Savannah voters still in dark over alignments

| 12/03/2021
Eden, Williams and Bodden at the Chamber Forum in Savannah

(CNS): At the Chamber of Commerce Candidates Forum on Wednesday evening, not one of the candidates running for election in Savannah was prepared to specify who they would form a government with if they win. Heather Bodden, Malcolm Eden and Jeanna Williams are vying for the empty seat, vacated by Eden’s father Anthony Eden.

But when asked about their alliances, even Bodden, who has been campaigning with her district colleagues, Wayne Panton and Osbourne Bodden, would not identify any potential government line up. Bodden, who resigned from the PPM along with Panton and Bodden after Premier Alden McLaughlin refused to remove McKeeva Bush from the speaker’s job over his assault conviction, said she would work with anyone.

Eden said he knew many of the candidates running but would not indicate who he would align with and dodged the question. Williams also said she was running entirely as an independent, and would therefore have to ask her constituents whether or not she should be part of a government.

The issue of alliances is a key issue for many voters who still feel let down about the closed-door deal that was finally struck to form the Unity government. There is an increasing appetite for voters to know the consequences of voting for a particular candidate and whether that would result in propping up the current coalition, aligning with the opposition or if they are part of other emerging alliances.

There were no surprise questions at the forum or any surprise performances. However, Williams, who at the start of the evening said she was running because God had called her to do so and is considered the underdog in the race, gave her competitors a run for their money and was emphatic in her enthusiasm for a lottery. “Lets do it!” she said.

The candidates all gave predictable answers without actually offering any specific policies, as has largely been the case in most of the forums. Eden spoke in support of more focus on alternative energy, and all three raised concerns about development. Bodden summed up the issue when she said, “There is just too much concrete. We need to slow it down.”

When it came to the Civil Partnership Law, Bodden made it clear she supported the legislation. Williams said that everyone wanted to be treated fairly and, declaring that God is love, she said she was disappointed by the way the religious community had reacted to it.

Eden, whose father has been at the forefront of the rampant anti-gay sentiment among legislators for the last decade, was the least supportive. While he avoided the kind of hate speech that Anthony Eden has indulged in, he suggested it was the law rather than the position of lawmakers that was to blame for the division. But he said he accepted the legislation and that it was time to put aside the hard feelings.

Watch the Savannah debate on the Chamber’s YouTube channel below:

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Category: Election News

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