The new Prime Minister, Philip “Brave” Davis, pictured during his victory speech last night after winning the election. Photo: PLP
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
AFTER leading the Progressive Liberal Party to a wide victory at the polls, incoming Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis promised to tackle the challenges facing The Bahamas with humility and determination.
Mr Davis delivered his victory speech before a crowd of jubilant supporters gathered at the New Bight, Cat Island airport last night. He spoke shortly after he was re-elected as the member of Parliament for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador—an area he has represented since 2002.
With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging, Mr Davis will now steer the country through a tumultuous period of mounting debt, double digit unemployment numbers and stagnant economic growth.
“It is time to face our challenges and face them head on,” he said. “You voted for a new day, a new beginning.”
He thanked those who voted for him, and for those who didn’t, he promised to win them over.
Striking a cord of unity, he said: “To those who voted PLP today – I promise to work hard to justify your faith in us. To those who voted for a different party today – I pledge to work hard to overcome your doubts.
“Many of you didn’t vote at all today – because the snap election took you by surprise and you weren’t able to register on time, or because transferring from one constituency to another was deliberately made too difficult for you. Many of you didn’t vote today because you were afraid of being exposed to the virus; the protocols for protecting voters were only published at the last minute.
“But I want to say tonight – whether you voted PLP or for another party, whether you came out to vote or you weren’t able to vote—our government will serve all Bahamians.”
Although the full election results were not known up to press time, with the Parliamentary Registration Department promising finalised results by tonight, outgoing Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis conceded defeat to Mr Davis around 8.50pm. Aides to Mr Davis, who was surrounded by PLP supporters at the Fountain Bay Resort, hushed the excited crowd as the two political rivals spoke. The 70-year-old enjoyed a joke with Dr Minnis during the cordial three minute call.
The crowd burst into cheers and music began to blare from speakers after Mr Davis informed supporters of Dr Minnis’ concession.
Buoyed by reports from their field workers, PLP insiders were extremely confident of victory well before polls officially closed, with some already discussing the challenges and opportunities the party will face in government before the first poll closures.
Once news of the party’s win broke in New Providence, party supporters rushed to PLP headquarters on Farrington Road in celebration. Supporters also held motorcades, with some dancing in the streets despite the rainy weather.
Mr Davis later told reporters he was elated by the result and the efforts of his team. He said he will not “waste time” getting down to business and selecting Cabinet ministers. He said he planned to consider Cabinet posts last night.
“We will be hitting the road from day one,” he said.
The partial unofficial results shows that the PLP appeared to decisively win the election as Bahamians continued the trend of voting against the incumbent party, setting Mr Davis on path to become the fifth prime minister in the country’s history.
Mr Davis, whose rags to riches story featured prominently in the PLP’s campaign, will ascend to the role of prime minister after spending five years as deputy prime minister between 2012 and 2017. Last night he called his win an “improbable journey.”
“If you had seen me as a small child, running around and playing here in Cat Island, you might not have thought ‘now there is a future prime minister.’ I would never have dared to dream such a thing myself! But we never know what God has in store for us,” he said.
Comments
ohdrap4 2 years, 7 months ago
Did the headline writer read Aldous Huxley's brave new world?
joeblow 2 years, 7 months ago
... was thinking the same thing! If people like Fred Mitchell, Obie and Alfred Sears get prominent positions in the cabinet then the PLP is not divorced from its corrupt past and dystopia 2.0 here we come!
lunalula 2 years, 7 months ago
As much as I'm glad to see Minnis go, when I saw that headline this morning it did NOT instill confidence in me. In fact, it completely freaked me out.
For those unaware of Brave New World... Brave New World is a dystopian social science fiction novel by English author Aldous Huxley, published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State, whose citizens are environmentally engineered into an intelligence-based social hierarchy, the novel anticipates huge scientific advancements in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation and classical conditioning that are combined to make a dystopian society. The novel is often compared to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four....
Twocent 2 years, 7 months ago
And the title likely came from Shakespeare’s Tempest in which Miranda, unbeknown, sees the people who snatched her father’s throne and says, “How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, that has such people in it”. And her father replies, “Tis new to thee”!
