The Perry Christie administration lacks a clear development plan, and the Prime Minister himself appears at times, overwhelmed by crime and other pressing national issues, according to Opposition Leader, Senator Tommy Turnquest.
At a press conference at FNM headquarters on Tuesday, Mr Turnquest said the nation lacks direction, with the Progressive Liberal Party government being “hopelessly dependent on FNM initiatives to keep it afloat and the PLP government is relying upon lies and distortions to hide their lack of performance.”
However, Minister of Financial Services and Investments, Allyson Maynard-Gibson later denied that the projects announced by Prime Minister Christie at the recent PLP convention had been initiated by the FNM.
Mr Turnquest said his party remained silent during the PLP’s convention because the Bahamian people should have been allowed to hear what plans and proposals the PLP government had for the nation.
“We were forced to break that pledge of silence momentarily only when, in the middle of the convention, the Minister for Works and Utilities proceeded to make ugly, vile, disparaging disrespectful and unchristian remarks with regard to the former speaker of the House of Assembly, and the former Prime Minister,” said Mr Turnquest.
He said in the first political convention since the May 2002 general elections, the nation expected the PLP to use the national forum to share solutions with the Bahamian people.
Mr Turnquest said the PLP spoke of initiatives that were already announced and put in place by the previous FNM government.
He said it was patently obvious that the PLP has no concrete programme of its own, to benefit the Bahamian people.
“Bahamian families watching and listening were left with no clear sense of direction about where the PLP government intended to take our country,” he said.
Mr Turnquest noted that the Bahamian people and international investors are still left uncertain about what lies ahead for them.
He said Prime Minister Christie failed to deliver a focused plan on how his government would combat socio-economic ills, as well as how the nation would expand and develop.
“Mr Christie announced few meaningful plans to address national issues, and seemed at times to be overwhelmed by them. His crime initiatives amounted to reviewing the Bail Act, something that previous Parliaments over the years, of which he was a member, have already done,” Mr Turnquest told reporters.
He criticized Prime Minister Christie for seemly appointing more and more commissions and traveling to the US to promote religious tourism.
“The Prime Minister may choose to ignore it , but the fact is that the current state of economic stagnation, crime, free trade and immigration are the major issues facing this nation today, not minority rule,” said Mr Turnquest.
He said the issues mentioned have not been given any considerable attention.
Mr Turnquest said that in both subtle and explicit ways, the PLP has tried to blame their ineffectiveness on the FNM.
He accused the PLP government of pretending to not know what is happening to the Bahamian economy.
“This is utter nonsense. Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham provided comprehensive reports on the state of the economy following September 11, and there were regular reports on al aspects of national interest,” he said.
Mr Turnquest revealed that the Central Bank of The Bahamas has provided quarterly updated reports on the state of the local economy.
He added that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has provided comprehensive reports on the assessment of the economy.
He said that when, as Leader of the Opposition, Mr Christie sat as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee he received any information needed about the state of the government.
“What is ironic, is that the PLP now relies upon the same IMF to provide it with a projection of the economy’s growth in 2003. I challenge the PLP to bring those IMF reports forward and let those reports reveal the truth about how this country was governed. In fact, Bahamians can see the reports on the World Wide Web themselves at the IMF website,” said Mr Turnquest.
He said report after report boasted of the performance of the Bahamian economy over the last decade during the FNM administration.
He added that the PLP are now boasting about those same reports.
Mr Turnquest said the PLP is blaming the FNM for its inability to fulfil the lavish promises it made to the Bahamian people.
He said in 1992, the PLP left the Public Treasury in a far worse state, than what was left by the FNM in 2002.
Mr Turnquest said in 1992, the local economy was not growing, and the FNM went to work on trying to improve it when it came to office.
He slammed the PLP for now having to depend on the same investors it once criticized while they were in opposition.
Mr Turnquest accused the PLP of bragging about the multi-million resort developments of Emerald Bay and Sun International Projects, which were initiated by the FNM.
Countering the FNM leader’s remarks, Minister Maynard Gibson said that unlike the FNM, the PLP Government will tell the Bahamian people the truth, focus on Family Island development and account to Bahamians in their communities.
“The current administration approved the reopening of the Club Med, and has coordinated with the other agencies of the Government with respect to the infrastructural development that was required to accommodate the reopening, for example the improvement to the airport on San Salvador. This project will significantly enhance economic opportunities for Bahamians in San Salvador. Club Med shall also bring added benefits in terms of promotion of the second home market and close liaison with the College of The Bahamas and BTVI,” she said.
She also noted that thanks to the cutting of red tape, “the economic face of Exuma shall change dramatically and for the benefit of the entire community and the Southern Bahamas.” She said the Four Seasons at Emerald Bay, together with Aman Resorts and another five-star resort presently being negotiated in Exuma, when added to the Westin in Freeport, the Sun in Nassau and the upcoming Abaco project, will cause the Bahamian tourism product to stand far in front of all of its competitors in the region.
Minister Maynard-Gibson said the Government approved Abaco Land Limited to develop a private members hotel and golf club at Winding Bay, and the Crooked Island Pittstown Point Landing Hotel expansion into a marina and residential development. The Harbour Island Rock House Hotel and Restaurant was approved on November 12, she said.
She said in addition to focusing on Family Island development, the Government has focused on the linkages between direct investment and entrepreneurial opportunities for Bahamians.
“So Senator Turnquest should accept the fact that Bahamians already know, the PLP, not the FNM, is the party that will work night and day to deliver for Bahamians a way of life that we deserve and will work hard to help Bahamians to fulfil their hopes, dreams and aspirations,” Minister Maynard-Gibson said.
Mr Turnquest, however, insisted that “It is clear that the PLP has no clear initiatives of their own in respect of tourism, since becoming the government in May.”
He said while it has been six months and 24 days since the FNM government was convincingly voted out of office, the Bahamian people are expecting results.
“Young men and women without jobs want to care for their families. Business people with life savings in their businesses want certainty about the future and relief of their business challenges,” he said.
Mr Turnquest said Bahamians want and need decisive and sensitive leadership, free of “prima donnas.”
He vowed that the FNM will continue to watch, wait and hold the PLP government accountable.
By Sean Inniss, The Nassau Guardian
