The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has denied telling Standard & Poor that The Bahamas will host an election this year.

Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader Philip “Brave” Davis made the claim that the agency had been alerted to an election during his contribution to the mid-year budget debate in the House of Assembly on Wednesday evening.

“The November 2020 report from Standard and Poor’s refers to a 2021 election in our country,” Mr Davis said.

“It seems as if the government is sharing information about election timing with rating agencies – information it has not yet shared with the Bahamian public.”

The Standard & Poor’s ten-page report contains two references to an “upcoming election”. In one instance, the rating agency said it does not expect progress on fiscal reforms “given the ongoing pandemic and upcoming election”.

In another instance, it says: “The current economic environment and upcoming election in 2021 make difficult fiscal reforms unlikely in the short term.”

It is unclear if the comments are an error or if the rating agency was given reason to expect that an election will be held this year.

In the House of Assembly yesterday, Dr Minnis blasted Mr Davis and reiterated his position that the next general election is not due until May, 2022.

“(Mr Davis),” he said, “accused me of betraying my country when he said that I had discussed and informed Standard & Poor as to when elections will be held. That is an outright fabrication. Elections are not due until May of next year. When that changes, the Bahamian populace will know, be they given three weeks’ notice, four weeks’ notice, six weeks’ notice, they will know. But for all intents and purposes now, elections are due May of next year.

“If he, or Standard & Poor, can get into my brain or my head, then they would know exactly my thinking or what was my thinking. I want the member to withdraw that because I uttered no such information to Standard & Poor. I am not a betrayer, I do not double cross anybody.”