Promising many of the same things as the FNM, Bran McCartney’s new DNA party appears to be little more than a knock-off of existing party platforms.
Remember the “new” PLP?
While campaigning for the 2002 elections, Perry Christie promised a new PLP, a party devoid of the scandals and corruption that marred Lynden Pindling’s 30-year reign.
We all know how that worked out.
No less than three weeks into its first and only term, Mr Christie’s government was embroiled in a Junkanoo bleachers scandal, and it was nothing but scandal after scandal for the next five years.
Now we have a new political party, Bran McCarteny’s Democratic National Alliance (DNA), making pretty much the same noise in the marketplace.
Rather than having a real vison for The Bahamas, Mr McCartney’s new party seems more intent on saying whatever it is they think voters want to hear, hoping to pull votes from the FNM and the PLP.
As key details of the DNA plan emerge, it looks as if Mr McCartney has planned more of a marketing campaign rather than an actual political platform.
While details will not be officially released until tomorrow night, advance information indicates that the DNA party will allegedly call for term limits for the office of prime minister, a referendum on gambling, stronger laws intended to resume capital punishment, and the passage of a campaign finance law and a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Also tomorrow, the party will announce some of its candidates. Mr McCartney has indicated that the party will run candidates in all 41 constituencies.
Some political pundits have predicted that McCartney and his party will be a formidable force in the next general election while others believe the new party will be dead upon arrival.
One important revelation puts to rest rumours that Mr McCartney has arranged financing to the tune of $25 million from “international donors”.
Instead, it has been disclosed by party sources that the new DNA party does not want to be beholden to large investors and instead intends to finance its campaign with smaller donations from the general public.
The DNA also promises to crack down harder on illegal immigration, more forcefully address the problem of shantytowns in Bahamian communities, limit the terms and powers of the prime minister, pass a Freedom of Information Act, make amendments to the Public Disclosure Act and resume capital punishment, among other things. All of which have been promised by Bahamian politicians in the past, yet never materialized.
Many political observers say it is a stretch of the imagination to think that Bahamians voters will turn away from established political parties to support a rookie politician whose track record has made him look impulsive and immature.
