As we mark our 35th anniversary of independence we do so in the face of the FNMs arrogant, reckless and callous disregard for our institutions.

It is a national disgrace that we mark our 35th anniversary of independence with a large stain on our heritage of more than 250 years of uninterrupted Parliamentary Democracy.

That stain was put there by a government who history will record as one that systematically pursues the destruction of our institutions.

Arrogance when pumped up with ignorance is bad news.

I’ve spoken before about FNM destruction of our institutions.  Now,  I speak of it in relation to the Electoral Process.

Today I speak as the Granddaughter of Georgiana Kathleen Symonette, a Suffragette … a patriot who fought tirelessly for the freedom, hopes, dreams and aspirations of our people.

We know that the fight for women’s suffrage led to universal suffrage.

There was a time, less than a generation ago when, legally, only some Bahamians could vote.  At that time it was legal for certain Bahamians to vote more than once in an Election.  It was called a Quiet Revolution.  Not one drop of blood was shed when the majority of Bahamians buried those days when ours dreams, hopes and aspirations were coldheartedly and brutally crushed beneath iron boots.  But there was an abundance of sweat and tears.  Those are days that we confidently thought we would never see again.  Thanks to the FNM, we cannot today be so confident.

Free and fair elections are fundamental to democracy.  In order for elections to be SEEN to be free and fair, the lawful PROCESS for conducting the election MUST be followed.  There are fundamental principles that MUST be followed in order for elections to be SEEN to be free and fair.

The law sets out how citizens and those who wish to vote in an election will become aware of these fundamental principles.  The law sets out  among other things, how certain fundamental principles to the holding of free and fair elections are determined and how the public is notified of those determinations.  How the day of the election is determined and published.  How one qualifies to become a candidate and how the names of the candidates is published.  The boundaries of a constituency and how those boundaries, including polling divisions are published.  How the names of qualified voters is published.

The government has acknowledged the unlawful mistakes and problems caused by the failure to publish in a timely manner due notice of the election and other notices required by law in certain districts and town areas   in the gazette of the date for the holding of local government elections.  It has been said that this Bill seeks to correct those mistakes.

In the Pinewood case the Election Court found that there were "egregious errors" in the election.  It also found that the Parliamentary Commissioner failed to protect the integrity of the Register.  The Election Court made many recommendations.  One would have thought that a government that respected the INSTITUTION of the Judiciary would have immediately moved to implement those suggestions and to correct those egregious errors.

The FNM’s response was to play the blame game.  They blamed the PLP for those egregious errors. They said that the PLP had enough time to prepare for an election and any failures were due to the PLP not acting in a timely fashion.  Well, the FNM knew that the local government elections had to be held on or by 26th June 2008.

Wasn’t 13 months enough to prepare to local government elections? May 2007 to June 2008. 13 months. Not enough time? Not enough time for a Gussiemae Cabinet tripping over themselves?  Or simply reckless disregard for the institution of free and fair elections?

Arrogance when pumped up with recklessness is bad news.

Now we know that the Minister was advised by the Hon. Glenys Hanna Martin and Hon. Obie Wilchcombe and others of the concerns of citizens about the elections and certain shenanigans that were going on.  What was the Minister’s response to the advice?  The publication of a Notice in the Tribune on 2nd June, 2008 which purported to give notice of the local government elections and notice for nominations for the following day.

Arrogance when pumped up with recklessness is bad news.

Reckless disregard for free and fair elections led to this government telling citizens, "you have 24h to nominate to run in the local government elections".

Which responsible person takes only 24h to humbly pray, meditate and consider whether he or she ought to volunteer to represent fellow citizens?

Arrogance when pumped up with recklessness is bad news.

No caring government knowing that the newspaper does not reach every person daily in this archipelago would tell Bahamians across this archipelago you have 24h (whether you see the notice or not) to nominate to run in the next elections? Why would the government deny people ample time to nominate? What was their motive?

An arrogant government with reckless disregard for free and fair elections and the right of Bahamians become candidates and to vote in those elections.

Arrogance when pumped up with recklessness is bad news.

