bahamasuncensored.com
FEBRUARY 2008
Compiled, edited and constructed by Russell Dames Updated every
Sunday at 2 p.m.
Volume 6 © BahamasUncensored.Com 2008
While material on this web site can be used freely by other sections of
the press, as a courtesy, journalists are asked to attribute the source
of their material from this web site.
10th February, 2008
17th February, 2008
24th February, 2008
Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return
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| PHOTO OF THE WEEK: The
FNM now seems quite relaxed in the House of Assembly. They look like
the pressure is off them. We guess it has to do with the fact that
the government cannot change anymore as a result of the loss by the PLP
at the election court. That did not stop the pressure from being
piled on them however by various PLP spokesmen when the House of Assembly
met on Wednesday 30th January. Up for discussion were two bills:
An Act to Amend the Central Bank Act and to amend the Banks and Trust Companies
Regulations Act. The amendments were to facilitate the regulation
of money transfer operations not associated with a bank or trust company.
It gives the power to the Central Bank governor to regulate the licence
for such operations but curiously gives the governor the right to dispense
with the provisions of the act in granting a licence. Obie Wilchcombe
indicated that he thought that this was designed to allow someone in Grand
Bahama who is an FNM worker and who now transfers money to Haiti on a regular
basis to get around the regulations. Then there was a housing resolution
to transfer land to the Minister of Housing in order to give good title
to the owners of property in some new government subdivisions. The
speakers all made the point on behalf of the PLP that the FNM needed to
start doing something for people and stop carping and complaining about
what the PLP did or didn’t do. Our photos of the week were taken
by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services. They are of
Melanie Griffin, PLP spokesman on Social Services, Fred Mitchell on Foreign
Affairs, and Obie Wilchcombe, the spokesman on Tourism. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
THE POLITICAL CLASS
If you read the Bahamian pundits, every week they appear to watch
this site to try to discern the thinking behind it.
Amongst those who click on are Ministers of the government, Prime
Ministers, perhaps former Prime Ministers but many are just plain ordinary
people: both FNM and PLP.
While, we who edit and write this column thank all of them for looking
on, the real point of the column is not who is writing it but what it says.
And it is clear that this week after examining the government’s behaviour
and watching the Opposition at work, there are some very worrying trends
that need to be addressed in this society, which calls for some kind of
fundamental rethink about who is to lead us and where we are going.
The leadership of The Bahamas has in many ways become confined to
a number of families. You supposedly have two parties but the reality
is they are different sides of the same coin. Their interests have
drawn closer together in the 52 years of Parliamentary party politics to
now. The question for us today is whether or not this serves the
greater interests of The Bahamas. In our view it does not, and there
needs to be a clearer line of separation between the parties. In
fact, the PLP would benefit greatly if it would simply stand by its core
values.
This week Charles Maynard, who was a PLP all of his still young life
up until relatively recently, stood up as an FNM Minister and Member of
Parliament to defend the FNM in the exercise of its inaction and inability
to solve the crisis in housing in The Bahamas. There is a role that
he plays for the FNM in the House. It appears that Hubert Ingraham
has decided that Mr. Maynard is some kind of hatchet man whose main role
is to destroy the PLP’s image and legacy. Mr. Maynard sees nothing
wrong with that, and is a willing participant in it. He, like Mr.
Ingraham is suffering from a thousand little cuts (see last week's comment)
during their lifetime that they just can’t seem to get over. In talking
about housing in the House of Wednesday 30th January, he called the former
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell “a cheer leader for corruption”.
When called out on it by Mr. Mitchell, he quickly had to back up and change
his story but the point is not about what he said which was patently false
and defamatory. The point is his willingness to spit on the very
legacy that got him where he is today.
There is no doubt that without Georgiana K. Symonette, his grandmother
who helped to create the PLP; without Dud Maynard, his father who was its
longest serving Chairman who put in place the systems to re-elect the PLP,
Mr. Maynard the younger would not be where he is today.
You can add to that the work of his cousin Allyson, the former Attorney
General, and his Uncle Sir Clement, the former Foreign Minister and Minister
of Tourism. Yet Mr. Maynard saw nothing wrong, stupid or embarrassing
about getting up and simply pouring doo doo on his own family history.
Including, dare we say it, talking about who was a cheerleader for corruption
in the face of the resignation of his own father in the wake of the allegations
of the Commission of Inquiry in 1984. Allegations most people did
not accept or believe but which for the public record has gone unchallenged.
As Mr. Maynard the younger spoke in the House, people were embarrassed
for him. Almost as embarrassed as when he went about boasting that
The Bahamas was to host Carifesta 2008 only to have Hubert Ingraham, his
Prime Minister, cancel the invitation without him, the Culture Minister,
knowing. He found out like the rest of us on television.
