to the saying, the Lord does not come but he sends.
Sir, you have demonstrated a quality of leadership last seen during the period Mr. Hubert Ingraham led our country. You are honest, decisive, prescient and moral. We are truly blessed to have you at the helm of our nation.
Sir, I know you do not pay any attention to the stupidity emanating from the snouts of jealous people. Please continue to ignore them.
And Sir please know that when you call the election, which is your prerogative, your supporters are with you 105%.
Call it next week, next month or next year we are ready to vote for you and the FNM.
Cobalt 2 years, 9 months ago
I don’t know about all of that. But Dr. Minnis is definitely the lesser of two evils. There is no way in heaven that we can put Brave Davis in office as PM. He is simply beyond incompetent not to mention his history of corruption and scandal ridden associates. But if Brave Davis were to step away from frontline politics and allow Chester Cooper to lead, the FNM would lose the upcoming general elections. You can bank on that!
bobby2 2 years, 9 months ago
Exactly! Can anyone ever imagine Brave running the Country. Dr. Minnis has done an outstanding job in the face of the worst World crisis in many years. Be thankful he was the Leader.
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
The few like you and Topdude really deserve Minnis and the authoritarian police state he and his CCP backers desire so much. But the vast majority of us certainly don't want the wickedly evil curse of Minnis and his CCP backers on our country and its people to continue. Just one term of Minnis has proven to be much more than we and our country can bear. We cannot afford a second term of him no matter who or what replaces him. Make no misstake about it, our democracy and constitutionally guaranteed civil rights and liberties are at stake in this next election.
Bonefishpete 2 years, 9 months ago
Well There It Is
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 9 months ago
lol. Dr Minnis definitely has TopDude behind him. One leader, one leader, one leddddddaaaAAAHHHHH! I wonder if they could rent that guy out. Every eldction hd gets behind the embattled leader chanting
TalRussell 2 years, 9 months ago
Fellow Comrades, can't tease Tops if you haven't yet had listened to the hangin' on by the thinnest thread to red party's confirmation recontest for North Abaco House-seat, the Honourable Darren Henfield's most shameful North Korean taken to the weak-kneed suckerup before his red party's dear leader, yes?
licks2 2 years, 9 months ago
Dead issue. . .who cares when the election is called? Both leaders should already have their act together. . .if not. . .again, who cares!!
TalRussell 2 years, 9 months ago
It's a live issue that the general election is not going to be one where there will be no solid resistance to the Reds. But it may not come solely from today's known and structured of political enemies. Wait for the unlikely of enemies to surface out of nowhere or advance from within, yes?
truetruebahamian 2 years, 9 months ago
You bunch are interesting - but never in totally understanding of the playing field and the rules.
WETHEPEOPLE 2 years, 9 months ago
History and the political trend says PLP will win.
mandela 2 years, 9 months ago
Should the FNM win to form the next government, that will be the best trick I ever saw in life.
stislez 2 years, 9 months ago
I don't get the evading of question, the smart ass answers an shit, like.........why is he an the media using this whole election ting like its a bomb threat or sumtin. Smh. Like you playing this game or something with peoples mind. Just pure dumb shit jed, like bro either call the shit or dont but dis whole mongering ting ova when u ga call it an all type wibes, bro come like you immature or something king! Its a election, it has to have a date, you come like you playin round wit da whole ting like u using it as a weapon or something i dont get this whole bunch of dumb shit! Dis a reason why we cant get nowhere as a nation, everything gatta have a show behind it. Bro sometimes i does feel embarrassed to say im Bahamian jed, like look at dese shithead leaders!
birdiestrachan 2 years, 9 months ago
The biggest LIAR on God's green earth is at it again.'
BONEFISH 2 years, 9 months ago
The prime minister is the only person who knows when the election is called. That is how it is with the westminister system of government. The Bahamas does not have a fixed election date yet. So it behoves, political parties to be ever ready.
Bahamians need to be taught how this system of government works. There is a need for civic education to be taught through out the school system. Bahamians by in large, simply don't understand governance.
observer2 2 years, 9 months ago
You are absolutely correct Bonefish.
This is exactly how the flawed Westminster system works with no fixed election dates or term limits and no local government.
