Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Bradley Roberts is accusing Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis of placing himself above the country based on his past choices mainly, his choice of political candidates.
According to Mr. Roberts, while the Free National Movement (FNM) selected candidates of their own peculiar choosing, the government is amazed at the choice of “hapless, perennial losers and visionless personalities comprising the initial group of eight”.
He said it was Dr. Minnis who repeatedly says how he wants to build this “new Bahamas” which he says require a new vision and that he will recruit the “best and the brightest” (to achieve this however; his words and actions do not match.
“I invite the Bahamian people to critically review Minnis’ “initial handiwork of eight” and make their own judgment,” he said.
“Dr. Minnis’ decision-making skills are in a fish bowl and under a microscope because the future of The Bahamas is at stake. We in the PLP expected that Dr. Minnis’ candidate choices would reflect the skill sets and competencies required to connect with voters and inspire their confidence in addressing the challenges facing The Bahamas. Instead he seemed to have quickly thrown together a disparate group of individuals whose singular qualification must have been their blind allegiance to Dr. Minnis’ leadership ambition and maintenance in the face of continuous challenges to his leadership and the constant public torment, taunting, affront and ridicule he faces from his detractors, led by Mrs. Loretta Butler Turner, the FNM MP for Long Island.”
The PLP Chairman said in his desperate attempt at political survival, Dr. Minnis apparently rummaged through former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham’s political junkyard and salvaged what could only be described as a “political scrap gang.”
He challenged the opposition leader to choose worthy candidates who are fully competent and capable of running the country and are not just his good friends.
“I offer Dr. Minnis some unsolicited political advice: The Bahamian people, a discerning, informed and responsible electorate, will not be insulted with slim political pickings that fail to inspire their confidence in the areas of competence, community linkages and electability,” he said.
“This initial group of eight might very well be nice guys, but there is a huge difference between having a social drink at one’s favorite spot or Fish Fry with a group of nice guys and assembling a competent team of proven and committed leaders ready and able to effectively address the myriad of daunting challenges facing our country while negotiating our strategic positions in the region and in the world.”
