“Having been the victim of that, I became very concerned to the extent of the vitriol that is now present in public life”
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Former Prime Minister Perry Christie called for standards to be implemented during the upcoming election season, as he expressed concern over recent political ads “attacking” Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader Philip Brave Davis.
Christie was addressing reporters outside Parliament on Wednesday on the prime minister’s decision to call a snap election.
The former prime minister claimed he saw one such ad on an American television channel while traveling and it was a “great travesty”.
“Having been the victim of that, I became very concerned to the extent of the vitriol that is now present in public life,” he said.
“…We must be very careful, particularly when these things are not truthful and when you attack someone in their profession, whether Minnis was a doctor, or Brave Davis is a lawyer, in his profession.”
Throughout his political career, Davis has been largely judged by the clients he has represented during his legal profession — one of whom was accused drug trafficker Samuel “Ninety” Knowles.
Christie asserted that the same “attack” is being done to PLP candidate for Centreville Jomo Campbell, who is also an attorney.
“Right-thinking Bahamians, particularly those in the church, must be able to speak truth to power,” he continued.
“They must recognize that in our country, we have the responsibility of creating our own culture, of managing our own affairs, of being able to set our own standards and we don’t have to look at what is happening in the United States…
“Many of our people cannot absorb lies in the way that some of us can and therefore it could result in harm being done to the body politic and harm being done to the individual.”
The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) issued an interim order last month mandating Cable Bahamas Limited (CBL) cease and desist its broadcast of certain political ads targeting Davis and the PLP.
URCA launched a full investigation into a complaint made by Davis’ counsel, McKinney, Turner & Co, concerning the “inaccurate and defamatory political advertisements on REV Network”.
The order was signed by Chief Executive Officer J Carlton Smith and dated July 22, 2021.
Smith said there was sufficient urgency to issue the interim order given the risk of serious and irreparable damage to the character and reputation of Davis and his party due to CBL’s widespread advertisement reach.
McKinney, Turner & Co filed the complaint on July 20, alleging the ads broadcasted on multiple Cable TV channels and other media platforms defames and slanders Davis and the PLP.
The complaint stated that CBL “failed and or refused to clearly identify the said political advertisement (where possible at the beginning and automatically at the end) and political broadcast (at the beginning, periodically throughout and automatically at the end) as a political advertisement or political broadcast on behalf of a specified candidate, political party or other person or entity has authorized and paid for the political advertisement of the said political broadcast”.
