Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said last night he intends to announce mostly new names to run under the FNM banner in New Providence constituencies in the next general election and he revealed that his choice for the Blue Hills Constituency is former party deputy leader, Sidney Collie.
“We are pleased with the prospective candidates who have come forward,” said Mr. Ingraham, who addressed a meeting in the Blue Hills Constituency. “Believe you me, we will put forward a good team representative of the Bahamian population; eager, ready and prepared to serve.”
Mr. Ingraham, who has already said he will begin announcing candidates next month, thanked former FNM Blue Hills MP Dion Foulkes for his service and indicated that he will be the FNM’s candidate for another constituency.
“As you know, Dion has volunteered to carry our party banner in a new constituency, one in which he has strong ancestral roots; and we are pleased and happy to have him do that for us and to deliver that constituency to us next time.”
It is understood that Mr. Foulkes will be the FNM’s candidate for the Mayaguana, Inagaua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay (MICAL) Constituency, a seat presently held by Minister of Local Government and Consumer Affairs V. Alfred Gray.
Mr. Ingraham told the meeting, “I am convinced by you and by others in our party that Sidney will make a worthy successor to Dion in this constituency.”
Mr. Collie will be seeking to unseat Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Leslie Miller.
The former prime minister, who was reelected leader of the party during the FNM convention last November, said he was busy meeting with constituency associations, discussing prospective candidates for the election.
The FNM holds only one seat in New Providence – that is the Montagu seat, which was won in 2002 by Brent Symonette, now deputy FNM leader.
Continuing his politicking, Mr. Ingraham claimed that the present government cannot even begin to fill the footsteps left by his administration in Blue Hills.
He listed the Garvin Tynes Primary School, which is still the only government operated school with a special programme for Autistic children; a neighbourhood post office and library; a private radio station – More FM; better paved roads and increased lighting and an improved environment as among the achievements of his administration.
“The Bahamian people have had enough of this neglectful, inefficient and ineffectual government,” Mr. Ingraham charged. “The Bahamian people deserve better than they have received during the past four years. Everywhere we look there is evidence of neglect.”
He claimed that two examples of neglect are at Her Majesty’s Prison and the public health care system.
“Literally things are falling down around them and they appear powerless to do anything about it,” Mr. Ingraham said. “The testimony being heard by the Coroner’s Inquest into the January, 2006 jail break is a case in point.
“Two lives were lost on that fateful morning when prison officers were forced to deal with a serious security breach while equipped with faulty communications equipment.”
The former prime minister said in parliament shortly after the prison incident that it appears that Prison Superintendent Dr. Elliston Rahming may not be the right man for the job – a statement that drew a quick response from the prime minister who had insisted that Mr. Ingraham was being irresponsible in his comment.
Mr. Ingraham claimed again last night that the public health system is in short supply of critical vaccines used for the immunization of infants and children.
“How is this allowed to happen?” he asked.
He further claimed that under his administration, infant mortality dropped from 24 per thousand live births to below 12.
“We expected to bring it to single digits by 2004,” Mr. Ingraham added. “Instead, under this neglectful government it has risen again to 19 per thousand live births. Why are we moving in reverse?”
The FNM leader said PLP government officials are victims of their own bad habits.
“We have to put an end to this neglect,” he said.
The Bahama Journal
