By: Staff Writer
February 2, 2021
Turks and Caicos islands opposition candidates in the upcoming February 19 elections feel confident about their chances at the polls.
Akeirra Missick, veteran Progressive National Party Member of Parliament and third time candidate for Leeward Long Bay Hills, told Caribbean Magazine Plus that: “The campaign looks very good. I’m not sure if you’re aware of my background, but this is my third time seeking the seat for Leeward and Long Bay. I’m the first person to hold this on 2012 and look forward to continuing for the next four years.
Ms Missick believes that the PNP will be successful in this upcoming general election on February 19 because the team her party has assembled is “very strong,” and she feels “confident” that based on her party’s platform and “strategic plans” moving forward that “the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands will give us an opportunity to show them that we don’t just talk the talk, are we prepared to walk it as well.”
The PNP last held power during the 2012-2016 when they lost to the current People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) led by incumbent premier and party leader, Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson. That PNP term was led by former premier Rufus Ewing, who was the first premier after the United Kingdom suspended the office in 2009 and imposed direct rule after former premier Michael Missick resigned from office in 2008 amid corruption and rape scandals.
Ms Missick said, however: “I’m looking forward to us getting all 15 seats, so I’m being positive about that.”
Ms Missick laid out the first 100 day schedule if the PNP were to regain power and said that an aggressive anti-COVID-19 agenda will be first and foremost among the PNP’s plans. She said: “There’s many priorities that would need to be addressed. But one would be the rapid economic recovery and a genuine stimulating of the economy, not just providing persons with a $600 stipend, and wishing them Godspeed as they marshal through this pandemic on their own. But a holistic plan, ensuring that we can get our small works program off the ground in terms of community clean-up, creating more small contracts for contractors who have really felt the pinch during the pandemic and the limited amount of access to quality jobs for them to provide for themselves and their family.
She added: “We also have the vaccine program that is rolling out very rapidly here in the territory. We would be seeking to continue the rollout and the acquisition of further vaccines, we do have a robust plan to vaccinate at least a minimum of 50 percent of our population as long as we can access the vaccine and those that are eligible to take the vaccine do avail themselves of the opportunities to do so. So COVID will be definitely the main focus that we have for the first 100 days.”
Ms Missick also said that her party envisions creating new ministries and government departments along with the requisite staffing required to man these agencies. This she feels would “fill the gaps” left by the current administration and why the PNP will have to go on a “robust recruitment exercise.”
George Lightbourne, independent all island candidate, more directly said about the Cartwright-Robinson administration, “I feel she had more than an awesome opportunity to do well, and I think the people will decide whether or not she did well enough to go back. I’m not sure that is the case. I feel she it out of there!”
He also said that things are coming together quite well for him and that with only a few days left before the election he should have no concerns at this time about funding his campaign.
Mr Lightbourne is still a member of the PNP despite running as an independent because as he said his term for the PNP came to an end so he decided to run as an independent. But other sources within the PNP party told us that he in fact lost his internal party primary and was not given the nod to run as a standard bearer for the PNP.
Mr Lightbourne also said: “I’m surprised that I’m getting a lot of support. A lot of persons are excited that I’m in the race, they want me to remain in parliament.”
Kyle Knowles, first time candidate for the PNP for Electoral District (ED) 10, Wheeland and West Caicos, said: “People are gravitating towards me because I’m a fresh face with new ideas. I am being welcomed on the ground by Turks islanders. As a young Turks islander I am wanting to bring this change to fruition, people have been very receptive to my talks.”
Mr Knowles feels at this time there is nothing to change with his party’s election strategy and said, “I think the change has already happened in our party with this slate of new candidates. We don’t see the same people coming into the fold, 12 of our candidates are new persons out of the total 15 candidates. This has been a big seller.”
CVDI19 will play a part in the way the election is taking shape, but Mr Knowles assured us that “people are eager to get to the polls” and once the country gets through the changes to make things safe for everyone then there should be no problems, Mr Knowles said: “I am doing m best to ensure I am successful at the end of the date.”
Courtney Missick, an all island independent candidate, said: “I feel positive. I feel like I’m going to win.”
“A lot of people are supporting me and letting me know that but I have to keep that between me and them.”
He explained his reasons for running as an intendent candidate and he said: “Both of the parties suck because they let the people down. Everyone is complaining about these parties.”
Turning his wrath towards Ms Cartwright-Robinson, he blasted: “It’s impossible to be talking about stuff that didn’t come through. She talked about the minster for agriculture and how she just spent millions on the local farms, but she isn’t training the farmers to change to better farming techniques and you are telling me you are doing a good job? The farms are not growing anything.”
Mr Missick also claimed that Ms Cartwright-Robinson collected $15m in insurance money for the hurricane, then she projected that she would lose $70m and then came back to the people with a $1m deficit only, where he claims the numbers just don’t add up.
“The people want a change,” said Mr Missick, who also was a former PDM party branch chairman, and he also projects that a lot of PDM party supporters won’t go to the polls for Ms Robinson-Cartwright.