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Last Updated: Feb 14, 2010 - 10:25:06 AM |
Dr. Andre Rollins’ Press Conference
NDP Headquarters
February 7, 2010
Good Afternoon,
I have called this press conference to clarify concerns raised in yesterday’s published article in The Tribune and to emphasize the critical importance of the upcoming by-election to be held on February the 16th.
Firstly, Elizabeth is now the political capital of The Bahamas. The constituents of Elizabeth must relish the attention that is being heaped upon them that has been absent for so long and they must appreciate the tremendous power that they possess in exercising their right to vote in this upcoming by-election.
The constituents of Elizabeth must ask themselves why the PLP and FNM waited so long to shower them with all of this love and attention? Hundreds of thousands of dollars are being spent on posters, loud motorcades and round-the-clock parties, monies that could have been better spent on programs and equipment that would have had a more lasting and beneficial impact on the constituents and their constituency. More lasting and beneficial, because come February 16th, the loud motorcades and round-the-clock parties will stop and the thousands of posters lining the trees and lamp poles will be a hideous reminder of the wasteful spending of these two political parties.
Ladies and Gentlemen of Elizabeth, as the most powerful voters in this country at this time, you are being wined and dined, romanced and financed by the PLP and FNM, who both hope that you forget how much they neglected and abandoned you over these last 7 plus years. As usual, they have endless sweet-talk about how much you mean to them, but these recent promises must be compared to their records of past performance.
Mr. Leo Ryan Pinder, the PLP’s National General Council member for Clifton, was as recently as a few short weeks ago, actively canvassing and campaigning in the Clifton constituency trying to get the nomination to represent that constituency in the next General Election. If you don’t believe me, call your PLP friends in the Clifton Constituency branch of the PLP and they will confirm this for you. But all of a sudden, Elizabeth, after his PLP colleague left you for another lover, Mr. Leo Ryan Pinder, decided that he too fell out of love with Clifton, dropped him like a hot potato and somehow expects you to believe that his actions are somehow different than those of Mr. Malcolm Adderley. Mr. Pinder has said that he is the right man in the right place at the right time. It seems clear that any constituency that offers him the first opportunity to get into the House of Assembly is the right place at the right time, but he’s wrong and don’t you be fooled, Elizabeth.
Mr. Pinder is the local representative for Florida based law firm Becker and Poliakoff, a law firm that doubles as a major political lobby that spend lots of money on political campaigns and that represents a great many private hotel and condo developers seeking to do business in the state of Florida. The people of Elizabeth need to know whether his role as a partner in that U.S. based law firm and his role in Bahamian politics is designed to assist foreign developers who do business with Becker and Poliakoff, who also are interested in obtaining land, project approval and tax incentives here in The Bahamas, just as Becker and Poliakoff has become famous for in their dealings in South Florida. Thus far, Mr. Pinder’s response to the press has been to say that it’s “personal” and is none of our business. I beg to differ and call on him to clear the air on this matter.
Dr. Duane Sands, a very well respected and accomplished cardiovascular surgeon has held a number of leading roles as President of the Medical Association of The Bahamas; Chairman of the Bahamas Medical Council; and Chief of Surgery at Princess Margaret Hospital. Dr. Sands is the most extensively trained of all of the candidates in this Elizabeth by-election.
Both of these observations:
1) His leading role in the Public Healthcare System; and
2) His extensive training
Should cause us to ask two very critical questions of Dr. Sands:
Where can Dr. Sands point to any instances during the last 10 years where he has publically advocated on behalf of patients who have made claims of medical malpractice or negligence and who have not been able to receive resolution or redress from the major local healthcare facilities; from the various local medical oversight bodies; or from the local courts? And is Dr. Sands satisfied that the many reports of unresolved patient or family complaints about medical malpractice or negligence is reason for Bahamians to be believe they can trust that they will be treated fairly when filing medical complaints here in our country and that they can trust that he will fight for them if he is elected to the House of Assembly?
Secondly, as Dr. Sands has such extensive training, how can he and the hierarchy of the FNM justify that he is not being allowed to participate in the Jones Communications Network’s Live Public Debate to be held on Tuesday, February 9, 2010? What are Dr. Sands and the FNM afraid of? Don’t they realize that posters cannot speak and that it is a cold and callous insult to the people of Elizabeth to suggest that they aren’t important enough for Dr. Sands to consider participating in a debate with all of the other candidates for the right to earn their votes?
Constituents of Elizabeth, you have the awesome power to send a critical message to the politicians of this country. A vote for the FNM and PLP is a vote that says that you are pleased with the way things are in our nation today. A vote for the FNM and PLP is a vote that says they can continue to neglect, ignore and disrespect you, the voters, until it’s time for an election. A vote for the FNM and PLP is a vote that will give them both the right to go on thinking that you enjoy and deserve bad treatment. Instead of voting for the lesser of two evils, it’s time to vote to get rid of evil. Elizabeth, use the awesome power that you have to send a powerful message that will shake the FNM and PLP parties to their cores and that will cause them to take the job of nation-building seriously. By doing this, your mark on this nation’s political history will be tremendous. I ask you to please vote for me, Andre Rollins, as your next elected member of parliament for Elizabeth. Change is Possible!
© Copyright 2010 by thebahamasweekly.com
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