The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) yesterday ratified five more candidates for the next general election at its headquarters on East Street South.
Ethric Bowe, owner of AFS Insurance Agents & Brokers Ltd., was ratified for Southern Shores.
Celi Moss, creator and ounder of the Bahamas Film Festival (BFF), was ratified for Centreville.
Kendal Smith, founder of Poseidon Distribution Systems, a commercial fishing operation, was ratified for Fox Hill.
Real estate broker and investment consultant Rudolph Dean was ratified for Golden Gates.
Claire Basden, owner of Your Finance, an accounting/financial firm in Dundas Town, Marsh Harbour, was ratified for North Abaco.
Bowe said he wants to help ensure The Bahamas is a top option for Bahamians returning home from college.
On the issue of crime, he said the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Free National Movement (FNM) seem to lack the resolve to deal with it.
Bowe said law-abiding citizens should be permitted to carry handguns.
"I believe that people have a right, a natural right to defend themselves, their families, their communities," he said.
"We must arm and train our people to defend themselves."
Moss, who was born and raised in Centreville, said he decided to serve because he thinks the people of the constituency deserve better.
Prime Minister Perry Christie is the sitting member of Parliament for the area.
"If it's one thing we can all agree on it's that if the Guinness Book of World Records was giving an award for the lousiest MP in the world, Perry Christie's representation of Centerville would win hands down," Moss said.
"Folks, it wouldn't even be close, and unlike (Bahamian Olympic gold medalist) Shaunae [Miller] he wouldn't even have to dive for it." Christie recently admitted in the House of Assembly that he had yet to visit his constituency after the passage of Hurricane Matthew because he was busy touring other areas devastated by the storm.
Moss will also have to face off against recently ratified FNM candidate Reece Chipman.
Smith criticized both the PLP and FNM administrations, claiming they have exploited the human and natural resources of this country for personal gain.
"To the residents of Fox Hill and The Bahamas at large, I say don't give up, don't you dare quit on your country and don't you dare quit on your children," he said.
"The wind of change is blowing ever so strong among us and there is a new level of consciousness that is being manifested and represented in the rising arm of the youth."
Dean, who said he had been a PLP supporter all of his life, added that he believes the PLP government has become everything the PLP fought against on Black Tuesday.
Dean said his vision is to take the power away from the prime minister, parliamentarians and Parliament itself and give it to the people. "We are ever mindful that the power of the people is greater than the people in power," Dean said,
"This will happen through a multi-layered local government system where the people will be active in all aspects of how their local communities function all the way up to the central government."
Addressing the crowd of DNA supporters, Basden said she decided to serve because she was tired of seeing her "hard earned dollars targeted for some form of taxation and not being given the decency to be informed as to how it is being spent".
She said The Bahamas needs a radical change to its political system.
She quoted U.S President John F. Kennedy: "Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
DNA Leader Branville McCartney expressed excitement over the DNA candidates.
McCartney said the DNA has "the best candidates in the world" and the party is ready to deliver new leadership for the country.
Sloan Smith, Guardian Staff Reporter
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