No joke about the dystopian society reference tho. Paraphrase this with the whole Covid thing and national debt and what could we get….. A World State, whose citizens have been genetically engineered into a social hierarchy, where huge scientific advancements in reproductive technology are used for population control, where the media propaganda is nothing but psychological manipulation and classical conditioning, that are combined to make a dystopian and double-thinking society. Let’s see if the new PM is brave enough to make sure things like the Constitution, Geneva Convention, Nuremberg Code etc are not trampled over and we go backwards in the name of progress, and become modern slaves in the name of freedom!
killemwitdakno 2 years, 7 months ago
I suppose it's their snub.
Dawes 2 years, 7 months ago
Congratulations to the PLP. Please don't go the way a lot are expecting and prove them wrong. Tribune why no mention of the historic low turnout. I knw the excuse is the pandemic and the new voting requirements with a snap election called, but i know plenty people who could vote and chose not to. This indicates a serious lack of faith in our elected officials as the majority felt it didn't matter who won.
The_Oracle 2 years, 7 months ago
Bahamians vote against the arrogance that appears soon after an election. Pray this new administration does not fall into that well worn trap. Just as EVERY former administration was far from perfect, with bad apples and good, each did accomplish some good things, even if slowly and painfully. Build on those. I Pray it is a new day for the new administration. PROVE those who believe the worst are wrong. Forward, Upward, Onward, Together, I pray.
longgone 2 years, 7 months ago
Congrats Brave---Don't get too swell head----In two years (or Less) people will be telling you to CYA.
tribanon 2 years, 7 months ago
Repost from a few moments ago:
Davis - PM
Wilchcombe - Minister of Tourism
Mitchell - Minister of Foreign Affairs
Sears - Attorney-General and/or Minister of Education
Hanna-Martin - Minister of Transport & Aviation
Etc., etc., etc...........
Am I having a serious case of déjà vu or what? Actually more like a really bad nightmare!
Oh well, can't say I didn't do my best to try steer voters away from their two-party mindset. Quite a few of the independent candidates would have helped provide a much better mix in parliament without the risk of Minnis not getting the spanking that he so fully deserved.
But thank God Minnis is at least no longer PM. Having pure evil remain mixed-in with corruption and incompetence would have been the absolute worst of all possible outcomes yesterday.
Sickened 2 years, 7 months ago
And who will be the Minister of Finance? If it's Brave then I'm cashing in my chips now - I won't be cheated out of my savings. 80 cents out of every dollar going into the treasury will be sent to Panama and stored in the PLP war chest. Actually it doesn't really matter who in the PLP gets the keys for the vault.
yeahyasee 2 years, 7 months ago
Probably Cooper
tribanon 2 years, 7 months ago
Let's hope not! That's certainly a most horrifying thought. Corrupt Cooper will need to be very carefully watched in all that he does in the new administration, especially by Davis himself who will have the most to lose politically from Cooper's well known greedy wayward ways.
killemwitdakno 2 years, 7 months ago
She sucked as Minister of transport and aviation. They almost sold B'air and she didn't order the part for the radar. Something else not so serious.
Sickened 2 years, 7 months ago
Remember Brave, you only have 5 years until you too are removed for being a disaster. If the internal workings of your party don't sabotage you then we will remove you.
You have never been ready to lead and you certainly aren't now.
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 7 months ago
I dont know that thats the case. We will know soon. It was clear within a month that the FNM was completely unprepared to govern. If theyd had a different consultative leader who promoted competence abd not sycophants they might have been able to regroup
JokeyJack 2 years, 7 months ago
Early election in Oct 2022
One 2 years, 7 months ago
Nothing new
tribanon 2 years, 7 months ago
Not entirely so. At least there's now no 'pure evil' at the helm of the ship. I must admit though that I would have felt much better had the voters of Killarney also come to their senses.
Bigrocks 2 years, 7 months ago
Well, If the FNM do not have the guts to dump Minnis, the PLP will be reelected at the next election as well.
tribanon 2 years, 7 months ago
You're absolutely right on that score.