We feel sorry for him really. And we will leave for the moment,
his clear violation of the code of conduct that what happens in the party
stays in the party with his constant attacks on his most recent political
colleague Dr. Bernard Nottage when they were in the CDR together.
All you can do is shake your head, put him in his place but feel sorry
and embarrassed for him. Who can trust a man who discloses all your
business? The FNM must regard him with suspicion.
Then there is Loretta Butler Turner. Whatever are we going
to do about Loretta? Certainly, Charles Maynard comes from the rough
and tumble of his dad Dud Maynard, so you would expect some outlandish
attacks. But coming from the genteel and Christian background of
her saintly grandfather Sir Milo Boughton Butler, the national hero, the
people’s champion and first Bahamian Governor General, it is also quite
a shame. She comes off as trying too hard.
We want to be charitable here because Loretta Butler Turner can still
save herself but each time she seems to go too far in the House with her
barbs, constant chattering and inability to simply listen to others without
interrupting. She should be an example of what women ought to be
in politics but she won’t be able to claim that mantle if she continues
like this. Everything is a fight, where there is no fight.
Constantly seeking to assert her legitimacy where no such assertion is
necessary. We know that you won your seat and that you are the Minister.
So get to work and stop the pettiness.
For example, as Minister, she allowed Hubert Ingraham to persuade
her to answer some parliamentary questions in a silly way. Melanie
Griffin, the Opposition’s spokesman on Social Services and the former Minister
for that, asked Mrs. Butler Turner when the Child Protection Act would
come into force. The real reason for the delay is that the regulations
have not been finished. Easy simple and direct. Simple question
and simple answer. Her answer, when the government of The Bahamas
determines. It was intended to be nasty and sarcastic, too clever
by half.
Next question, when will you bring the Domestic Violence Act into
force? Simple question. The real answer; there is no excuse
because no regulations are required here. But with domestic violence
at an all time high, there is a need to bring it into force immediately.
Her answer: when the government of The Bahamas determines.
Snickering from the peanut gallery made up of the new MPs: Neymour,
Maynard,
and McCartney. What’s funny about that? Real people’s problems
being reduced to fun and snickering. Then she goes on to say that
the PLP did not bring into force a whole list of acts they passed.
This is a vintage Ingraham tactic and of course, even though these youngsters
ought to know better, they have allowed him to lead them into error.
Every compelling idea is reduced to snickering, and their government has
made no progress in almost a year in office.
The economy contracting, unemployment is up, and the public is snickering
at them behind their backs because of their total ineffectiveness and preening.
We make no appeal to them. Instead we tell them all go ahead; continue.
See where you will end up.
We ask ourselves how did this happen to them? Carl Bethel,
a London School of Economics graduate with upper second honours, is being
led by someone who can’t even distinguish between w and v. How does
Sir Orville Turnquest’s son end up being led by the same man and is content
for it to be so? It says something terribly wrong about the political
elites of The Bahamas.
Perhaps, we all ought to reflect on whether our party systems are
open and dynamic enough or whether we are concentrating around too few
people thereby weakening the talent of our political class.
The only way to avoid this is to allow new blood to come to the top.
If we don’t do it, we will fail. The FNM is a clear example of it.
The PLP as it sits in Opposition then must reflect on this jumble
of advice this week, even though they may not like it. The PLP has
found itself in the position it is in for amongst other things similar
reasons. Someone’s knocking at the door. Do yourself a favour
and let them in.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 2nd February 208 up to
midnight: 271,102.
Number of hits for the month of January up to Thursday 31st January
2008 at midnight: 1,335,290.
Number of hits for the year 2008 up to Saturday 2nd February 2008
up to midnight: 1,387,510.
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
ELCOTT
COLEBY ANNOUNCES RUN FOR PLP CHAIR
PLP Elcott Coleby has announced his intention to join those seeking to
replace outgoing Party Chairman Raynard Rigby at the Party's next convention
scheduled for later this month. Mr. Rigby has said that he will not
run for re-election to the post. Mr. Coleby today issued the following
release to the press, entitled ‘Another candidate vies for the chairmanship
of the PLP’:
"I was born and bred in New Providence and I
am a proud product of the public school system, having graduated from A.F.Adderley
Sr High School in 1980. I later obtained a B.Sc degree in Chemistry from
the University of Alabama in 1990 and a MBA from Nova Southeastern University
in 2004.
"I am a 23 year veteran of the petroleum industry.
"I am an avid reader of non-fiction and world
news who enjoys a good lively debate. My personal favorite news magazines
are "Foreign Policy" and "The Economist" and I highly recommend them.
