The Free National Movement (FNM) yesterday charged that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) is running from its record of "massive incompetence" - specifically as it regards Grand Bahama - and again labeled Opposition Leader Perry Christie as the "weakest prime minister in Bahamian history".
The party added that in their "time of need" Christie abandoned Grand Bahama and employees of the Royal Oasis Hotel following its closure after hurricanes Jeanne, Frances and Wilma ravaged the property and the island's economy in 2004 and 2005.
The statements came as the FNM fired back at the PLP's negative response to the party's rollout of its Grand Bahama slate of candidates on Sunday.
"They waffled, waivered and wondered while more than 1,500 employees lost their jobs and never got them back [and] it would take the FNM to come to office to finish paying those Royal Oasis workers what the PLP promised them," said the FNM.
"When some workers at Our Lucaya (resort) lost their jobs during the current economic downturn the FNM acted immediately. The Ingraham administration mobilized government benefits, job counseling, personal and spiritual counseling and other assistance. The government acted swiftly with job referrals and placements in Grand Bahama and at Sandals in Exuma."
The party also attacked Christie for failing to come through on the 'Marshall Plan' that he promised for Grand Bahama after the hurricanes and claimed his failure to deliver on his promise is in part responsible for the state of the island's economy.
The PLP said on Monday that Grand Bahama has been ignored for almost five years by the FNM and 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 PLP said.
"[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 PLP noted that at the time Ingraham promised that the FNM "will bring Freeport back".
However, the FNM claimed yesterday that Christie flew into Grand Bahama and exploited the situation of Our Lucaya employees by holding a "grandstanding" press conference to talk about what the PLP would do.
"As usual, nothing happened," said the FNM.
"The FNM has a record of accomplishments in Grand Bahama [with] the 1,000-strong National Job Readiness & Training program, which is providing Grand Bahamians with new skills, work and hope. The FNM has a legacy of care, compassion and competence in Grand Bahama. The Opposition has a record of callous disregard, no compassion and sheer incompetence.
"Grand Bahamians trust Hubert Ingraham and they know that Perry Christie will promise everything and deliver nothing."
The prime minister is in Grand Bahama today to commission the upgraded Accident & Emergency Urgent Centre and the Operating Theatre & Day Surgical Unit at the Rand Memorial Hospital.

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