21 February, 2010
 

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.  After my opening remarks I will be happy to answer your questions.

I should like to begin by thanking the voters of the Elizabeth Constituency who went to the polls to exercise their democratic franchise last Tuesday.  The vibrancy of our democracy is continually renewed by such voter participation.

I am grateful for and express heartfelt appreciation to those who voted for Dr. Duane Sands and the Free National Movement.    I am very pleased by the growing support for the FNM in Elizabeth Estates.

I especially wish to thank all of our campaign captains, constituency and election teams.  More particularly, I thank our Elizabeth teams:  Senators Dion Foulkes and Anthony Musgrove supported by the constituency associations of Bain and Grants Town and Farm Road and Centreville; Tommy Turnquest and Senator Johnley Ferguson and the Mount Moriah team, and Neko Grant and Sidney Collie and the Blue Hills Constituency Association.

My gratitude extends to the many individuals as well as to all of the constituency associations who worked so hard to successfully turn a loss just two and a half years ago into a victory on Tuesday.

I am also delighted by the number of young people who chose the FNM as they voted for the first time.  To all of our supporters:  Every vote counts.  And believe me, your vote counted significantly Tuesday past.

I commend our excellent candidate, Dr. Duane Sands, for running a campaign filled with energy, decency, passion and hope.

I should also like to thank various public officials, including those of the Parliamentary Registration Department, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, public officers and others who assisted in the orderly conduct of the polls and the subsequent recount.  We are fortunate to have dedicated and professional public servants.

Our Bahamian democracy remains strong because of a free and fair electoral process anchored in an adherence to the principles of free, fair elections – free of fear.

The rule of law and the same principles guided the now completed recount.  Those same principles and the rule of law will continue to guide the process for the certification of the Member of Parliament for the Elizabeth Constituency.

The results from the January 16th poll declared Dr. Duane Sands of the FNM the winner of the poll and hence the Elizabeth Constituency MP-elect.

The results of the recount are also clear.  Dr. Duane Sands of the Free National Movement received the majority of valid votes cast.

We are satisfied with the process for the recount.  This is in keeping with our acceptance of the general election recounts in 2007 despite a voter register filled with numerous errors and inaccuracies.  Those problems arose as a result of the PLP’s unwillingness or inability to produce a more accurate register.

We are grateful that the Elizabeth recount was conducted in an efficient manner.  The transparency and integrity of that process demonstrates the strength of our electoral practices.

Because the small number of votes the FNM protested on election day was greater than our current margin of victory the PLP has announced its intention to move to Election Court to a review of those five protest votes cast for its candidate.  In accordance with standard electoral procedures, we will cooperate fully in the review of these votes.

We are confident that once that process (if it is in fact undertaken) is completed that Dr. Duane Sands will once again be declared the winner of the February 16th poll.

We will ensure that the intentions of the majority of those eligible to vote in the Elizabeth by-election are honoured and upheld.

The people of Elizabeth are entitled to and deserve full representation in the House of Assembly.

Unnecessary delays in the certification processes fail to honour both the spirit and the rules of our democratic traditions.  The voice of Elizabeth must and will be fully heard in Parliament as soon as possible.

We are also confident that if the matter proceeds to a full challenge of the Elizabeth election, Dr. Sands and the FNM will be declared the winner of the February 16th poll.  In short, it is only a matter of time before Dr. Sands is certified as the Member of Parliament for Elizabeth.  He and the FNM won the election fair and square.

I believe that a few observations and some broader context may useful.

The opportunity to govern is not the birthright of any political party.  It is a renewable trust bestowed by the will of the majority of the Bahamian people for a certain period.  It is a privilege.  It is not an entitlement.

Unable to accept the will of the Bahamian people at the 2007 general election, the PLP created all manner of confusion and “stenched” for days before allowing a new duly elected government to be sworn in, in a timely manner.

The PLP have long found it difficult to accept the will of the people expressed on Election Day.  They like to go to court; but they are only satisfied when the court finds in their favour.

Following the 2007 general election they mounted a series of challenges in Election Court. All proved unsuccessful; all were unnecessary – in Pinewood, in Marco City, and in Blue Hills.  In none of those cases have the PLP paid the election court costs.  Not one.  This is par for the course.

It is also part of an entitlement mentality by the PLP that the standards of fair play, common decency and abiding by the rules apply to everyone but themselves.  In their minds the decisions of our national institutions may be circumvented or ignored if they are not in keeping with the self-interests of the PLP.

I remind you that the PLP also continue to owe ZNS $236,000.  This amount was incurred by the PLP over two and a half years ago at the last general election.   Ironically, the money still owed ZNS is mostly a result of the television broadcast of rallies which ignored long-standing broadcast rules which the PLP ignored and unilaterally broke.

