In an ongoing  effort to select suitable candidates  to win  the next general elections,  the leadership of  the Progressive Liberal Party  has  endorsed  what is being called “a mix of qualities and standards to become an effective and lasting Member of Parliament on a PLP team.

The requirements come after an  Aspirant Candidates Modular Training Workshop Seminar  for  potential  PLP candidates  held last week at the Party headquarters at the Sir Lynden Pindling Centre, Gambier House.

In a nutshell,  the  requirement document  states that “candidates should be imbued with a strong commitment to positive, progressive principles and willing to expose themselves to intense public scrutiny and remain in the arena and stay the course, because they are committed to fight for a cause greater than themselves.

“At the end of the day, individuals who meet these standards are those whom the people ought to elect to Parliament. Candidates must be part of a team and behave as such. The team must meet the requisites necessary to forming a credible and competent government that promotes social justice, moral welfare and economic empowerment of the people. For the Party to offer less is to insult the voter and demonstrate that the Party does not understand the clear message sent by the people, which would require changes in the conduct of MPs and candidates of the Party. “

The document says, “The PLP must again become the heroic champion of the Bahamian people, in their search for the path to better lives.”

It states that  the following are essential for candidacy:

• Must be a member in good standing and active in the Party; and, be very familiar with the Party’s Core Values;
• Must be free of scandals and not involved in malfeasance or misfeasance;
• Must be honest, possess integrity and be blessed with humility;
• Should be above reproach in their personal and professional lives;
• Should possess a good education, formal or otherwise;
• Must have a reasonable understanding of the world, along with a great knowledge of The Bahamas and the capacity to discuss both; 
• Should have a good understanding of our economy, our cultural heritage, our history, the Westminster system and the Constitution of The Bahamas;
• Should have a clear vision of the way forward and have the ability to articulate it so clearly that people will buy into it;
• Must consistently demonstrate good and sound judgment and common sense;
• Must have a sense of charity, be committed to caring for the poor,  and sympathize with the least fortunate;
• Must support policies which protect the rights of workers and commit to the expansion and strengthening of the middle class; 
• Must show respect for citizens and, particularly, for those of our citizenry who are in their twilight years;
• Should have the ability to inspire our people to pursue noble objectives, dream greatly and face the future with courage; 
• Must demonstrate the desire to bridge the generational gap;
• Must treat people the way they, themselves, would like to be treated; and,
• Must commit to have their annual public disclosure statements scrutinized by the Party and respond to any inordinate fluctuations in the increases of their assets from year to year.

The Aspirant Candidates Modular training workshop seminar ended on Sunday with closing remarks from the leader of the Party  Philip  Davis.