Leader-Elect of The Official Opposition

Good Evening:

In a unanimous vote, the Free National Movement Members-Elect of the House of Assembly after consultation with the Central Council of the FNM invited me to serve as Leader of the Official Opposition.

It is with a profound sense of responsibility that I accept their invitation on the twenty-second anniversary of the passing of Sir Cecil Wallace Whitfield, a Founding Father and former Leader of the FNM.

Accordingly, I will advise His Excellency the Governor General of the decision of my colleagues, and I will receive the instrument of appointment as the Official Leader of the Opposition.

Once again, the transition of office from one party to the next in Government has been seamless.  This is a matter of national pride in our vibrant and enduring parliamentary democracy.

For our part, we pledge to work with the Government in the best interest of the Bahamian people.  At times, this may require that we oppose what we believe is not in the national interest.

We will not oppose for the sake of opposing.  But we will oppose, without hesitation and vigorously, what we believe is harmful to the general welfare and common good of the Bahamian people.

We will also stand guard over, and be ever ready to protect, the Constitutional rights and freedoms of all Bahamians

As a matter of priority, and in the interest of transparent and accountable governance, we ask the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Urban Development to provide details of their work as consultants for a foreign company that is engaged in oil exploration in The Bahamas.

Further, we note that the Prime Minister has appointed a Minister of Urban Development.  We are flattered that the Government has borrowed the idea of urban development from the FNM.  We wait to see if this is mere window dressing or yet another slogan such as Urban Renewal 2.0.

At the appropriate time we will detail further ideas for genuine urban development, building on the accomplishments of the last five years.

The Scriptures remind us, in all things, give thanks.  And, we are reminded to always have an attitude of gratitude.

In this spirit, I wish to give my personal thanks to the people of Killarney who re-elected me to serve as their representative in the House of Assembly.  I thank my constituency association and campaign staff and volunteers.

I thank my wife, Patricia, family and friends for their unwavering support.

I also thank my colleague and friend, Hubert Alexander Ingraham for his outstanding service to the people of The Bahamas and to the FNM.

In gratitude to him and for the sake of all Bahamians, let us pledge to carry on his legacy and vision which is to build a greater Opportunity Society for every Bahamian across the length and breadth of the country we all love and cherish.

May God bless our efforts.  May God bless the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

May 10, 2012

fnm2012.org

Caribbean Blog International

tribune242

Nassau, The Bahamas

THE election process across The Bahamas was 'well prepared and executed,' according to the Organization of American States' team of observers leader Alfonso Quinonez.

Mr Quinonez said yesterday afternoon that his team had been throughout the constituencies and had had no reports of any election fraud, vote buying, or voter intimidation.

"We have observed the process and everything has gone well. Obviously there may be something brought to our attention because there is still some time to go (before the polls close) but so far everything has gone very well," he said.

Mr Quinonez added that they had witnessed some voters' votes being protested by various parties but those issues had been dealt with by Parliamentary officials.

"At this point, we can say the elections have been conducted in a very professional manner. The elections are very open and very professional. We are looking forward to the closing of the vote and to check the count."

Mr Quinonez stressed that he and his team were not here because they believed something was going to go wrong or that they were here to substitute electoral authorities.

"What we see is that this is an electorate that is very lively and very engaged. We have seen red shirts interacting with yellow shirts and in a very amicable manner. It is very positive and speaks highly of the Bahamian democracy; also you have a high turn out which speaks highly of democracy because this is not a country where voting is compulsory."

May 08, 2012

tribune242

Caribbean Blog International

By Hudson George:

Now, finally, President Barack Obama is taking a tough position against rich business people who are manipulating the buying and selling of oil on the international market. The US president accused these rich business people of being speculators, buying up the oil and creating a scarcity of the product, so that they can raise the price. 

However, if Mr Obama stands by his words and makes effective changes in the interest of the majority of people that are being affected by the ridiculously high price of gas, his popularity will rise among US voters and citizens of other countries will benefit. He will definitely stand a great chance of becoming a two-term president.  [Read on Here]

By NICOLETTE BETHEL:

WITH elections three weeks away and three political parties that apparently have yet to formulate, much less articulate, any new or credible plan for Bahamian development or growth in 21st century (and no, planning to beg more rich people for more money to buy up more of our precious archipelago does not count), I think it's time for the average Bahamian, the voter, to exercise her democratic right and put down in print what will or will not get her vote.

I am a Bahamian who has never really been represented by any party that has held power in The Bahamas to date. I am a woman, middle class, neither black nor white, a cultural worker and intellectual, a citizen and a voter, an ordinary Bahamian who does not campaign, carry a voter's card, attend rallies, or otherwise show her face during the silly season that surrounds politics.

I pay my taxes in every way they are presented to me. I have never sat in a politician's office to beg for anything when doing so was not part of my job as a civil servant. I have been eligible to vote in the past six general elections but in that time I have only once been visited by a prospective MP, who believed that he was making a social call on old friends, my parents. I have never, in my civilian position, called any sitting politician for a job, for a handout, for a favour, for any sort of help. I do not work in the tourism industry, real estate, the construction industry, or any other area that figures in political discussions of "jobs" and "economics" or anything else.

I am one of thousands of productive, independent, patriotic Bahamians who make this country run on a daily basis. I took the opportunities offered to me by the first independent government of The Bahamas and went off and earned a college degree. I came home because I wanted to serve and build my country. To date, my country has not put in place anything to serve and build me; to every politician who has served in parliament in the time I have been voting, people like me have been invisible. In our democracy, we do not count.

And so: a voter's manifesto.

I believe:

• that Bahamians are as intelligent, as resourceful, as industrious, as talented and as deserving as any other group of people on the planet

[Read on Here]

VATICAN CITY.—The Holy See has condemned the U.S. blockade of Cuba, in a statement given March 16, prior to Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the country.

In a press conference, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi noted, "It is the people who are suffering the consequences of the U.S. position," in reference to the economic, commercial and financial blockade dating back more than 50 years.

"The Holy See does not believe that it is a positive or useful measure," he added, in response to a question during an informative session on the visit the Pope is to make to Mexico and Cuba, starting March 23.

"He is very well and his disposition to undertake such an exhausting tour confirms that," he added.

This is the Pope’s second visit to Latin America, after he traveled to Brazil in 2007.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry has opened a website providing information on his visit.

In addition to the official program for Pope Benedict XVI’s tour, the new site: benedictocuba.cubaminrex.cu has information on current events in ecclesiastical life and statistical data on the Catholic Church and other religions in Cuba (SE)

March 19, 2012

granma.cu

Caribbean Blog International