By LEDEDRA MARCHE

Senior FN Reporter

lededra@nasguard.com

The Free National Move-ment (FNM) party yesterday accused the governing Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) of false advertisement and charged that it was not prepared to govern the country.

Recalling the economic "vision" the PLP laid out in its 2002 manifesto, the FNM, in a press statement Sunday, said the PLP mismanaged rather than rescued the economy as it promised, implemented a disastrous model of development, and missed critical opportunities to increase Bahamian ownership of the tourism industry.

"The truth is that the PLP in opposition did not prepare itself for government. It failed to recruit a first-rate slate of candidates and put in place coherent new policies for sound national development," the FNM said. "Following an unexpected win, they quickly came up with an idea they thought sounded good, but which they never thought through. So, with no consultation or national debate the PLP fell back on slogans, clichés and outdated ideas."

The FNM credited the culture of democratic openness and media freedom ushered in by its government for the extensive national debate on the PLP's "grotesque version" of the anchor project concept.

"Even though many of their plans have not materialized, the PLP's goal is obviously to pursue hyper-growth, rather than sustainable development, and they are willing to alienate tens of thousands of acres of Bahamian land in the process," the FNM charged.

The official Opposition party points out that one of the most important questions to be decided in the 2007 election is the kind of economic model which should be used to ensure planned, sustainable development which will attract needed and appropriate foreign investment, dramatically increase Bahamian ownership of the economy while protecting our culture and preserving our environment for generations to come.

To this, the FNM proposes balanced and thoughtful responses via sustained dialogue with the Bahamian people, which, the Opposition party points out, will stand in contrast to the PLP's "consultation" strategy which expects the people to approve of their agreements with foreign investors without access to the whole truth.

"The FNM's collaborative approach will be to ask various stakeholders how we may face this task together. We appreciate that no one group possesses all the answers to important national issues. We have been listening and we will continue to listen," the FNM said.

According to the Opposition party, the PLP has closed its ears to ordinary citizens – academics, environmentalists, civic activists, economists, cultural leaders, business people, union leaders, religious leaders, columnists and journalists – who have issued urgent warnings about the proposed mega-anchor project rush into the Family Islands.

The consensus, the FNM claims, is that the country had better be careful how it throws around an anchor because it can destroy a coral reef, land on someone's fish pot, or drop in such deep water that it will pull us under and drown us.

The implementation of the PLP's anchor project concept has generally ignored the great contributions to the country's economy which may be made by other industries such as farming, fishing, light manufacturing, logistics, education and other service activities, the FNM statement pointed out.

"We are proud to say that on the FNM's watch in government the logistics and services sectors took giant leaps forward with the container port and the ship repair facility in Freeport," said the FNM. "Further, Bahamian participation in the ownership and management of small bonefishing lodges and small bed and breakfast resorts expanded.

"Important progress was also made in bolstering small scale food processing (condiments, sweets, jams and sea foods), fine art and reproductions of original art, souvenir making, and light manufacturing – all with markets in our tourism sector."

Now, more Bahamians need to be trained to take advantage of the expanding opportunities for specialized work in all these sectors, the FNM declares.

The Opposition party said Bahamians are afraid that the 10,000-acre residential development in Mayaguana will shatter the cultural, demographic, environmental and social landscape of that island, further charging the PLP anchor is threatening to drown Mayaguana.

"Environmentalists around the world have warned against the types of projects proposed by the PLP. Local environmentalists are outraged and stunned by the massive and unprecedented assault on land and marine resources, including water tables, hard wood trees, beaches, reefs, mangroves, wetlands and all," said the FNM.

Like its reservations to a "multiplicity of golf courses" for a number of mega residential developments and its effect on the environment, the FNM is also concerned about the indiscriminate approval of the dredging and construction of marinas throughout our islands.

"Additional marinas may be required in support of our tourism industry but they must be located so as to cause minimal damage and they must be maintained at a standard so as to prevent ongoing environmental degradation," the statement revealed.

The FNM noted that the PLP is the same party which is unable to finish the infrastructural improvements and projects the FNM left behind and questions whether it can be trusted to put further infrastructure in place as well as the monitoring capabilities for the massive projects they are approving.

"The PLP's anchor project schemes can have many negative and irreversible cultural and demographic effects on our family of islands. Much of our local culture is in danger of being lost forever. And Bahamians are in danger of once again becoming second-class citizens on their own island homes," the FNM claims.

The FNM pledges not only to carry out environmental impact studies with each development but also social impact studies in consultation with local governments and with residents.

"The FNM Government will help people in the various islands to participate in the development of their own communities by way of training, technical assistance and access to financing. And we will most certainly not give away Bahamian land to foreigners for real estate development with insignificant benefit to Bahamians," the party vows.