OBA’s Jon Brunson To Challenge Zane DeSilva
[Updated with video] The One Bermuda Alliance confirmed that Jon Brunson will stand for them in Constituency #29 Southampton East, where he will challenge the PLP’s Zane DeSilva, who has already been confirmed as the candidate for the area. Mr Brunson is making a return to politics, having previously served as a UBP MP.
Mr DeSilva moved from Constituency #30 Southampton East Central to stand in this area, with the incumbent Stanley Lowe [PLP] retiring after serving for decades. Mr Lowe won 67.97% of the vote vs the UBP’s Douglas Decouto [558–263] in the 2007 General Election.
The OBA has now rolled out 33 of 36 candidates, with their candidates for C#34 Sandys South Central, C#20 Pembroke South West, and C#14 Devonshire North West to be formally announced.
Although not officially rolled out, Glenn Smith has been actively canvassing in C#14 Devonshire North West which Premier Paula Cox presently holds, while lawyer Ed Bailey is expected to challenge Attorney General Kim Wilson in C#34 Sandys South Central.
Going by the 2007 results, it seems this is a PLP stronghold and Jon has no chance of beating DeSilva
take nothing for granted
Craig after the OBA win. Freak the whites in the party. Don’t let them control you and you will have my respect.
Define control in your eyes? If agreeing with them = control then please clarify you stance.
LOL
Ah yes, it always comes down to the battle of ‘us’ and ‘them.’ Bermuda will be chained to the past until we recognise the issues we face as a country and not the colour of the skin of those attempting to eradicate said issues.
Jon Brunson is an honourable, honest, and straightforward guy. Compare that to his opponent. It should be obvious who to vote for.
Another black man fronting for a 80% white party, what’s interesting is they don’t use their own. I wonder Y!!! hmmmmm and they call me racist. Jon the only reason they have you is to get black votes. It is what it is………..
LOL what do you think Desilva is?? His equivalent for the PLP… MOVING ON
And they call you a racist… you ever wonder why?
Another puppet – you are out of touch if you think the PLP can pull this country out of the hole they have dug us into. I bet if you knew how to read any financial documents you would certainly be putting your vote towards Jon.
Jon – Glad you are back!!!
Zane is a black man also…trace who his mother was!!!!
And Zane is a white man fronting for a black party. Are we even now?
Yeah, great comment idiot. So now we only have candidates based on skin color? I thought we were looking for progress. Face it buddy, the only way the PLP will get elected is on the old race card, and that’s all you’ve got.
@ 13:13 Craig got caught I believe smell a rat.
Me too…
Can someone please tell me the difference between the OBA and the former UBP. From what I see, the faces are basically the same.
Does the OBA have a different philosophy or ideology than the former UBP?
Aside from a name change, how is the OBA different from the former UBP?
I can’t say I know what the philosophy of the UBP is, but the OBA has all their information on their website. Same goes for the PLP. If you are sincere in you interest in understanding either party’s philosophies, I suggest you do the reading yourself rather than rely on what people on these blogs or on the street will tell you. You will never get a fair assessment of either party from anyone who is ‘rooting’ for the other team.
Do you not get bored of repeating the same rhetoric? It would appear like you are feeling slightly threatened by the OBA, so you should quit your fighting with yourself and do what you know is right to move our country of Bermuda forward. Vote OBA.
Really, this again. If you want to find out, start by going to their website. And when the candidates speak, listen. I know this a tough trait for many Bermudians. Until you admit the faults of the PLP and come to reality with the poor job they have done, you will never be open to another party. Being in denial leaves no room for growth. Another thing, don’t rely on bloggers to tell you important information. Be proactive and find out for yourself. I will just remind you of the great economy left by the UBP, that is a fact that can;t be ignored. For all their faults, Bermuda’s economy was strong working with a much smaller GDP I might add AND very little debt. Keep these things in mind instead of repeating what others fill your head with. Decide for yourself.
