<<< Carl Bethel Chairman of the FNM.
FREE NATIONAL MOVEMENT Communications Unit
PRESS RELEASE / 31st January 2010
PLP campaign of lies and name-calling
The PLP are continuing with a nasty campaign of deliberate lies and name-calling. Their latest press release called on Dr. Duane Sands to apologize for a comment that he never made.
At no time did Dr. Sands ever use the word “greedy” to describe any resident of the Elizabeth Constituency. This fact is conclusively proven by the “clarification” published by the Tribune Newspaper on the front page of Saturday’s paper.
It shows the immaturity and desperation of the PLP that they would continue to spread an obvious untruth, while calling Dr. Sands all sorts of names, rather than to admit that they jumped to the wrong conclusion before checking and finding out exactly what the true facts were.
The truth is that the word “greedy” in the Tribune’s article of the 29th January, 2010 came from the pen of the journalist and NOT from the mouth of Dr. Sands.
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BP Editorial note: THE Tribune article now in dispute below. The morning daily changed one word in its retraction; from “small” to “minute”. In our lexicon they are one in the same. Our story however was more than that. We wondered how Dr. Sands cannot identify with the fact that people were suffering in Elizabeth! It is amazing The Tribune reporter can explain all what GREEDY MEANT, yet the paper can still make a mistake? OH PLEASE!!!!!
Published On: Friday, January 29, 2010
DR DUANE SANDS
FREE NATIONAL MOVEMENT
FOR the next 19 days the FNM candidate in the Elizabeth by-election plans to canvas the constituency to convince voters that he is the best man for the job.
In the meantime, Dr Duane Sands told The Tribune, the FNM “has a lot more work to do” to weed out ineligible voters who may be able to vote in the by-election although they no longer live in the area.
On the campaign trail, Dr Sands said he has been surprised by how many Bahamians are barely making ends meet. He has also been put off by a small number of greedy voters who demand money or goods in return for their support.
Dr Sands said the topmost concern of constituents — aside from crime and unemployment — is fair and accountable representation.
He said his time in the area revealed that many constituents have low expectations from a representative, something he feels is due to the representation the constituency had over the past six years.
“We’re going to go out and talk to every single registered voter that we can get to and hear what their concerns are,” Dr Sands said, ahead of the FNM’s rally last night and nomination day today.
“Our strategy is to demonstrate to people that the FNM and Duane Sands would be a much better alternative and that we could offer better governance.”
“(Voters’) expectations have been diminished in part because they’ve been let down. Many of the constituents are not demanding a pound of flesh. They have a reasonable expectation that their concerns are listened to, and want accountability, availability, and access to government,” he said.
His party is also still focusing on limiting possible ballot tainting due to a loophole in the voter registry which may allow residents who no longer live in the Elizabeth constituency to vote.
“Even the Registrar General has alluded to the fact that this is a huge challenge even for them and we are obviously trying to make sure that there is a proper correlation between the register and what we find on the ground. I expect that as we get closer to February 16 we would have made some headway in identifying some of the people who ought not be eligible, but I doubt that it’s going to be perfect,” he said.
Campaigning in Elizabeth, Dr Sands, a noted heart surgeon, said he has been struck by how many Bahamians have to endure financial hardship.
“While I happen to see people at their worst in the hospital, Bahamians are really struggling, and as you enter their homes and see them as they are it (adds to) the immediate need of restoring hope,” he said.
The Elizabeth seat was held by Malcolm Adderley, who resigned from Parliament and the PLP last month. Although the PLP won the constituency two terms in a row, their last win was a narrow one of only 45 votes over the FNM.
More than 4,000 voters are expected to cast their votes in the by-election on February 16.
Is the FNM and The Tribune saying that the reporter who wrote these statements; “On the campaign trail, Dr Sands said he has been surprised by how many Bahamians are barely making ends meet. He has also been put off by a small number of greedy voters who demand money or goods in return for their support” wrote them without the good doctor even saying anything close to that..?????????Boy that reporter must be a PLP to actually write something completey different from what Dr. Sands said and the has the nerve to say that Dr. Sands said that…. So how come that reporter has not been FIRED for writing/makingup LIES??? I am sorry but I aint that stupid to beilieve that that excellent reporter would write nonsense and then say that Dr. Sands said it!! They can’t fool me with that one, NO way!!
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