Thank God for our independent judiciary.  Voters who were determined not to allow our hard earned democracy to be crushed under the cruel foot of FNM arrogance and ignorance applied to the Court.  The Court ruled that there were irregularities.  The election in those areas could not proceed.

It was as clear as day that the law was not being complied with.  It can only be assumed that the government’s legal advisors the OAG gave the Minister that advice.  How could anyone think that 24th was sufficient notice to nominate to run in an Election?  The law sets out the requisite period.  This arrogant government recklessly chose to ignore the law and in so doing:

• Placed an immovable stain on our democracy
• Crushed the desire of thousands of Bahamians to participate in free and fair elections
• Trampled on the desire of Bahamians to nominate to run in free and fair elections
• Raised questions about elections that were held
• Wasted the public funds spent in preparation for those elections that were not held
• Caused potential candidates to waste their money, spent on nomination and campaign expenses. In these hard economic times, who can afford to waste money?
• Caused the world to wonder whether Parliament will be used to retroactively change other electoral laws.
• Caused Bahamians to wonder what is the next unprecedented act that will be taken by this arrogant and reckless government?
• Caused Bahamians to wonder when will this arrogant and reckless government stop destroying our institutions?
• Caused Bahamians to waste time and money when they went to vote but were frustrated in their attempt to vote. They were denied the opportunity to vote. This could have been avoided but for the arrogance and recklessness of this government.

The FNM comes here today seeking to retroactively correct mistakes that but for their arrogance and recklessness could have been avoided.  In doing so they raise further questions and cast further doubts on the electoral process.  Shame on this arrogant and reckless government.

Arrogance when pumped up with recklessness is bad news.

The resignation of the Minister does not remove the stench of arrogance and recklessness.

MORE FNM DESTRUCTION OF INSTITUTIONS
In the public service and public service type organizations, when persons act in a position in the absence of the substantive office holder, the custom is that the next most senior person is chosen to "act"

It is not the custom that a person below the rank of the next most senior person, a junior person, be chosen to "act" in the absence of the substantive office holder.  The reasons for this are clear.  They are well documented in studies of organizations and organizational behavior.  Decrease in morale and undermining the integrity of the institution are two of the many reasons why supersession or leapfrogging is not customary behavior.  It is unheard of for senior persons to report to junior persons.

During the committee stage of the budget debate and since I asked whether persons below the substantive rank of ACP had acted as COP (or DCOP) in the absence of the substantive office holder of either Actg COP or DCOP.  I have not yet received full answers to those questions.

Inquiry reveals that:

• since May 2007, persons below the substantive rank of ACP have superseded or leapfrogged over those persons who hold the substantive rank of ACP and have served as Actg DCP
• those persons had letters of appointment to act as DCP
• those persons were paid the acting allowance when they acted as DCP
• there was not due process in the making of those acting as DCP appointments
• the Police protocol was not followed when those appointments were made
• standard police and organizational practices were not followed when those appointments were made

Which is it?  How were those letters issued?  How were those allowances paid?  To what extent was the political directorate involved in making those decisions?  This reckless and arrogant disregard for our institutions has led to:

• constables not understanding what they have to look forward to
• breakdown in the structure of the organization
• feelings of discouragement and discontent throughout the organization

Who wants to by superseded or leap frogged over when they  get to the top?

I cry shame on the FNM for playing games with the RBPF.  The police force is one of the most important  institutions in any democracy.  It is on the front line of law and order.  It is especially reckless to play games with the police force when crime and fear of crime is on the rise and out of control.

Arrogance when pumped up with recklessness is bad news.

The FNM’s callous disregard for the Straw Vendors and its determination to destroy the Straw Market’s right of location on Bay Street is another example of its destruction of our institutions.  More of that at another time.

The government admits that the mistakes could have been avoided.  The mistakes were due to arrogance, recklessness and incompetence.  This is why Sidney Collie resigned.   He resigned as a Minister in an government arrogant and reckless government careless about the strength of our democracy and uncaring about the rights of our citizens.

For the reasons stated above I do not support this motion.