@ Flinkel: The OBA split from the UBP because they represent new and different ideologies. While the PLP traditionally represents new and different ideologies, they are creating less and less jobs and opportunities at an increasing and alarming rate. Unfortunately, the PLP ideology also needs updating and it is struggling to stay current and competitive in a fast changing world.
The OBA didn’t split LOL. More like you had no other choice.
@ OBA/PLP team: I have to correct your information. The UBP members of the OBA were part of a movement to change the UBP into a party that was more people-oriented rather than business oriented. They didn’t like the direction the UBP was stuck in.
Meanwhile, a group of Bermudians, both black and white, who were disgusted with both parties, but most especially with the PLP under Dr. Ewart Brown, formed the BDA – the Bermuda Democratic Alliance. Their aims and ideals appealed to the disgruntled UBP members and they negotiated with the BDA to form an alliance. The negotiations weren’t easy, as many of the members of the BDA were strongly anti-UBP. However, the differences were eventually worked out and the OBA was formed.
When I think of the struggles the former UBP members of the OBA went through to be accepted by the BDA, I shake my head at those who insist that the OBA is just a re-formed UBP. I actually developed a fair amount of respect for those former UBP-ites. They had the courage of their convictions to a) leave a party that was stuck in its ways and would not be moved; b) humble themselves enough to persist in their desire to join a party where many members didn’t want or trust them; and c) to fight for the people of Bermuda in the face of some of the worst political and personal abuse I have seen since the PLP first formed.
Good luck Jon, just dont get mixed up with, Cuba, asbestos, corrupt land deals, ANY Premiere or insider contracting and you’ll do fine.
People be aware of Zane/and Dennis…these guys are running this Island…and guess who is in charge ? the man that had nothing and now owns proprty in Marthas vinyard,,,, and the turks and caicos an in new york !!!! wake up people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jon is a nice guy but this one is a no brainer. It is obvious the OBA cannot find new willing candidates and are going back to their UBP roots.
I agree, Jon is a great guy. But I don’t see the fact that no one else it itching to throw their hat in the political ring as a sign of anything. I certainly have no inclination to do so, do you? That doesn’t make Jon any ‘less of a candidate’ for the OBA. There are people who really embrace the political system and those that don’t. So its no surprise when you see people who obviously have a penchant for such things to resurface in politics.
Question theothersidebda,
I would agree that some Bermudians get into politics because they truly would like to see the country move forward and prosper. However I do feel (On Both Sides) that some individuals enter politics for personal gain, not for the sake of the country.
People are so correct. The OBA is filling seats with Past UBP Candidates. No Party in Bermuda seems as if they have CLUE. I feel sorry for my country and my people in it. We are all suffereing now and will be suffering for a very long time.
Instead of viewing the OBA candidates as former UBP candidates, why not just view them as politicians. They’re just taking up the reins in a new political party. Take the damn blinkers off!
Who is the current tourism minister? Oh that’s right the former leader of the UBP?????
Well at least he didn’t go done with the ship (UBP). Then 2 years later you people sank her to the bottom, and she resurface with a new name and paint job. Just like I did with my 30ft boat.
You can validate your hypocrisy any way you like. At the end of the day its hypocritical to call out the OBA for being the old UBP and all the while have the old UBP leader as the PLP minister of tourism. So you may want to find another argument if you want it to make sense, that’s all.
Kinda think the PLP is using former UBP canditates too, including a former leader of the UBP….
Pots & Kettles anyone???
Wether some of the people who look like me want to believe it or not… I think we all know that it’s the OBA who we should be voting for, as a responsible voter.
If this was based on the individual Jon wins hands down any day over Zane. If this is based on party Zane wins due to the area being a PLP strong hold nothing more……….
LOL calls it like I see it.
It doesn’t matter who Jon was previously associated with – only whether or not he was any good.
You’re meant to vote for the person NOT the party. Remember?
.am
Honestly, what world do you live in? Majority of the public vote for a party, not the individual (not saying it’s right, but it is reality).
To your first point, it does matter what group he was previously associated with. In the real world, your history does mean something to voters.
