The Free National Movement (FNM) does not have a leg to stand on having failed Grand Bahama for almost five years, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) charged yesterday, adding that Grand Bahamians will not soon forget the neglect from the governing party. "Hubert Ingraham, leader of the FNM, has finally announced the candidates he has selected to try and win another five-year term to complete the wrecking of the Grand Bahama economy," said a statement from the PLP Northern Bahamas Campaign.

 The PLP statement came a day after Ingraham predicted that the FNM will pick up all five seats in Grand Bahama. "We're going to remind the Bahamian people that it is the FNM that puts you first everyday and all the time.  We have a record. They just have plenty talk," said Ingraham at the launch of his party's campaign in Grand Bahama at Our Lucaya Resort on Sunday. "We are acting to ensure that we are in the best possible position to benefit from the economic recovery when it occurs." Ingraham also told FNMs that the upcoming election is about the party that can deliver on its promises to build a better future for all Bahamians.

 But the PLP said Bahamians are not fooled by the FNM's attempt to reinvent itself. "The FNM is mistaken if it believes that they can just shuffle a few candidates, present a few candidates, present a few new faces and all would be forgotten in Grand Bahama," the opposition party said. The PLP said Grand Bahama has been ignored for almost five years. "[Ingraham] has yet to deliver on his victory message shortly after the 2007 elections where he pledged that Grand Bahama will remain very high on [his] government's agenda," the party said. The PLP noted that at the time Ingraham promised that the FNM "will bring Freeport back".

 Five years later and almost nothing has changed, the PLP said. On Sunday, Ingraham introduced the five candidates the party will run in Grand Bahama: former Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce President Peter Turnquest (East Grand Bahama), educator Norris Bain (Marco City), journalist Pakesia Parker Edgecombe (West Grand Bahama and Bimini), Kwasi Thompson (Pineridge) and Neko Grant (Central Grand Bahama). The PLP added that it believes that Ingaraham has conceded that he has wrecked Grand Bahama, which he "abandoned from 2007 and has come to replace those whom he either threw overboard or voluntarily abandoned ship with expendable rookies and opportunists".

 "Joining a surprising survivor Neko Grant (currently the MP for Our Lucaya) and Deputy House Speaker Kwasi Thompson (the MP for Pineridge) are three candidates lacking either the depth of vision or depth of conviction to lead Grand Bahama out of its many challenges," the statement added. In contrast, the PLP said it has put forth an "extraordinary slate of candidates nationally that includes a cadre of a new generation of political leaders mixed with the experience of senior members ready to get to work for Grand Bahamians on day one." The PLP Grand Bahama candidates are incumbent Obie Wilchcombe (West Grand Bahama and Bimini), Dr. Michael Darville (Pineridge), Gregory Moss (Marco City), Tanisha Tynes (East Grand Bahama) and Julian Russell (Central Grand Bahama).

 "In addition to plans the PLP has announced to address the country's high crime rate, unemployment and the poor state of the economy, the PLP will put the interests of Grand Bahamians first by implementing our restoration plan to address the problems in Grand Bahama that have been exacerbated by the FNM's failed policies and outright neglect," the PLP said. The PLP has promised to implement stricter enforcement of immigration policies regarding the granting of work permits for jobs for which Bahamians are qualified; build a new hospital in Grand Bahama and double the investment in education, among other things.

 Certainly, there is no question that the PLP is ready to return good governance to this country, return Grand Bahama to the path of prosperity it once enjoyed and return the "magic" to Freeport, making it truly the nation's second city. But Ingraham said Grand Bahama can not trust the PLP.  He insisted that PLP has a record of leaving Grand Bahama hanging. "If talking, dreaming and imagining created jobs, modernized laws and installed state-of-the-art infrastructure, then I suppose they could find something which they might have accomplished," Ingraham said of the past administration led by Christie.

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