Governance That Works for the People, Not the Few.
Over the past several days, two separate developments have exposed a pattern of governance that Bahamians find alarming.
First, a sitting Member of Parliament from the governing party publicly alleged that constituency contracts under his responsibility were removed and reassigned through PLP headquarters.
That statement, made by one of their own, raises serious questions about how public works are administered. Constituency maintenance is funded by taxpayers; it is not party property.
When an elected official alleges that contracts appear to have been redirected through party headquarters, it suggests a blatant disregard for the legal and procedural framework that governs the awarding of public contracts in The Bahamas.
Second, a PLP candidate openly confirmed and bragged that he engaged prisoners from the Department of Corrections to clean a park in the constituency he is running for.
The Minister of National Security then stated that anyone may access the program. Even if technically permissible, this looks terrible in the run-up to the general election
When political candidates appear to leverage state-managed programs in a way that overlaps with a partisan campaign, the line between public service and partisan advantage is blurred.
Taken together, these incidents point to a culture where the boundary between party and state is worse then breached and blurred. It shows a lack of boundaries. It is another assault on our democracy. It fails the test of good governance.
Contracts appear to be reached based merely on political connections. Government resources are accessed in ways that create the perception of naked advantage. And, internal disputes spill into public, exposing centralized control and favoritism.
For years, Bahamians have watched no-bid contracts rise rapidly. What has emerged from within the PLP confirms what many suspect: Access matters, while being politically independent sems to have negative consequences.
This approach to governance carries a cost. Investors study stability and transparency before committing capital. Entrepreneurs assess whether rules are predictable or negotiable.
Workers need assurance that economic projects will move forward without political interference. When governance appears driven by special relationships rather than rules, economic confidence weakens.
Another five years under this pattern would normalize political interference and weaken the guardrails that protect public funds. Investor confidence would decline, fiscal exposure would expand, and governance would become increasingly centralized and secretive.
The Bahamas stands at a crossroads. The choice is not simply between personalities. It is between two models of governance. One model rewards insiders. The other will be rooted in transparent procurement, institutional accountability, and clear separation between party machinery and state administration.
The Free National Movement is committed to rules-based governance, digitized and trackable procurement systems, and independent oversight mechanisms that protect public funds from political manipulation. We believe that public contracts belong to the public and that government resources should not be used for partisan advantage.