FrustratedBusinessman 2 years, 7 months ago
I wouldn't rush to say that. Everyone said the same thing when the PLP put up Brave as leader in the aftermath of 2017. Give it another 5 years lol.
annmon 2 years, 7 months ago
Yall don't forget when Brave was sick with Covid and got airlifted the same people who are rejoicing with him since last night were already calling Chester their leader and Glennys the deputy leader...No loyalty
Honestman 2 years, 7 months ago
Every five years or so we get a new administration and "it's the hope that kills us". We hope that this time the politicians will listen to the people. We hope that this time the politicians will be upright, transparent and honest in their decision making and we hope that they will lead us to a better Bahamas. And every time the disappointment hurts a little more than before.
donkeyslobber 2 years, 7 months ago
i write to you from the untied snakes to your west. i have found the comments on this board to be quite interesting. it appears that bahamians are intelligent and able to speak freely. in short, the introduction of cannabis tourism would serve to increase capital dramatically, allow isolated communities to engage with national priorities and undermine ruling class values inherited from 'abroad'. meanwhile, many nice citizens from 'abroad' would love to visit the bahamas without fear of entanglement with 'prosaic' legal institutions. draw your own conclusions.
killemwitdakno 2 years, 7 months ago
They just voted out the guy who promised land for cannabis export. We didn't like his attitude.
FrustratedBusinessman 2 years, 7 months ago
Not shocked by the result one bit, Minnis and Co. were a complete disappointment. I don't know whether it was intentional arrogance, or whether he had nothing but lapdogs in his ears, but Minnis was completely delusional and out of touch with the Bahamian people. It seems to be the former judging by his decision to remain as Leader of the Opposition in the wake of a historic defeat.
You know that your government was a failure when you lose seats like Freetown, both Abaco's, N. Eleuthera, as an FNM government. My God, some of these seats have voted nothing but UBP/BDP/FNM. This defeat is on par, if not worse, than the PLP's landslide loss in 2017.
Being an FNM in 2021 is the same feeling as being a PLP in 2017. Only question is will the FNM reform and pick a suitable candidate to lead them into the next election, or double down on their stupidity ala PLP putting Brave as head of the party right after their landslide. We shall see.
annmon 2 years, 7 months ago
I see we're back to square one. What about the fresh new faces who are now a part of the New Day? I somehow was under the impression that they would be a part of the NEW DAY when it comes to new ideas for this New Day party? Why did I even have that thought? So obviously we're back to doing the same thing with the same people expecting different results!! It is no wonder the voter turnout was so low. People have lost faith in both major parties. So here we go again. Five years of the same.
soloman 2 years, 7 months ago
Watching from Florida, I think you should follow the US lead just for entertainment. Say it was rigged, get a bunch of morons in stupid costumes to attack Parliament, and guess what? You might find that almost half the Bahamian population is as stupid as almost half of the American population. Then sit back and watch the fun. :) :)
concerned799 2 years, 7 months ago
Best wishes to the winner and hopes and prayers to the winning party and new PM. We can celebrate a successful and peaceful transfer of power and a functioning democracy, which not everywhere in the world can, so lets all give thanks for that and all who adminstered the election and took part in it, if they won their seat or not.
soloman 2 years, 7 months ago
Following from Florida, I think that Bahamians should consider following the US lead just for levity and entertainment. Say the election was rigged, then get some morons in stupid costumes to attack Parliament. You might find that almost half the Bahamian public is as idiotic as almost half of the American public, although I don't know if that's possible. Then sit back and enjoy the fun :) :)
killemwitdakno 2 years, 7 months ago
There was an open house hosted by the speaker which the PM then prorogued to perhaps prevent such although violence really had very little chance of happening as there had been demonstrations before. It then led to him calling an early election I suppose feeling offended. So maybe it wasn't something to consider.
soloman 2 years, 7 months ago
Just a joke man. Bahamian here.
killemwitdakno 2 years, 7 months ago
Did they not read that book? It was bad enough to call the campaign a wave at this time. Epsilons.
BONEFISH 2 years, 7 months ago
A poison chalice is what the PLP has won. There will be no victory lap or parade for them. There will be no honeymoon. They have to get down to work right away .No shucking or jiving for them.
This is a country with serious problems. Deeply rooted problems, some of which they have created. A health care system on the verge of collapse, battered by the COV19 pandemic. An economy whose main source of employment, tourism has been severely affected by the COV19 pandemic. A growing debt crisis. An Increasing cynical and jaded electorate.
Some bahamians have this fantasy since the PLP won the election, these problems will magically go away. There is no magic bullets for these problems. It will take some superb management and governance skills. If not, the PLP will be right back in opposition shortly.
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