When will McCartney demand a hearing of the courts on his threats of death earlier last year against him? Public has yet to hear McCartney speak to the case! – Why is the DNA leader refusing to address his own criminal complaint?

STATEMENT: We in the Democratic National Alliance cannot in good conscience just sit back and allow this PLP government to have made promises to the Bahamian people prior to the general election and after the election, in essence, say that they were empty promises and we as a people must accept it!

Prior to the general elections of 2012, the PLP government promised the Bahamian people that they would get crime under control once elected. The PLP while in opposition lambasted the then administration about the levels of crime in the country and indeed in many instances called on the former Minister of National Security to resign. Their first political commercial was on how they intended to reduce crime. They touted “Project Safe Bahamas” and “Urban Renewal 2.0”.  The PLP had the answers and hence they were given the mandate on the 7th May 2012 by the Bahamian people to implement their solutions to crime.

Shortly after the elections we heard from the Commissioner of Police on many occasions that crime was down as a result of the initiatives put in place by the government.  We noted that classifications of crimes were changed so as to make it seem as if the murder rate was down. These were purely political ploys where the Commissioner of Police, who has previously admitted that his office has been compromised in the past due to political interference, was used in our view to mislead the country as to the state of crime.

After the shooting of the Deputy Prime Minister’s aid it was stated by the DPM that no one was safe from crime in this country. The Minister of National Security has now admitted that his government needs help with this vexing crime problem that our country faces. Accordingly, on the 22nd August 2013, the PLP government organized a Crime Forum so as to listen to the concerns, suggestions and solutions for crime. The Crime Forum was really a venting session where persons came to the mike and vented and yes gave suggestions. But for the most part none of these suggestions were anything new or innovative.  In essence, the concerns, suggestions and solutions were the same we have heard over and over again…nothing new! Indeed, the Minister of National Security, who hosted this crime forum, would have heard these same concerns, suggestions and solutions when he chaired the Crime Select Committee on Crime in the House of Assembly and, reported to the House of Assembly of the Committee’s findings.  We in the DNA wonder what the good Minister did with that report now that he is responsible for national security and would ask the Minister of National Security to again make public that report so that the Bahamas can see and remember what was said therein.

Now that the Crime Forum is over, the DNA is requesting that the government provide the Bahamian people with a detailed report of the concerns and suggestions made and the proposed solutions to our crime problem that this government intends to carry out.  We can only now assume that the Project Safe Bahamas, Urban Renewal 2.0 and the proposals outlined in the PLP’s Charter of Governance is now out of the window…simply political promises that again cannot be fulfilled by this PLP government.

The PLP promised that they would reduce crime.  We in the DNA will hold the PLP’s feet to the fire in this regard. We await to hear from the government.

Branville McCartney
DNA Leader