"On the issue of organizational architecture,
I am convinced that to meet the challenges of the 21st century, the PLP
must entrench the position of National Training Officer in its constitution
with specific metrical guidelines and targets as mandated by the National
Leadership Council. Additionally, the Vice Chairmen must be both functionally
and geographically aligned with the expressed objectives of the National
Leadership Council and the Political Committee.
"Further, I envision the Vice Chairs and the
National Progressive Institute (NPI) collectively forming a critical body
called the "Center of Focus" that will be charged with the principal responsibilities
of rolling out and implementing all party policies, processes and initiatives.
A scorecard designed to measure the level of success of such policies,
processes and initiatives must be kept to ensure consistent compliance,
discipline and accountability within the organization. It is understood
that the NPI represents the future leadership of the PLP, therefore the
skills, knowledge, and abilities of its members must be maximized in offering
operational support at every level within the organization. When coupled
with their present role of policy advice, I can think of no better way
to prepare the NPI for future leadership in this great party. As chairman,
I will take ownership of and personal responsibility for designing this
system that will prepare the future leadership of the PLP. These future
leaders will be the face of the PLP and I make this commitment with the
conviction that if the development of these future leaders is impeded,
the party does so at its own peril.
"The Center of Focus (COF) will identify
gaps that could lead to organizational weaknesses and implement action
plans to proactively close these gaps to continuously improve and strengthen
the organization. Their intimate integration into the party's machinery
serves the purpose of also creating an orderly succession plan.
"I fully intend to lobby with my fellow
PLP colleagues to include the structure of the COF in the next PLP platform
to be implemented in the public service when the PLP forms the next government;
I strongly believe that cross-functional COF's can serve as important catalysts
for public service reform."
Mr. Coleby also issued a
platform to the press for which you may click here.
LESLIE
MILLER SPEAKS OUT
The headline was startling. Out of the blue,
it seems Leslie Miller, the plain speaking former Minister of Trade and
Industry told the Bahama Journal that as far as he was concerned he had
no further interest in the election court challenge against Sidney Collie,
the declared winner in last year's contest in the Blue Hills constituency.
It appears that the Leader of the PLP and other colleagues were unaware
of Mr. Miller’s views.
Raynard Rigby, the party’s chairman, explained to
the press that the cases are in fact individual cases and the party lends
support. He said that no case could proceed if the individual former
candidate did not want to proceed. Mr. Collie of course was delighted.
He said that he won the election fair and square and he thought that Mr.
Miller had made the right decision.
Pleasant Bridgewater, the other candidate who is
challenging the result in the election court in Freeport has said that
she will continue. She was unfazed by the loss in the case of Allyson
Gibson against Byron Woodside. She said that her case was a different
case. The case is to start on 18th February in Nassau and not in
Freeport as originally scheduled. The judges have decided that ten
weeks in Freeport is too much of an imposition. Of course, this will
make it more expensive for the litigants since all the witnesses will now
have to be brought up from Freeport.
PROGRESSIVE
YOUNG LIBERALS APPEAL TO YOUTH OVER CRIME
In ‘An Appeal to Our Youth’, the Progressive Young
Liberals issued the following release to the press:
“The Progressive Young Liberals are shocked and
frightened of the undeterred growth of the murder rate in the
country. With nine murders occurring less than a full month into the New
Year, including an unheard of four in one 24-hour span, The Progressive
Young Liberals are concerned that the trend from last year has gotten even
worse in 2008 under an FNM government that promised to be the solution
to our crime dilemma.
“It saddens us to know that just last week there
was a stabbing by a 19-year old on a 20-year old. Prior to that, young
high school student, Deangelo Cargill was murdered on Bay Street in broad
daylight, allegedly by another young person under 25 and just last night,
another two young persons were gunned down outside of a night club with
two others found shot in their Pinewood Gardens home.
“One constant factor in these crimes has been
the involvement of our peers; those 18 to 30. We do acknowledge that not
all young Bahamians are headed down this path. However, we would be remiss
in our duty as future leaders of this great nation not to address our peers
in this regard. As young people we must realize that not only are the lives
of our generation being snatched away by these crimes, but many others
lives are being jeopardized and made stagnant as a result of their decisions
to commit senseless acts.
“As young Bahamians and future leaders of this
great nation, we have a responsibility to secure our communities. This
means not hiding criminals, talking when you see something happening or
in the process of happening, whether you speak to the police, your parents,
teachers, pastor or any other well respected person in your community.
This is a fight that we must all engage in as we seek to deter criminal
activity amongst the youth and make this country an uncomfortable zone
for those who insist on living that type of lifestyle.
“The perception of “being a snitch” by doing
the right thing is something that is fertilizing the continued growth of
crime in this country. Many of us know of a crime but are not speaking
and that is wrong.
