By VIRAJ PERPALL,
Guardian Staff Reporter -
Nassau, Bahamas:
viraj@nasguard.com -

With a three week countdown to the May 2nd general election, many Bahamians are preparing themselves for a short and furious campaign season and are expressing their personal feelings on the matter.

The Nassau Guardian took to the streets of Nassau yesterday to get the general mood and opinions of many persons concerning the upcoming election season and received mixed views on the topic.

"Both parties could have made a bigger effort, the time was too short and I think the campaigns on both parts are a bit cheesy, instead of focusing on issues they are both focusing on who slept with who, not with what they will do when they get back in power," said Alistina Kemp.

Another vocal gentlemen who wished to remain anonymous said that he has been waiting to vote ever since the PLP was elected to lead the government in 2002. "Everyone is ready and if Mr Christie had called the election date for the very next day, people in The Bahamas would all know who they want in power," he said.

He stated that Bahamians have made up their minds a long time ago on who they want to run the nation and no campaign no matter how good it is can change what the people want.

However with campaign season being just a mere three weeks before elections many also felt it necessary to voice their concerns on the shortness of the election season.

"I don't think it's short at all and even if other people think it is, it doesn't really matter because Bahamians know what they want deep inside," said a gentleman referred to as Doctor Bones. He added that he feels the time given was more than enough time and he said that everyone should have known a long time ago that elections were coming up soon.

Another lady told The Guardian, "I am not a very political person, but I just want for the elections to be peaceful." She also said that she would be voting for a party rather than her representative in this election because, the representative for the party she wants in power is not worth voting for.

"I do not believe in the person I am voting for but I am voting for the party because I want to see them as the government, but the person running for the party has done nothing and does not deserve my vote."

Rebecca Saunders said that she personally felt that the campaign season is too short and feels that the political candidates need more time to know the people in the areas they are running in. "You never see them in the hard times and in the bad times, but they pop up all of a sudden during elections."

Taxi cab owner, Edward Ferguson said that he feels the election is too soon since the announcement of the election date and said that candidates were announced too late. He added that picking a political party in this election is like choosing between the lesser of two evils. However he said that the true problem with politics in The Bahamas is that it is lacking young persons who have the knowledge and the sincerity for the nation.

"The younger people need to be in governance because they are more educated and have better ideas."

He added that a solution to the ills of The Bahamas must be found very soon as he feels the nation is rapidly deteriorating due to a steady decline in moral values.