So, to sum up, we have no Census in 2020, we have no new Voters Register in 2021, the constituencies are unbalanced/non proportional because we have no idea where the ppl are, the Boundaries Commission sent an unsigned report to the Governor without first sending it to the PM, thousands of ppl moved from Abaco and Freeport to Nassau but can't change constituencies because you need proof of residency like basic passports and utility bills (washed away in the flood)....we don't need an election until May 2022, if they would remove the focus from the election we could get out a new voters register and complete the census, maybe focus on covid and prepare for Dorian 2.
Bahamians are being kept in constant state of apprehension between Covid, election, emergency laws, Covid Delta Variant possibly being brought into the Bahamas by symptomatic visitors which haven't been tested, PMH full, no more first dosses of vaccinations, only 10% of population having 2 doses of vaccines.
Even if you go to large political rally and you don't have your vaccination ID you could be in big trouble with the law.
So the opposition parties are crushed.
Where is the transparency in this entire process.
When you look at it from a distance it almost seems intentional...but to what end? What is the government trying to achieve?
BONEFISH 2 years, 9 months ago
@observer2.There is local government in the Westminister system. In fact Boris Johnson the current prime minister in the UK previously served as mayor of London.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all have elected assemblies. The British has had local government for over 300 to 400 hundred years.
observer2 2 years, 9 months ago
...sadly in our rush to independence and our hastily drafted constitution, local government, substantive checks and balances leaving parliament severely subservient to the executive and the executive subservient to the PM, we have the mess we have today.
BONEFISH 2 years, 9 months ago
The bahamian constitution is simply a boiler-plate template. The British foreign office gave every one in the caribbean basically the same constitution.
The Bahamas is a laggard when it came to getting independence. Jamaica, Trinidad, Bardados and Guyana all obtained independence before the Bahamas.
The Bahamas is a country with very weak social and civic bodies. The citizenry is poorly educated and remain remarkedly ignorant about systems of governance.
Local government is hard work in some countries. In a city in the state of Oklahoma, where one of my relatives ,their city councilors have a lot of work to do. The council man said in an interview, he had to read 300 pages of documents before he attended his first city council meeting. He had to know the city problems, issues and what was doing to be discussed on the agenda. He could not fumble through that meeting like some people do in the House of Assembly here.
DDK 2 years, 9 months ago
Good observations observer2. Do you think they are actually capable of having a valid plan? It would be a first!
observer2 2 years, 9 months ago
Incapable DDK.
You can just read their resumes, look at their education and the narrowness of their exposure and experiences and it’s no wonder we are poorly governed.
John 2 years, 9 months ago
TWO POINTS: By law elections are not due until MAY 2022! And so if Minnis chooses to play this game of ‘the sky is falling,’ eventually it will backfire on him. The opposition must be careful not to burn themselves out financially and otherwise and the electorate may grow wary and decide not to vote. Again this can be to Minnis advantage or disadvantage.
SECONDLY, MINNIS says the EMERGENCY Orders will NOT be renewed when they expire in August. Considering The Bahamas and the world is In what is obviously a fourth wave of Covid -19 does it mean that Minnis will fling the country wide open in the middle this pandemic? This is what the UK did but the US is now requiring everyone to wear masks and sanitize. CASES worldwide have surged by 70 PERCENT!
observer2 2 years, 9 months ago
Excellent points John.
By moving focus from the Pandemic, securing vaccines, continuous evaluation of protocols including the need to reimplement negative antigen tests for all persons entering the Country may not end well.
Did you see the video on social media of the partying last night outside a major resort? No one wearing mask in close proximity to each other, only 15% of population vaccinated.
Reward says we will reach heard immunity in August! Let’s pray he is right.
John 2 years, 9 months ago
The vaccinations can be directly responsible for this new wave of Covid-19. Simply because of relaxation of the restrictions on vaccinated persons, including allowing them to not wear masks and not being tested. And so they were walking, corona positive with no symptoms and no masks, infecting unvaccinated people. And now they are saying the N95 mask iot similar is the only protection from the Delta strain.
newcitizen 2 years, 9 months ago
Wait, are all the unmasked people vaccinated? Have we really vaccinated 75% of the country? And then those vaccinated's are getting unvaccinated's sick? Better get vaccinated, otherwise the other vaccinated's will come by and get you sick. The only way to protect against transmission from the vaccinated is the vaccine! Now if only the government actually got some doses...
John 2 years, 9 months ago
They say Minnis will ring the Bell on Tuesday. BUT the country recorded 100 NEW CASES of Covid on Saturday. Minnis in a serious delimma.
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