Former Minister of State for Grand Bahama Doctor Michael Darville says the Grand Bahama economy has taken a turn for the worse. Addressing the 53rd annual Convention of the Progressive Liberal Party last night, Dr. Darville said, “ we are in crisis in Grand Bahama as countless businesses are closing their doors and the Free National Movement government has failed to act. He claims the PLP is the only party that has a vision for Grand Bahama.
He said the “three cabinet ministers from Grand Bahama have no plan for Grand Bahama and they are chanting fix Grand Bahama. It is ringing loud and clear even by their own FNM supporters.”
Reflecting on the PLP losing the general elections on May 10th, the former Pineridge MP said, “nowhere was the loss of trust and our straying away from core values more evident than in Grand Bahama. The proof is there for us to see. We lost all five seats in Grand Bahama. In fact many of our stalwart counselors and supporters voted against us. I assure you that your message has been received.
“On reflection, we had many right polices to turn Grand Bahama around, but we failed to make these polices real for our people. We were focused with the big picture and failed to keep in contact with the small man. The sober reality of a crushing defeat at the polls has driven us back to our core vision and values in our party.
“We must now pick up the pieces and with God’s help use the talents of our organization and the support from others outside to once again turn defeat into victory,”said Dr. Darville.
He said,“we understood that 5 years was a short time to execute our transformative agenda for the people of GB, but we know and still understand that the real challenges would come when we meet our stakeholders who would be responsible for stabilizing our economy and place us on a projected path for growth and economic recovery.
“Despite the economic instability and disasters in the past 5 years our administration faced, we were forced to deliver our promises to diversify economy for GB inject real capitol on the ground for our local businesses, improve health and educational infrastructure….
“We invested heavily and with great pain in the economic reform and provided additional funding for a number of our social safety net programs lead by a well abled minister, but ultimately we were not effective as we should have been in articulating our message to our people and to ensure that the impact was tangible for Grand Bahamians,” said the Senator.
Dr. Darville said, “despite the FNM promises on the campaign trail to bring immediate relief to GB, to grow local economy and get the tourism sector back on track, all we are hearing now is the sudden revelation that the economic recovery for GB is no quick fix and will take time and collaboration.”
He told the party delegates and supporters, “this week we gather with a purpose to renew and reignite. We gather to renew our commitment to building a better and more progressive Bahamas. We gather to listen to you our supporters to reignite our passion for our party and embrace new ideas for our country as we chart a new course guided by our PLP core vision and values.
“I personally pledge that the PLP will return to the streets of GB to regain your confidence and trust one person at a time.
“We are bound to our moral responsibility to empower the small man. To give him a hand up and not just a hand out.
“These are the values and ideas on which our fore fathers have built this great party and which our platforms and polices must stem going forward, as we march forward upward onward together to rebuild our party and form the next government of the commonwealth of the Bahamas,” Dr. Darville said.
