NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC -Prime Minister Phillip Davis says his administration will use the new session of Parliament that begins on October 4 to “prioritize legislation and policies which address the high cost of living, lift our people, and strengthen our economic and national security.”
But Opposition Leader, Michael Pintard, said the government moved to prorogued the current parliamentary session last Friday because of its “inability to fulfill even the most basic promises they made during their five-year agenda.”
“Today, we bear witness to a desperate and feeble attempt by the Davis-Cooper administration to evade the undeniable truth: they have unequivocally failed the Bahamian people,” Pintard said.
Prime Minister Davis defended his administration’s policies over the last two years in office in a statement confirming that acting on his advice, the Governor-General Sir Cornelius A. Smith had prorogued the current parliamentary session.
“Nearly two years ago, our country was in serious crisis at the start of our New Day administration. We moved quickly. We lifted the curfew, ended the travel visa, ended the Emergency Orders, implemented free COVID testing, expunged records for minor breaches of the Emergency Orders, safely reopened both the economy and our schools, stabilized the nation’s finances, and raised the minimum wage.”
Davis said that the government started an affordable housing program and a Catastrophic Health Care Fund, signed 20 labor agreements, and grew the tourism industry with record-breaking tourist arrivals, among other achievements.
“Our Blueprint for Change continues to provide the foundation for our progress as we create job and ownership opportunities for Bahamians, invest in food security and our Family Islands, advance infrastructure and renewable energy, and strengthen our borders.”
Davis said that the country “is moving in the right direction,” even as he acknowledged that “there is still so much work to do.”
He promises that “in the new session of Parliament, to begin on October 4, we will prioritize legislation and policies which address the high cost of living, lift our people, and strengthen our economic and national security”.
But in his statement, Pintard said the ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), by its decision to prorogue Parliament, “is a clear admission of guilt, an entry that they have let down the very people they were elected to serve. From the towering burden of energy costs to the unrelenting surge in food prices, the PLP’s administration has shown a remarkable knack for pushing the Bahamian people further into economic distress.
“Their promises of social assistance, national security, and safety have proven to be hollow words, leaving citizens to suffer the consequences of their inaction. Affordable housing, accessible transportation, and reliable healthcare remain elusive dreams under their leadership.”
However, Pintard promises the opposition will not give the Davis administration a clean slate.
“They have demonstrated their inability to manage the basic aspects of governance, casting doubt on their commitment to transparency and accountability, which they so vehemently promised in their so-called blueprint,” he said.
“And now, in an audacious display of arrogance, they seek a do-over, as if the Bahamian people are expected to disregard the pain and suffering endured over the past two years. Let me be clear: we will not forget, and there will be no second chances.”
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