Getting straight to your second point, so it is alright for the PLP to appoint a former UBP leader as the Minister for Tourism, and come to think of it, wasn’t Senator Ingham a one time UBP member and fundraiser.
Now there’s some history for the voters to think about !
Oh really,
I never said there was something wrong with any party appointing anyone.I simply told am that a persons history will always follow them. You do not get a clean slate just because you switch parties. Im sure Mr.Furbert understood this when he decided to switch.
My take on it is this:
when the UBP was in power the country was generally well run, the economy was good. Were things perfect, no but to expect perfection is unrealistic.
Since the PLP have been in power there has been so much money wasted and lost. Whether through being incompetent, overspending, lavish lifestyles or just plain corruption, it doesn’t matter. Their record of achievements isn’t really that impressive. All their achievements involve spending money, anyone with an open checkbook can do this. Now that the kitty is empty, suddenly running a country gets real!
The sad thing is all the fearmongering and predictions of what would happen when the PLP got into power has come true.
So if it takes some former members of the UBP to help fix the mess, this is a good thing. It won’t be easy and some difficult choices will have to be made. One hopes it can be done for the sake of the island.
If the UBP was so good to all of us why leave?
If the UBP was so good then why did they fold up and change there name?
If race isn’t an issue then why did the OBA elect a novice politition (colt) like Craig Cannonier to be leader, Why not one of your more experienced polititions (vets) like Grant Gibbons or Micheal Dunkley?
If all the predictions have come true then why hasn’t all the IB, or Bob Richards (he did say he would go Caymans if PLP win) left the island and went Cayman Islands? I have many more lingering question on my mind but ill only leave u with those 3..
I would love to give another party my vote but if my only option is to vote for the Old Boys Association (OBA) than u got a looonnnngggggg wait for that sorry..
No amount of name calling by the bloggers on this site will change my mind.. I’m no different then the people that vote en bloc for the UBP/OBA whether they where/are right or wrong..
#JusSayn
The real question you should ask is what group has the real issue with race really?
LOL
1 Perception whether real or not is always a reality. Change done right keeps the positives and eliminates the negatives.
2 Leaders needs both charisma and intellect. A good leader needs good troops in the background, ones who can help run a country.
3 Predictions of financial mishandling, cronyism have come true. IB’s have scaled back, more have set plans for exit, keep an eye on new office space vacancies next year. And no Bob didn’t make that statement.
@ bump: Actually, there was much that was wrong with the way the country was run under the UBP, which was why both black and white voted the PLP in. Things didn’t begin to go downhill for some years after 1998. The PLP might not have been wonderful then, but under Finance Minister Eugene Cox, our fiscal health was steadily improving. I don’t have the numbers at my finger tips, but they are there available to be seen by anyone who doubts me.
The country’s finances didn’t really begin to spiral down until the partnership of Dr. Brown as Premier and Paula Cox as Finance Minister. That’s when the lavish spending, luxurious trappings,and gross cost over-runs, accompanied by the appearance of nepotism and favours for friends and family began to surface. Legitimate questions raised in the House were ignored or labelled “plantation questions” and again, ignored. Again, this is not opinion, the facts are all documented for anyone to see if they wish to do their due diligence for themselves, rather than taking anyone else’s word for it. Check out when we started spending more than we took in. Check out who got which contracts. Check out the travel, the body guards, the limousines, the parties at Hugh Hefner’s, the lost revenue for the Beyonce’ concert, the tripled cost of TCD that was excused as a cost of living increase when the cost of living only went up less than 5%. I could go on, and on.
There are some excellent PLP members, Parliamentarians, and candidates, but for the most part, it doesn’t seem as if they have a voice. In any case, they have not, to date, been able to present any kind of feasible plan for turning the island’s catastrophic financial position around. To date, their time has been spent in jeering at the Opposition, which adopting and adapting whatever ideas they throw out. Hopefully the adaptations don’t hamstring their success.
