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Last Updated: Feb 26, 2017 - 3:13:47 PM |
Acceptance Remarks By Dr. Charles Arthur Clarke The candidacy of the PLP for the Saint Anne’s Constituency February 24, 2017 At Sir Lynden Pindling Centre:
PLP’s, ARE YOU READY FOR VICTORY??
SAINT ANNE’S, LET ME HEAR YOU IF YOU ARE READY FOR VICTORY!!
Protocol having been established, I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to our party leader, Prime Minister the Right Honorable Perry G. Christie for the confidence he has reposed in me to carry the banner for the oldest, most transformational, and stable political organization in the history of The Bahamas. Mr. Prime Minister, I promise not to let you down and to build on the glorious legacy of this great party as we move this country forward together.
I also extend thanks to our National Chairman Mr. Bradley Roberts, Mr. Valentine Grimes, members of the candidate committee, Reverend Patterson, my St. Anne’s church family and my parents. Most of all I am thankful to Almighty God who makes all things possible; I ask Him for wisdom and guidance every day.
Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am the eldest of five children, raised by a pair of lifelong, committed and patriotic civil servants. Parents that struggled like many other families to provide a better life for their children. I am an island boy, hailing from the “big yard” of Andros, in particular, Fresh Creek and Mangrove Cay. My general medical training and specialization in Urology have exposed to the world, having trained in Canada, Jamaica, Edinburgh, London, and Holland. These valuable experiences have provided me with both medical acumen as well as the opportunity to see The Bahamas, its opportunities, its competitive advantages and yes its challenges from a global context.
No context is more important than the one manifested in the voices of my people, the Bahamian people, but tonight I speak specifically to the people of St. Anne’s.
St. Anne’s, we are at a crossroad. As a physician, I can tell you that we are on the cusp of a transformative National Health Insurance plan that promises to ensure the best quality of healthcare uniformly delivered throughout our beautiful nation. Access to affordable healthcare is a human right, regardless of your financial circumstances. This is fundamental to our tenet of social justice and a reason why I am a member of team PLP. This initiative represents change, empowerment and progress.
Equally importantly is our need to keep our community close knit, safe and crime free. Our fight against crime must be a community effort as we demand and protect our right to live, work and play in safety. Just this week alone the government has led in facilitating a conference on illegal narcotics; launched the SAVE OUR BOYS initiative and rolled out VIOLENCE INTERCEPTORS. I applaud these initiatives, but understand and acknowledge that more must be done.
Our young people require well structured and effective models for guidance and reform, with avenues to express themselves in meaningful and innovative ways. In doing so we expand and enrich our resource pool as we prepare our leaders for tomorrow. We have built a solid foundation with doubling the investment in scholarships, the establishment of the National Training Agency, BAMSI and a brand new University of The Bahamas, but we must do more.
These noble programs must touch every citizen in a personal way and community leadership is critical in achieving this and that is what I humbly seek to provide. Not as a physician, not as a former trade union president, not in any elitist capacity; but as a brother, a son, a healer and problem solver, a Christian but most of all, as an ordinary, salt of the earth caring Bahamian.
So, I ask you my brothers and sisters of St. Anne’s; Are you ready? Are you ready to continue the great change that we have begun? Are you ready to see how far into the future we can go together? Are you ready to embark along this crossroad with me?
In closing I simply encourage all of you tonight to get on board and get registered to vote!
PLP’s, lets take our message and our plans to the constituency of St Anne’s…and the country…as we echo our cry…PLP all the way.
Good night and God Bless.
© Copyright 2017 by thebahamasweekly.com
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