FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham
By KEILE CAMPBELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham yesterday said he had no intention of campaigning against Prime Minister Philip Davis seeking a second term, but changed his mind over concerns about the Progressive Liberal Party’s future leadership.
Speaking at a Free National Movement rally on Wednesday night, Mr Ingraham said he reconsidered after reflecting on what a second Davis administration could mean for PLP Fort Charlotte candidate Sebas Bastian potentially rising to become prime minister.
“Now, you know, Brave is my friend. We are on different teams, so we never vote for each other,” Mr Ingraham said. “I had no intention of speaking against his candidacy for a second time.”
However, he said: “When I look around and see what a second time would mean, Sebas being placed on a ladder, on a potential pathway to become prime minister of The Bahamas?”
Mr Ingraham urged Fort Charlotte voters to support FNM candidate Travis Robinson, arguing that stopping Mr Bastian in the constituency would prevent his future rise within the PLP.
“If you want to make sure Sebas doesn't become your prime minister, stop him in Fort Charlotte,” he said.
Mr Ingraham also criticised Mr Bastian’s political history, saying he had previously been associated with the FNM.
“And if anybody comes to you in Fort Charlotte who is not Travis Robinson and tell you they are still FNM, because when I left in 2012 Sebas was FNM, if they tell you to remember they they were FNM say to them simply be gone, I know you not,” he said.
He later questioned why Mr Davis nominated Mr Bastian as a candidate.
“Because after all, you know, Sebas calls Perry Christie daddy, because Perry is his daddy,” Mr Ingraham said. “Perry went against the will of the people in the Bahamas and made Sebas the man he is today.”
Mr Ingraham also argued that wealth should not determine electoral success, recalling the 1997 Fort Charlotte race.
“At the time Zhivargo had a net worth of $14,000. His opponent declared he had a net worth of $14 million,” he said. “And guess what? Fort Charlotte sent Zhivargo to the House and sent the millionaire home.”
Earlier in his address, Mr Ingraham described last week’s advanced poll as “chaotic” and renewed calls for elections to be overseen by an independent and properly resourced commission rather than the government through the Parliamentary Registration Department.
Mr Ingraham said “in some instances the wrong persons were chosen to lead our electoral process”, suggesting this should not have happened.
“But we're not going to dwell on that. We've known in the past how to conduct elections fairly, orderly, and honestly,” he said.
He framed the issue as one of democratic trust, saying the governing party manages the electoral process while the opposition also has a responsibility to ensure the rules are followed.
Mr Ingraham said acceptance of election results depends on public confidence in the process.
“That's one of the reasons why the party with the majority of votes after the election is accepted, not only by the majority, but also by the minority — those who voted against it,” he said.
Despite criticising the organisation of the advanced poll, Mr Ingraham said he was encouraged to see voters standing in “disorganised lines”, calling it “a good display of our democracy”.
He urged FNM supporters to remain in line “no matter how long it takes” and vote for the party on May 12.
Mr Ingraham said he hoped this would be the last election where the conduct of elections remained in the hands of the government.
“I pray this last election in the Bahamas, where the control of the conduct of the election is left in the hands of a government,” he said.
He argued elections should instead be overseen by an independent and properly resourced commission, noting that other countries in the region had already adopted that approach.
“Countries all over our region have determined long ago that conduct of elections should be in the hands of an independent, neutral commission, properly resourced and supplied with employees to do the job,” he said.
Mr Ingraham also called for modernisation of the country’s voting system, saying he hoped this would be the last election requiring voters to carry paper voter cards.
“You know, I've been at many places in the world as an election observer, and find very backward countries have those same cards,” Mr Ingraham said. “They start giving out biometric cards. And only in the Bahamas, in the Caribbean, even Haiti got biometric cards.”
He said his administration attempted to introduce similar reforms more than two decades ago, but the proposal was rejected in a referendum.
“We tried that 23 years ago, when we passed a law in the House to do just that,” he said. “The PLP even support us at that time, but we foolishly, I say in retrospect, put that to a referendum and you say no.”
Mr Ingraham further said he hoped The Bahamas would eventually move away from the practice of marking voters’ fingers with ink after ballots are cast.
Speaking on ballot security, he said FNM poll workers must closely monitor presiding officers and ensure only one ballot is issued to each voter. He also criticised what he alleged occurred at an advanced poll site, claiming ballots were counted improperly and ballot boxes moved without all parties being informed.
