2007-12-17

Reading the manifestos in-depth

It's amazing how coherent these political party manifestos appear once you get past the subtle (and not so subtle) digs at the opposing parties. Both have really pledged some interesting initiatives on improving Bermuda for Bermudians and to a lay person, they should show some promise.

I've been interested to read the feedback from both sides on the agendas. Good analysis of the agendas online can be found at Catch-A-Fire and Vexed Bermoothes. Catch-A-Fire gets right down to a bullet-by-bullet run-through of most of the items up for discussion. Props!

As for the parties themselves; the PLP claimed that the 'Three Strikes' proposal would lock up Bermudians. They've also said that their housing policy is superior to the UBP's. They've criticized the Permanent Residents proposal with some spin. And they've followed up with some nasty insert-words-in-mouths piece just now. With all due respect, the PLP ought to cut out the snide crap.

The UBP has challenged the PLP's proposals on the basis that no cost estimates have been provided. They've attempted to clarify their statements on Permanent Residents and trimming the Civil Service which was attacked by the PLP. I'm not sure how they responded to the PLP's free public transportation pledge.

Right now, both parties have bought prime-time TV ad space on local TV, which I'm sure ZBM and VSB greatly appreciate and they're broadcasting more speeches even now. They're all trying their hardest now to get the votes out.

Time will tell if the PLP's more fiercely attacking campaign or the UBP's stand-and-bear-it campaign will work best here.

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