The Progressive Liberal Party Government that came to office on a high note a year ago, capturing 29 of the 40 seats in the House of Assembly, was given an ‘F’ for its performance during the Free National’s Movement report card rally on Friday night.
Before hundreds of supporters, waving red, white and blue pom-poms, FNM Leader Tommy Turnquest said the present Government has been “ineffective, indecisive and unproductive.”
“We give them an F. A big fat F. They have failed,” Mr. Turnquest said, drawing hand claps and shouts of approval from party supporters.
The rally, which was held in the parking lot opposite the FNM headquarters drew supporters from near and far, young and old, black and white.
Mr. Turnquest, the former Mount Moriah representative painted a gloomy picture of the fisheries and financial service sectors, and noted that immigration control is at a “standstill.”
“Exactly one year ago the PLP was elected the government of The Bahamas with great enthusiasm and high expectation.
They peddled help to our people and promised Bahamians hope. One year later, Bahamians all over this country are disappointed and frustrated with this government,” Mr. Turnquest critcised.
He accused the Government of talking too much and doing too little. “He took longer to form the government than any previous Prime Minister in the history of The Bahamas. For almost two weeks, the people of The Bahamas did not know who would comprise the government.
“Shamefully, he left the nation without an Attorney General, which is a constitutionally mandated post, for almost two weeks. For two weeks, an indecisive Prime Minister held the “wheels of justice” captive. After he finally got around to naming his Cabinet, he took months to name the statutory committees that help to run the Government,” Mr. Turnquest pointed out.
He reported that Prime Minister Christie’s “indecisiveness” resulted in major decisions being delayed and “we will never fully know of the setbacks caused to many important areas of our country.”
Mr. Turnquest said after Mr. Christie struggled ever so slowly to appoint established government committees and boards, he went on to appoint commissions of his own. Mr. Turnquest added that for every single issue, Mr. Christie’s answer has been to appoint a Commission.
“Prime Minister Christie seems unprepared to make any decision on important and urgent matters in this country. Instead, he appointed overcrowded committees to consider the issues.
“Consultation is a good thing; it is something the FNM used during its term in office; but leaders must be able to act decisively on critical issues. Otherwise things slip, as they have been doing for the past year,” Mr. Turnquest said.
He highlighted the fact that the Free Trade Agreement of America is coming on stream in 2005 and the Government has “no position.” He urged the Government to make a decision about the Caribbean Single Market and Economy.
Too, he said Bahamians do not know what fall out there will be for the Government not supporting the United States in the war on Iraq. He pointed to the fisheries sector, noting that it is in peril where groupers and conch stocks can not be decisively protected.
“Crime, especially murder and drug trafficking, have skyrocketed within the last year. Immigration control is at a standstill. More Haitians are being deported because more are coming into the country. Bahamian passports are being stolen and peddled liberally, and The Bahamas is losing ground on the financial services front, despite the Minister of Financial Services declaration that there is a five-year strategic plan,” he said
By Keva Lightbourne, The Nassau Guardian
