As the PLP slate of candidates in Grand Bahama becomes clear, onlookers have suggested that the debacle over the leadership of the Grand Bahama Port Authority was politically motivated.
The governing party, it was claimed yesterday, has used criticism of the appointment of Hannes Babak to disguise its lack of performance in the country’s second city.
Now that former chamber of commerce president Dowdeswell Coakley is being spoken of as the prospective PLP candidate for High Rock, a source said the Grand Bahama business community realises that the criticism was led by two PLP hopefuls – Mr Coakley and Senator Philip Galanis.
“As chamber commerce president, Mr Coakley has been on a public tier criticising the appointment of Mr Babk as has Senator Galanis. Their motives have now become clear: attempting to overshadowed the government’s failures in Grand Bahama.” the source said.
However Mr Coakley pointed out that he has not been confirmed as yet as a PLP candidate for High Rock.
He said whatever pronouncements he made as president of the chamber were made as a person holding that position and not as a member of any political party.
Any statements I made prior to Monday was strictly as chamber president on behalf of the Bahamian business community. Now I am not in the chamber so I will not speak for the chamber, I can not speak for any political party because I have not been ratified or authorised to do so. I am just John Q Pblic.
“I was once a police officer,” he continued. “What I did then, as a police officer, I did as a police officer. I was a diplomat, what I did then I did as a diplomat. I am a business person, what I do now I do as a business person. When you have different hats you do what you have to do at the time.”
While he is not a candidate as yet, as a resident of High Rock, Mr Coakley said that he is very interested in the “holistic development” of the area.
“As a Bahamian I am interested in bettering the constituency. If I am ratified – I don’t know if I am going to be ratified, I don’t know what announcements they are going to make – but as a private citizen and one who comes from a socio-economic and business background, I know what I would wish to see happen as a Bahamian,” Mr Coakley said.
By RUPERT MISSICK Jr Chief Reporter, The Tribune