“Further, we appeal to those who are not involved
in such activity themselves, but may know other young persons who are,
to support their friends by encouraging them, supporting them and pointing
them to their alternatives to criminal activity because young people can
relate to each other better than anyone else.
“The Young Liberals appeal to the youth of this
nation to realize that, as bad as things may seem, it is not too late to
turn things around. We also encourage those who have taken a better course
in life to continue on the right track despite the temptation to go astray.
The Bahamas has great young minds and it is imperative that we show that
the future of this country is safe in our hands. To this end, we believe
that it is a mistake for our government to continue with a national crime
policy that does not include the active involvement of the generation that
is at the greatest exposure to crime, ours. Our voices must be heard and
seen as a part of the solution.
“Finally, we also call on families to come together
once again adopt the values inherent in the old African adage “It takes
a village to raise a child.” Too many of us are simply fond of these sayings
and utter them without concern for the true value and meaning behind them.
We must begin to live these things and not just use them to pretty up our
sentences.
“It is our belief that collectively we can raise
a better Bahamas. As a youth organization under the Progressive Liberal
Party, we are aware of vital role that mentorship and parenting plays in
a child’s development and we encourage more of our elders to take up the
task of this important role in our society. We need our mentors in every
sector and from every walk of life. This responsibility transcends political
differences. We are one Bahamas, which means we must all take an active
and responsible role in guaranteeing our nations future.
“The solution begins with us.”
TORCHBEARERS
WANT YOUNGSTERS LOCKED UP AT NIGHT
The Free National Movement has this curious propensity
to be draconian, almost fascist, in its applications of public policy.
Of course, they never think about how their polices will affect their own
but always think that the law will apply to other people. Such is
the proposal that has been put forward by of all people the youth arm of
the party, The Torchbearers. The Torchbearers want to lock up their
fellow youth at night. Their leader Jamal Moss proposed in the Nassau
Guardian of Friday 1st February that there is a need to introduce a curfew
law which will bottle up all idle youngsters at night.
Anyone under 18, Mr. Moss says, should not be allowed
on the streets after 10 p.m. Mr. Moss is safely 24 and lived his
life under 18 as free as a bird. Now he wants to lock up those coming
behind him.
Can you see it now, the potential Torchbearers walking
at night and then the police spending their time locking them up because
they are out after a certain time? The jails would be full.
The police spending all their time enforcing this curfew, processing arrests,
and calling up parents to get their kids. Then presumably there must
be some sanction beside arrest and that means court so the courts then
will be filled with teenagers and other youngsters who are being tried
and fined for simply violating a curfew. Where do they get these
people from?
PM
CRITICIZES THE TOURISM PRODUCT
On Thursday 31st January at the Crystal Palace Hubert
Ingraham spoke as part of the Tourism Week observances. His address
was curious. It was again the FNM talking as if they are mere observers
of the scene and not the designers or creators of public policy.
Mr. Ingraham said that tourism needed to clean up its act, that Nassau
had become dirty and shabby and that the tourism product needed to get
back to basics. Say what?
This is the same clown who came to office and stopped
the straw market and whose Minister of Public Works has said that replacing
the straw market is not a priority. This is the same clown who told
the country that he is cancelling the new port that was to be built in
the south of New Providence designed by the PLP and instead he is going
to put the containers on Arawak Cay to create yet another bottle neck at
the fish fry with traffic and of course muck up the environment for the
serving of food with trucks and other traffic up and down to the cay every
day. This man simply does not think.
We think the solution to the tourism product would
be Mr. Ingraham and the FNM’s removal from office. But in policy
terms, they need to go back to the plan left by the PLP to reorganize Nassau,
dredge the harbour, build the straw market and create a new port in the
south of New Providence.
CHINESE
AMBASSADOR VISITS GB
FREEPORT, Grand Bahama, by Greg Christie: His Excellency,
Li Yuanming, resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the
People’s Republic of China to The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, visited
Grand Bahama on Monday where he met with local business executives, toured
Freeport Container Port and met with Chris Gray, CEO.
During a private lunch hosted by His Excellency
Yuanming, he commmended Sir Albert Miller, CEO, Grand Bahama Port Authority
(GBPA), and Chris Gray, CEO, Freeport Container Port (FCP), Freeport Harbour
Company (FHC), and Grand Bahama Airport Company (GBAC) for their companies’
support during his tenure in the Bahamas. His Excellency Yuanming
is completing a three year posting in The Bahamas this month, having been
here since 2005.
The Ambassador expressed his desire to continue
his friendship with all of his business colleagues in The Bahamas, and
noted, ‘In China, friendship is better than money’.
Freeport Container Port (FCP), situated only 65 miles from Florida,
is the natural trans-shipment hub for the Eastern seaboard of the Americas
and the principal East/West Line Haul routes through the region.