Further, despite not paying their general election bill they felt they were entitled to more time on ZNS during the Elizabeth by-election.  With the extraordinary amount of funds the PLP spent in Elizabeth they had more than enough funds to pay their other legal debts inclusive of sums owed Bahamasair.    That they refused to do so is indicative of their mindset.

Not paying their court costs and failing to pay ZNS and Bahamasair is a clear abuse of our national institutions.  It sends the wrong example on many levels.  The PLP are happy to take advantage of these institutions.  But, they refuse to abide by their decisions as and when it suits their purposes.

When I became Leader of the FNM in 1990 one of the early matters that I had to address was the settlement of costs for election court challenges mounted by the FNM following the 1987 General Election.  We raised the money and paid the $750,000 costs awarded against us by the court.  We did so before the 1992 elections.  We paid the monies to Nottage, Miller & Co., their legal representatives.

When the Courts found in the Government’s favour on matters involving Sir Lynden Pindling (now deceased) Daryl Rolle and Philip Bethel we, in the FNM Government did not hound them to pay because we did not believe that the Government should pursue people into bankruptcy.

When Sir Lynden Pindling was sued by Sir Kendal Isaacs on a matter concerning public disclosure, Sir Lynden insisted that he pay the $100,000 assessed by the courts
 

I never tire of saying that we are different from them; distinctly different.

In 2007 we mounted a challenge in MICAL and we lost.  We paid costs of almost 225,000 to Davis & Co., the PLP’s legal representatives.  As a party, we take ownership and responsibility for our election court cases.

The PLP take ownership and responsibility for nothing.  When they lose an election case, they claim that the individual took the case to Election Court not the party, and they pay nothing; ignore the debt.

In their world they never lose, cannot lose: the voters make mistakes, the Parliamentary Commissioner is inefficient, the FNM steal elections and the courts are in error.
 

The PLP mounted three challenges – in Pinewood, in Marco City, in Blue Hills.  All failed.  In one case alone, the Election Court assessed $1 million in costs.  They have not paid a red nickel.  We have not yet assessed the costs for Pinewood and Blue Hills; be assured however, we will do so.

They have a new mantra now.  When they lose, they declare victory, tell their supporters that the election isn’t over yet; send their operatives to all the radio stations to spill their vile mistruths and half truths.  They drag their matters on for as long as possible, hoping that some how they will be able to reverse the decision made by the people on election day.

They did this in 2007 and for more than a year held out to their supporters that victory was just around the corner.  They did this cynically because they knew they had lost the 2007 general election fair and square.  They knew they were wasting the Election Court’s time when attention ought to have been given to serving the people.

Now, they appear to be on the verge of this same self-serving delaying tactic following the Elizabeth by-election.

This is not the behaviour of democrats.  Instead, it is the behaviour of a PLP elite who manipulate our political system for their own self-aggrandizement and personal benefit.  In other words, rather than serving our democratic institutions, the PLP mostly seek to have these institutions serve their personal needs and agendas.

Well, I want to give them notice that we will be seeking the agreement of the Court for them to be required to put up security for costs so that if they lose, as we believe they will, there will be money to meet their obligation to pay this time.

The elites in the PLP seem to prefer court cases over the expressed will of the people.  It is not enough to talk about the ideals of democracy.  A responsible and democratic government is charged with putting in place the measures which help to protect these ideals.

The problems that arose with the voter register in the Elizabeth by-election arose from a variety of abysmal failures by the PLP in 2007.  As the Government they failed to provide the adequate time required to ensure that the voter register was properly organized and updated prior to the 2007 general election.  This was undemocratic.

Now, as the Opposition party, they complain about the register as if the problems were created by someone else – anyone except them.

I wish to conclude with the following comments.  I urge all FNM supporters to remain patient and calm.  Conduct yourselves with dignity and good cheer as the rule of law is followed.  Do not be provoked.

The record is clear; Dr. Duane Sands and the FNM won the majority of the lawful votes cast on 16th February.  We won more lawful votes than any other candidate.  That was the result at the end of the count on election night and that was the result following the recount.

Your FNM officials were hard at work during the recount.  I thank our recount team for their diligence and around-the-clock efforts from Wednesday to Friday.  Be assured that we will remain focused throughout the next stages of this process.

Finally, I urge all of those in political office and those engaged in party politics to refrain from any actions or irresponsible and intemperate language which may inflame passions.

Our democracy has the procedures, rules and laws necessary to properly adjudicate the electoral matter at hand.

I have great confidence in our democratic process.  And, I remain confident that once this process is concluded Dr. Duane Sands and the FNM will be certified as the winners of the February 16th poll for the Elizabeth Constituency.