I’d agree the country neeeded a change and at first the PLP were not so bad, the original members ensuring things were kept on the straight and narrow. But even before Dr Brown there were overspends and unethical behaviour rearing it’s ugly head. The difference is with Dr Brown’s era was there was no attempt to hide it!
Tired of hearing about OBA just bringing in old UBP’ers, why can’t they find someone fresh?……..blah blah blah
PLP
Dame Jennifer
Derrick Burgess
Wayne Furbert
Wayne Perinchief
Dale Butler
David Burch
Randy Horton
Terry Lister
Dennis Lister
Michael Scott
Premier Paula Cox
There’s a lot of old school on the PLP side as well that don’t want to lose their “power” and preventing someone new taking over their constituencies.
My honest opinion, whoever wins/loses, old school from each party needs to go!!!
The real question is why can’t either of the these parties attract quality talent that has no baggage and the ability to get this country back on track again? Have the parties reached out to to the Darren Johnson’s, Patrick Tannock’s, Gil Tucker’s and like to get them involved. Come on you guys….you have a moral obligation to get involved and give something back to a country that has been good to you. You guys are the closest thing we have to Obama and you and others like you have the integrity, experience and know how to move the country in the right direction. You guys even have cross over appeal!
Neither Craig Cannoiner or Paula Cox have demonstrated the leadership or credibility that you all would bring to the table.
Get off the sidelines and get involved!
The problem is that if those gentlemen did get involved, and chose the PLP as their Party, many of the posters will immediately begin to write vitriolic posts and hate comments against them.
Like wise if they joined the OBA the same would occur from the PLP (nothing bite harder than your own) and really who needs that in their life. Especially if you are a self made success.
LOL
Ok I just watched the press conference. He sounds like a whiny little kid!
Funny how Craig has been saying for months that all their candidates were in place yet Jon said he just decided 2 days ago. Glad the reporter called him out on that!
Could someone please tell me why people are/were against the UBP? In my eyes they did a much better job than the PLP currently are. ALSO, why does it matter if you have a white party in government? (I am black). I would rather have a white party who know how to properly run this country than have a black party who just F*** it up!!!
ALSO, PEOPLE NEED TO STOP VOTING ON COLOR!!!! Vote for the party that will get the job done and not for the party which is 100% black. That in my honest opinion is why PLP always wins. They win because the majority of bermudian would rather have a black government regardless if they are terrible at running a country and this is ignorant! It indeed is time for change!
Touché
@really—–I really agree also…as bermudians we were able to get a job anywhere,and two more if we wanted,, we fought for some rights and got them…the UBP even adapted PLP suggestions sometimes and the country were not divided as we are not, not knowing truth from fiction! we never knew real hard times as we do now, there were emotional times when we expressed our views and the country would be at a disadvantage but we repaired quickly and stronger..we had people on the island that made sense! cos if they didn’t we would let them know..now it is a ball of confusion, so despite the fact that I too am “black” I prefer a group that will do better for me as well and they don’t all have to be “black” we need balance and common sense..the PLP were disappointing to a lot of us for not putting us first after we voted them in..its a shame that it has come to this cos I really was hoping for more cohesiveness with the people, we get cold and distant responses and are treated like we are dummies in our own country and worthless now than we were before…
If the PLP want to be the party for all, when will the PLP have a “white” Leader?
No prizes for the answer as my question has a 50 year time out.
I’m open to correction but looking at the potential candidates on both sides for the election it appears that there is only one party that is truly racially equal.
The PLP is 95% black whilst the OBA is 60% black. I wouldnt exactly hold either Jonathan White or Zane DeSilva in the highest regard either…..
Open your eyes for those that continue to play the race card that the OBA is a white only party.
Once again the comments have been diverted from Jon who is a good man to racism, and UPB/OBA derogatory comments.
This is exactly what the PLP wants. They do not want you to focus on issues. Facts only hurt the PLP. Look at their track record.
Jon is a good man. He’s not on board to serve himself. He would like the opportunity to help. I hope the voters see this and think beyond party lines.