Politics
The Bahamas: PLP – the ruling party of Prime Minister Perry Christie observes first anniversary in office
Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie. PHOTO/File
The ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) of The Bahamas is celebrating its first year in office reminding citizens that they should exercise patience as the government seeks to overturn a sluggish economy.
Prime Minister Perry Christie said that his administration’s “Charter for Governance” is a five year plan and not six month strategy as he responded to critics that the PLP had not done anything spectacular since defeating the then Free National Movement (FNM) government last May.
Christie told supporters that the PLP had inherited a country deep in social and economic problems and that it would take more than a year to bring about a change.
He told them that God did not allow the party to be victorious in both the general election and two by-elections last year, only to abandon them at this stage, promising that job opportunities and economic conditions would improve.
PLP chairman Bradley Roberts said when the party came to power last year, “we faced a US$600 million budgetary deficit greeting us at the door on day one which basically meant that the treasury was very broke”.
He said in addition, the new government had to borrow funds to pay off outstanding bills.
“We met over 30,000 unemployed and suffering Bahamians looking for hope whose misery index was off the charts; we met over 4,000 homes in various stages of foreclosure; government revenue poor and tourism was in the doldrums where stopover visitors were at a 27 year low.
“Conditions in Grand Bahama were worse where one in three young person was unemployed, many closed hotels and no new investment,” he said making reference also to the high crime rate in the country.
