Charles Maynard has assumed the leadership post of the Coalition for Democratic Reform following Dr. Bernard Nottage’s return to the Progressive Liberal Party last week.
Mr Maynard, the party’s former deputy leader said he would take on the role of acting chief executive officer until an election is held to introduce a new slate of officers for the CDR.
He said that despite the resignation of Dr Nottage, the party is still focused and will remain a contender in the next general election.
Mr. Maynard said it was very important at this point for the party to remain active, in order to provide another alternative to the normal slate of candidates from the Progressive Liberal Party and the Free National Movement.
“We believe the Bahamian people deserve an alternative and it is very important for us to stay active and it is very important to keep our doors open for all those who are interested in being a part of a new organisation. An organisation that is based on the vision of the membership rather than the vision of one person,” he said.
Mr. Maynard added that he is confident that the public will vote for members of the CDR because the party now has more experience.
The acting leader said that the Bahamians have had a chance to get to know the candidates better and therefore the party is confident that its members will be elected to represent a constituency in parliament.
According to Mr. Maynard, the resignation of Dr. Nottage as leader of the party may have a detrimental effect on the party. He said that some Bahamians may now be apprehensive in voting for the CDR but emphasized that the party is still together and its vision for The Bahamas remains its priority.
The acting leader said he is undecided if he will offer himself as a candidate for leader during the party’s election in the next 120 days; however, he said that his focus will not be on the leadership position but to keep the party together.
“Our purpose here is to underscore that our mission continues. We, the officers and members of the CDR, hereby report for duty and on this day, as we sit before you firm in our stance, we are especially reminded of another anonymous saying that assures us that, ‘In confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins not through strength but by perseverance’,” Mr. Maynard said.
He said that the party has been energised by its new challenge and is committed to its goals now more than even.
“We still have a mission and our mandates to fulfill and we will do so as we move forward, upward and onward together,” Mr Maynard said.
He added that the party’s management council has made it a priority to prepare the organisation for the general election.
“We will begin our application process for CDR candidacy in the next general election immediately, and we invite like minded Bahamians desirous of a better Bahamas to come in and sit with us to hear our message and share in our vision,” Mr. Maynard said.
He said that work has been sped up on volume two of the party’s platform.
“Contract 2002 is the undisputed champion of national development blueprints and we are anxious to offer a new contract for the Bahamian people to sign. We are confident that contact 2007 will be a great complement to our first document and a tribute to the political virtues on which this party was formed,” Mr. Maynard said.
“While the policies outlined in Contract 2002 are still of course very relevant to today’s national landscape, after doing much study and in our ongoing analyses of the issues of the day, there is still more to be added.”
Mr. Maynard explained that like Contract 2002, which heavily advocated for local government, the new Contract will expand that idea advocating for stronger local school boards, which will tackle issues such as school maintenance, school violence, student unrest and academic achievement.
By: Bianca Symonette, The Bahama Journal