Comments
Sickened 1 week, 6 days ago
I can't wait to hear from Birdie. @birdie.... please hurry.
hrysippus 1 week, 6 days ago
The only Bahamian member of the HOA to be elected first as a PLP, next as Independent, and then twice as an FNM, is absolutely correct in this assessment. Any man who initially makes his money from an illegal enterprise , who then suborns the elected government in order to change the status of his enterprise from a criminal one to a legal one is very unlikely to make a prime minister that would be good for the people and the country. The ultra wealthy often start to believe their own myth that their wealth is well deserved because they are superior to the common man or woman. A very dangerous belief in a politician, as we have all seen happen in other countries.
birdiestrachan 1 week, 6 days ago
Mr Davis should learn that posinous snakes bite. Keep them at a distance It is all about hue and uncle Tom's. 11 famalies own 40% of the shipping port.dredge the cruise port with tax payers money then turn it over. Consider.the post office.lease. no one has to gamble but many do now the government get some of the money legal or ill people gamble
realfreethinker 1 week, 6 days ago
There goes birdie and his/her drivel
screwedbahamian 1 week, 6 days ago
Any politician of financial means who show up for a paid political interview in a " JITNEY" and then tell the struggling young Bahamians ( older Bahamians know differently and so does the "host" ) that all his $millions was made by opening a small computer shop is laughing at the poor despite citizens that wager $1.00 at his gambling number houses to maybe if they are lucky win back 2 cents of it and a misrepresentation of the documented facts of how with the protection of the corrupt government and his DADDY at that time and AGAINST THE CITIZENS PUBLIC WISHES was able to buy the government and laundry the $millions of Illegal Criminal money accumulated. ILLEGAL SEED MONEY IS ALWAYS IILEGAL SEED MONEY! Bahamians are proud honest hardworking law-abiding people and known locally or International as anything different is insulting to generations of Real Bahamians. Mr. Robinison has proven his caring and empathy for the Bahamian people by disagreeing with his government on behalf of the Bahamian people suffering personally. The kind of representation that we all deserve, if necessary.
birdiestrachan 1 week, 6 days ago
GOH HAS GIVEN US FREE WILL NO ONE HAS TO GAMBLE THEY GAMBLED WHEN IT WAS illegal AND NOW THAT IT IS LEGAL THEY DO THE SAME. CAMPAIGN FOR Mr Robinson it is all right. But there is no reason for schemozzle
licks2 1 week, 6 days ago
I would not eve dignify this dumb stuff with a reply. . .carry on there now!!!
LastManStanding 1 week, 6 days ago
I will never understand why people glaze Sebas as a "businessman". I'm not going to deny the fact that logistically speaking it must have been difficult to grow and expand his numbers empire but facts are his "business model" (using that term loosely) literally is just robbing money from broke, low IQ people with games designed with a heavy house advantage in mind and then giving a small portion of that back while the low IQ jungalisses pretend he's kind and doing them some big favour. Fwiw I'm not even anti-gambling, I will play blackjack or poker in foreign because the house edge is minimal or non existent in those games, but number houses are nothing more than places to farm money from broke sub room temp IQ people and give almost nothing back in return. It's laughable to even call it a "business" really. What services are being provided? The same PhellP jungalesses that glaze Sebas will hate on the UBP of old who despite all of their faults actually made significant contributions to the development of this country and provided real measurable services acting as attorneys, retailers, doctors, realtors, grocers and so on, some businesses that even exist today. Number houses could disappear from this country tomorrow and nothing of any value would be lost. If their existence is going to be tolerated they should be heavily taxed and forced to majorly contribute to gambling addiction programs like casinos in foreign are made to.
LastManStanding 1 week, 6 days ago
Also where is the few mil Lincoln was promised? We still waiting to see that transferred.
joeblow 1 week, 6 days ago
... Bahamians begged for Independence and only took 50+ years to destroy every semblance of what was good about Bahamians and the Bahamas! This place is now a run down ghetto with a majority population that is feral! Tribalism has replaced meritocracy; education has replaced commonsense and patriotism has been replaced with a pathological self interest to the detriment of country! I fully understand why many choose not to come back home after getting an education!
Sickened 1 week, 5 days ago
The PLP ilk are successful at one thing though... destroying our country. Every time they are in power they bring the country to its knees through greed and corruption. Now they are intentionally making the Bahamian people disgusted towards them, by promising to hand out crown land to only a few, so they lose this election ON PURPOSE because there's no more money in the treasury and THEY KNOW that only the FNM can return the country to some semblance of economic stability. THE PLP GOTTA GO!! NO IF's, BUT's or MAYBE's.
SAVE OUR COUNTRY - GET THE PLP OUT!!!!
birdiestrachan 1 week, 5 days ago
The PLP has a record for doing good for Bahamians it is written In History. The one who swims with pigs and campaigns for the FNM WRIGHTS THE SAME STORY OVER AND OVER. TRUTH IS THE Fnm crew have no vision. There is no talk about the boat with drugs if a plp was named.they would written in the sky.
screwedbahamian 1 week, 4 days ago
since you seem to know more about " a boat with drugs on it" than the authorities, you should inform the USA -DEA and FBI and advise them how to do they job cause maybe they have they hands full right now. A prolonged case of constipation is a SERIOUS THING!!!
birdiestrachan 1 week, 5 days ago
The Fnm is troubled that is why they had to go and get their papa. Well you know their papa was plp and Mr Pindling gave him a chance. Then the papa with diabolical ways said about the man who gave him a chance we took the car and I believe he said the dog rude and abrasive no grace. No charm stand to be corrected on the dog
birdiestrachan 1 week, 4 days ago
The USA has the boat.
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