Unlike in the past, one man will not act as the competent authority, Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said yesterday.

“That’s why I said that by October 1, perhaps we will see a complete new regime that will take into account the promises that we would’ve made during the campaign and it will not be the prime minister for certain,” Davis said.

“It ought probably be in the Ministry of Health. We’re dealing with a health crisis, so why it is even in the Office of the Prime Minister even baffles the experts and doctors when we speak to them about, first of all, where we have come from, where we are and where we ought to go.”

Davis has been acting as competent authority since he was sworn in as prime minister on September 17.

Dr. Hubert Minnis, who served as prime minister before that, acted as competent authority from March 2020 when the governor general declared a state of emergency after the first confirmed COVID-19 case in The Bahamas.

The state of emergency empowers the competent authority to impose restrictions — such as border closures, business closures, curfews and lockdowns — to curb the spread of the virus.

While in opposition, the Progressive Liberal Party slammed the idea of one person acting as competent authority.

Last week, Davis said, “We have all seen how the rule by one man has damaged our country. We will not make that mistake and will do everything possible to work in the best interests of the Bahamian people.”

The new prime minister has pledged to end the state of emergency and address the pandemic through ordinary legislation.

The Minnis administration had promised to end the state of emergency in November.

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