FCP is a member of the Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH)
Group, a subsidiary of the multinational conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa
Limited (HWL), HPH is the world's leading port investor, developer and
operator with interests in a total of 292 berths in 46 ports, spanning
23 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas.
HPH also owns a number of transportation-related service companies.
IN PASSING
Superintendent Errington Rahming Dies
The former long serving bodyguard of Sir Lynden O. Pindling retired
Superintendent of Police Errington Rahming was buried in Nassau on Saturday
26th January. He served Sir Lynden for over two decades and his face
became almost as familiar as Sir Lynden’s in public circles. Sir
Lynden's widow Dame Marguerite attended the funeral together with all their
children. The service was at the Seventh Day Adventist Hillside Church
on Tonique Williams Darling Highway. One irony of the service by
Superintendent Rahming for Sir Lynden was that in the history of Black
Tuesday when Sir Lynden threw the Speaker’s mace out of the window in a
protest against the gerrymandering of boundaries by the then UBP government,
Errington Rahming was a constable called out as part of the riot squad
to keep order on that day.
Bo Hengy II
Kahlis Rolle, the CEO of Bahamas Fast Ferries the owners of the Bo
Hengy, has announced that the Clipper Group Danish Shipping company has
completed the purchase of 28 percent of the shares of Bahamas Fast Ferries.
This is an exception to the general rule that the internal shipping trade
in The Bahamas is reserved for Bahamians. There has been no protest
over it. But it provides Craig, brother of Brent Symonette (the Deputy
Prime Minister) and a major shareholder of Bahamas Fast Ferries with a
source of capital to expand his business. Mr. Rolle said that it
would ensure that the technology and transportation sector in The Bahamas
would modernize. The gas guzzling Bo Hengy I is to be phased out
and a new Bo Hengy II will come into service. This is the boat that
does the Nassau to Harbour Island run in one hour and thirty five minutes.
We think that the decision shows that foreign exchange control’s day are
numbered as well they should be.
The PLP Convention
The PLP’s convention appears to be on for sure now with the start expected
to be Wednesday 20th February and ending on Saturday 23rd February.
Sir Clem Convalescing
Sir Clement Maynard, the former Minister of Tourism, who was hospitalized
last week suffering from a stroke, is now in hospital in Florida.
Sir Clement is said to be alert and resting comfortably.
Bahamar Project Initialed
The grinning visage of Hubert Ingraham could be seen on the front pages
of
all of the newspapers on Friday 1st February announcing that he had finally
agreed to give the Bahamar project on Cable Beach the go ahead. No
word on whether he gave thanks to Perry Christie, the PLP's Leader, for
starting the process. This project which will revolutionize the look
on Cable Beach in New Providence stands to create some 8000 jobs.
In the meantime though, the Nassau Beach Hotel is to be pulled down as
are two other towers at the Crystal Palace creating huge unemployment in
the hotel sector and taking rooms off line in an already tight market.
Also scheduled to come down are the Cecil Wallace Whitfield Building, the
Police Station at Cable Beach and British American Bank and Commonwealth
bank. West Bay Street is to be rerouted around the old Hobby Horse
Race track and a new entrance from John F, Kennedy Drive is to be created
to drive the new hotel. Harrah’s of Las Vegas are to build a new
casino and there is to be a St. Regis Hotel. The Kerzners of Paradise
Island and Atlantis fame fought this project because it will create competition
for them but it is coming. Let’s hope it works, the country is suffering
because of the sloth of the FNM and Hubert Ingraham. The PLP had
arranged for their to be no firings of employees while the redevelopment
took place. No doubt the FNM does not care about such things.
Kenyatta Lands Walkers Cay Deal
The Tribune reported in its business section this week that Kenyatta
Gibson is the attorney for a foreign concern about to purchase Walkers
Cay in the Abacos. Mr. Gibson confirmed that he was the attorney
in the transaction, which is said to be worth some $20 million, but declined
further comment until consultation with his unnamed client. The project
is thought to have been associated with the law firm of now Prime Minister
Hubert Ingraham. Mr. Gibson, the sitting Member of Parliament for
the PLP’s Kennedy constituency resigned from the Party without apparent
reason and now sits as an independent in the House of Assembly.
John Marquis: Asinine
The Chief Slime Correspondent down at The Tribune was at it again in
an anti PLP diatribe. This time in The Tribune of Monday 28th January,
he claimed that the PLP has lost its way as a result of the loss of the
election court case to Byran Woodside. No logic, no facts, just a
bare assertion without anything to back it up but his lying words.
We remember the line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “Why what an ass am I!”
Indeed!
Policeman Sleeping On The Floor In Canada?
