In a national address tonight, Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Michael Pintard urged undecided voters to make their voices heard on election day, emphasizing the risks of inaction. “When good people stay home, we increase the chance of the wrong people winning,” he stated.
Addressing Bahamians still making up their minds, Pintard acknowledged their past disappointments. “I know the feeling. You’ve been here before. You’ve heard the speeches. You felt the energy. But then you were let down and disappointed,” he continued. “I’m not asking you to forget that. I’m asking you to remember something else. Every time good people stay home, we increase the chance of the wrong people winning.”
“Every time the frustrated have gone silent, the well-connected got louder, more gravelicious and greedy at your expense. Every time someone decided that their vote did not matter, someone else decided the future for them. So I say, brothers and sisters, this is your moment.”
“To every Bahamian who’s ready, we will work for you. From the first day to the last day of this campaign, the FNM will be on every street, on every island, in every neighbourhood across this country. We will not stop.
“We will not slow down. We will not rest until every Bahamian has heard this message and every vote has been cast. Because this country is worth fighting for.”
The general election will take place on May 12.
Pintard said the Bahamian people must now judge the Davis administration, which he said has failed on multiple fronts.
“This government had every advantage, more than a billion dollars in new revenue, a global economy coming back to life. They had the resources, the mandate and the time,” he said.
“There was no pandemic or major hurricane, no natural or man-made disaster. For nearly five years, they were able to govern this country without a single adversity to derail the promises they made to you faithfully. Sadly, they wasted these advantages and served mostly themselves at your expense.”
Pintard said this election is not just about what Bahamians are voting against, but rather what kind of Bahamas Bahamians are voting for.
“A Bahamas where your intelligence is respected and not arrogantly insulted,” he said. “Where you are not taken for granted. Where your grocery bill goes down because that is gone from the things your family needs to survive.
“Where the immigration system is finally fixed. Where the same rules apply to everyone. Where we say clearly and without apology, if you come here illegally, you will never hold a Bahamian passport.
“…This is the kind of Bahamas that the FNM will help to build with your vote, with your support. We can build it together. Our party functions under new management, new standards, new accountability, and we will serve with humility.
“And we make a clear commitment to make sure you are aware of how your money is being spent. This is the kind of Bahamas we wish to create. Where we will work for the many and not for the few.”
Nomination day is set for April 16 and the advanced poll will be held on April 30.
