Public support is quickly waning for the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and its stance over the proposed sale of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), according to the Free National Movement (FNM), which says a fourth survey has brought even worse news for the Opposition and union leaders opposed to the sale.
An online survey conducted by The Tribune Newspaper from February 9 to February 18 posed the following question: “Union leaders have threatened to turn The Bahamas into a ‘small Egypt’ if the government doesn’t halt the sale of 51 per cent of BTC to Cable & Wireless. Do you agree with their strong arm tactics?”
According to the straw poll, 128 respondents (20 per cent) agreed with the union’s tactics, while 500 people (80 per cent) disagreed with the strong arm tactics.
“These survey results mirror the overwhelming rejection by the vast majority of Bahamians of the tactics used by various union leaders and their allies during the debate over creating a stronger, more efficient and 21st century BTC,” the FNM said in a press statement released yesterday.
“During the debate over creating a new BTC, the Opposition’s senior leadership attended union rallies and called [on others] to reject the new partnership and heavily encouraged those union leaders who have acted in an undemocratic fashion [and threatened] to shut down the country and the House of Assembly.”
The statement continued, “The threats escalated into a call to incite social unrest and turn The Bahamas into a ‘small Egypt’.”
The governing party was of course referring to Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) President Bernard Evans’ recent threat.