If the intrepid press were on its game, it would call up Assistant
Commissioner Ellison Greenslade and Assistant Commissioner Marvin Dames
and ask them what their physical circumstances are on this so called course
that they have been sent on to Canada. You will remember that with
the appointment of Reginald Ferguson as Acting Commissioner of Police,
Mr. Greenslade and Mr. Dames were sent off for further training.
Mr. Greenslade has a Masters Degree and is studying for his PHD, so it
is clear that he needs no further retraining. Mr. Dames had just
come back from a fellowship at Yale University. He needs no further
training. They simply needed to be put to work. But it appears
that the Acing Commissioner had a problem particularly with Mr. Greenslade
and the Prime Minister accommodated his handpicked commissioner and saw
to it that Mr. Greenslade in particular was dispatched out of the country.
They both hope that he resigns. We now have reports that the men
have not gotten all of the allowances due to him and that this means that
they cannot afford the furniture that is required and may in one case be
sleeping on the floor. Appeals to Nassau have reportedly been ignored.
That is Hubert Ingraham's government. The intrepid Bahamas press
should check it out.
No More Police Statistics
The Acting Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson has made it clear
that the public statistics on crime will no longer be made public on a
regular basis. They will have to be asked for specifically.
This is another plot by the FNM dominated force to keep the true picture
on crime away from the public. No hue and cry from the FNM controlled
press. Of course not!
Jackie Murray AG’s P.S. Dies
We have learnt with regret of the death of Jacqueline Murray, the Permanent
Secretary of the Office of the Attorney General. Mrs. Murray, the
wife of businessman Fred Murray, died of natural causes following a long
illness. Our condolences to her family.
The New Senator
FNM circles claim that Hubert Ingraham has decided to name potential
FNM candidate for Exuma Anthony Musgrove to the Senate to complete the
Senate choices. The seat has been vacant in a dispute with the PLP's
leader over whether the PLP should claim the seat or not. There is
court case on the matter but Mr. Ingraham has decided to proceed anyway.
The Children’s Teeth
At last a new play at the Dundas. Nicolette Bethel, the Director
of Culture has written ‘The Children’s Teeth’ and it was performed at the
Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts on the last two weekends in January
in Nassau. Amongst the actors Teresa Moxey Ingraham, the former Minister
in the previous FNM government. Please click
here for a slide show of scenes from the play taken by Peter Ramsay
of Bahamas Information Services.
Welcome to the Public Square
Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill was crossing Rawson Square and ran into
children from the St. Francis Academy and their teachers who were just
returning from a glass bottom tour of the narrows in New Providence harbour.
Fun greetings from the children. The photo is by Al Dillette.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
List Majority Rule Day on Calendars
I recently got a copy of this year’s calendar
from AID and noticed that they not only included public holidays from the
Bahamas as well as the United States, they included significant Religious
occasion and U.S. A. President’s birthdays too.
How now is it that the birthday of the first
Prime Minister and Governor General are not posted on these calendars?
Majority Rule day always sneaks up on us because
it is not noted in the calendars distributed here in the Bahamas.
It is just another way to hide it in the sea of forgetfulness.
To the publishing companies in the Bahamas: I
would like to see Majority Rule date, Sir Lynden Pindling and Sir
Milo Butler birthdays in the 2009 edition of their calendars.
A Plain Patriot
Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return
to the top of the page.
|
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Those
who live a good life presumably don’t fear the rush of time. But
the rest of us who are trying desperately to make ends meet, keep our families
together, pray to God sometimes through the short wave radio and stay out
of the clutches of our lenders, must reflect on how time flies. Lent
is upon us. Easter Sunday is the 23rd March, quite early this year.
For those who try to figure it out: it’s the first Sunday, after the first
full moon, following the vernal (spring) equinox, 21st March. The
revellers have all returned from Trinidad, playing mas and now it is time
for repentance and atonement. That ritual takes place the next morning
after the carnival is over, on a day called Ash Wednesday. It is
actually a holiday in Jamaica. No such luck here, but the faithful,
some of them, hundreds according to the press in The Bahamas, turned up
on Ash Wednesday to have their foreheads marked with the ashes from the
Palm Sunday palms of last year (if you are an Anglican) and reminded that
dust you are and unto dust you shall return. Our photo of the week
is a picture of the faithful receiving their ashes on Wednesday 5th February.
The photo is by Sasha L. Lightbourne of the Bahama Journal. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
THE NEWSPAPERS AND THEIR HEADLINES
The
Nassau Guardian carried a startling headline on Thursday 7th February,
one that came from the mouth of Phenton Neymour, MP for South Beach (poor
people of South Beach) whose opinions are proving to be like those of an
idiot savant. And this is the new FNM. We apologize for the
harshness of this but how else do you respond to the simple stupidity of
someone who is too full of himself by half. He has come into office
like a bull in a China shop. The headline read that the PLP had abused
their power while in office. Mr. Neymour said it. What is behind
his claim?
These claims of abuse of power are the same old washed up, re-treaded
claims that he made when he first came to Parliament in May 2007 and made
his debut in the Budget Debate for that year. Mr. Neymour used to
work with the Water and Sewerage Corporation and as we argued last week,
he is obviously carrying the reminders of every blow that laid him out
and cut him until he cried out, even to crying out today. He argued
that the swap by the Corporation with Arawak Homes for lands at the airport
for acreage in Perpall Tract was not a fair swap and that the Corporation
did not need the land. The alleged abuse of power is that Bradley
Roberts, then the Minister for the Corporation forced the deal on the Corporation
in favour of Arawak Homes, a company in which he is a shareholder and where
he used to sit on the Board of Directors. Mr. Roberts discredited
all of those allegations right after they were made. He told Mr.
Neymour to check the files.
Mr. Neymour came back this time to say that he checked the files
and he couldn’t find anything. Strange because Mr. Roberts’ publicly
released all the documents to the press. Of course this lousy press
we have did no checking themselves, just ran with anything that the FNM
has to say. We say to Mr. Neymour check again. But we also
say that the employees at the Water and Sewerage Corporation should not
be so spineless as to let this Minister sully the reputations of good citizens
and themselves by accusing them of being involved in a corrupt deal.
Bradley
Roberts and Franklyn Wilson, the latter is the Chair of Arawak Homes, went
to press the next day to refute the latest allegations. We are happy
that they did that because the PLP still has this unfortunate habit of
sitting on their hands in the face of these spurious allegations by those
from the FNM’s peanut gallery.
The peanut gallery as we said last week are these young, first time
ministers, who can’t seem to concentrate on policy and what they should
be doing for the Bahamian people but are busy spending their time digging
into the files of what the PLP did. Mind you, this is the same group
that argued while they were in Opposition that the PLP did nothing.
But it now turns out that they must have done an awful lot since all the
FNM can find time to do is pick apart what the PLP did.
Now back to where we started. You have to wonder about the
editors of the Nassau Guardian in this instance and of course The Tribune
and the Bahama Journal. How do they in fact choose their headlines?
Certainly, the major headline that they gave to Mr. Neymour's address was
not deserved. It was not news. It was an old story, a retread
as we described it, and we had heard it all before. You would have
thought that some editor would have simply nixed the whole thing or put
it in the back where it belonged.
What happened to the major address by Shane Gibson who admirably
in the House of Assembly acquitted himself by defending resolutely the
government’s record on housing? He made the case, later backed up
by Perry Christie, the Party’s leader, that if he had waited for land acquisition
to take place, the houses would never have been built. He is correct.
It was strange to hear the former Prime Minister say it. He called
the FNM’s housing minister’s record so far “zero for zero”. In other
words, “nada”, nothing, not one house in ten months.
We
include today photos of those PLPs who spoke but the press reported little
or nothing of what they had to say: Shane Gibson, Frank Smith, 'Brave Davis'
in the Peter Ramsay BIS photos.
Even today, public land acquisition is a huge problem. The
office and the officer who runs the office have got to be the slowest in
the universe and total obstacles to progress. Nothing gets done in
the place. There is always some stalling tactic. Successive
governments have left the public officer in charge of the distribution
of lands, and the works are completely buggered up. We say again,
nothing gets done.
That department, like the Ministry of Finance needs new leadership
so that Bahamians can get access to land and quickly. Nothing is
more scandalous then the myriad applications made by the people of Mangrove
Cay to expand their settlement that have simply not been answered.
Not a thing done to rectify the situation, and we all know who is at fault.
It seems that Prime Ministers are either unwilling or unable to deal with
it.
Mr. Neymour is on the wrong tack as usual. He strikes you as
a bitter, bitter man. This is another one that we really feel sorry
for. Here it is he has worked this hard to get to government.
The people of the country finally give him his chance and all he can talk
about is what the PLP did and did not do. And when he talks about
it, he gets it wrong.
Pity him. Pray for him. Strike back at him! Let the truth
be known and treat what he says with the contempt it deserves.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 9th February 2007 up
to midnight: 275,443.
Number of hits for the month of February up to Saturday 9th February
at midnight: 341,978.
Number of hits for the year 2008 up to Saturday 9th February 2008
at midnight: 1,677,268.
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
PLP
PARLIAMENTARY CONCLAVE
Late Sunday afternoon, the Progressive Liberal Party's
Dr. Bernard J. Nottage, Leader of Opposition business in the House of Assembly
issued this statement:
"The Parliamentary group of the Progressive Liberal
Party was convened in a special pre convention conclave today, Sunday 10th
February, 2008 at Sandals Resort. The meeting was hosted by Rt. Hon.
Perry G. Christie MP, Leader of the Progressive Liberal Party. During
the meeting, a number of issues were discussed, including a review of election
2007; the upcoming 50th annual convention of 2008; and the way forward
for the party. All colleagues expressed their views frankly and believe
that the Progressive Liberal Party continues to be the best hope for the
Bahamian people. We are unanimous in the view that the leadership
of the PLP also continues to be the best for The Bahamas."
It has also been released that Mr. Christie, accompanied
by a delegation that included Fox Hill MP, Fred Mitchell; South Andros
MP, Piscewell Forbes; Bradley Roberts, the former Bain and Grant’s Town
Member of Parliament, and Party officials visited Grand Bahama on Saturday
for a meeting with PLP officials there, including Stalwart Councillors,
Branch officers, and Convention delegates. During the meeting Mr.
Christie spoke on a number of issues, including a review of election 2007;
the upcoming 50th Annual PLP Convention, February 20-23; and the way forward
for the Party. The photo of the Grand Bahama event is by GreChris.
COLLAPSE
OF URBAN RENEWAL (It’s The Economy Stupid)
As the U.S. Presidential Election contests for nominees
winds inexorably down, we have to face some stark realities. Our
economy is headed toward the doldrums. On this site, we reported
that the FNM has received a sober assessment of the economy and where it
is headed. The PLP left a vibrant economy; the FNM is now presiding
over an economy that is headed down the tubes.
Under the PLP, unemployment was down, now it is
headed all the way up. Stephen Wrinkle, the head of the Contractors
Association says that 60 per cent of his members are out of work.
With construction down, that means male unemployment is up and that can
only mean crime will be on the rise. Mr. Ingraham can fancy dance
around the subject all he wants, the saying from the Bill Clinton era in
the U.S. “It’s the economy stupid!” must be front and centre.
We relate this now to what the FNM is doing and
has done to the Urban Renewal programme. They have in the wind, the
idea that Urban Renewal is to be re-launched. To do a re-launch that
means that they had to do something to stop the Urban Renewal programme,
because otherwise they would not need to re-launch it. Strange because
they denied that they stopped Urban Renewal.
The Urban Renewal programme as the PLP designed
it has collapsed. The representatives in the areas where the programme
existed say that the programme no longer exists for after school care,
for the marching bands, for support of young men. All utterly collapsed.
No one knows these days what the mission of Urban Renewal is and the communities
that no longer have the programmes are suffering, awash in drugs, crime,
degradation including litter, old cars and general despair. That
is the direct result of the policies of the FNM. No amount of re
launching, and propaganda can change that fact.
CHRISTIE:
SENATE APPOINTMENT UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Last week, Hubert Ingraham confirmed what we said
on this site on Sunday last. Anthony ‘Tinny’ Musgrove, an Exuma man,
a real success story who Mr. Ingraham had denied the nomination for the
FNM in 2007 in favour of former Ambassador Joshua Sears, was appointed
to complete the senate appointments, so Mr. Ingraham said. The instrument
of appointment was handed over by Governor General Arthur Hanna on Monday
4th February.
A careful distinction has to be made between the
person Mr. Musgrove, with whom there is no quarrel, and Mr. Ingraham who
made the appointment, and the appointment itself. PLP Leader Perry
Christie in an interview with the media on Wednesday 6th February said
that the appointment is unconstitutional. He argued that Mr. Ingraham
should have waited until the legal process for finished before making the
appointment. This was Mr. Christie’s answer to the remark made by
Mr. Ingraham to the press that he had waited long enough for Mr. Christie
to get his act together. We hope Mr. Ingraham has his act together.
It is not about getting one’s act together at all. It is about waiting
for a legal process to finish.
The photo of the presentation of the instruments
of appointment by Arthur Hanna is by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information
Services. It must have been proud moment for his family who joined
him for the occasion; son Anthony Jr. and his wife Anissa.
THE
MEDICAL ASSOCIATION FLUBS IT ON NHI
The campaign against poor people continues by the
Medical Association and the Free National Movement with its continued attack
on National Health Insurance. A recent story in the Nassau Guardian
quotes from an Associated Press story about a medical care giver being
attacked by an impatient patient who was frustrated while waiting for service
In Jamaica where the government has announced free medical care for children.
The story then seeks through an interview with Dr. Duane Sands of the Medical
Council, to attack National Heath Insurance in The Bahamas and to support
the FNM’s so called ‘phased approach’ to National Health Insurance.
These folk ought to be ashamed of themselves. Every time some man
or woman comes up with a sponsor sheet to help them with medical expenses
they ought to reminded how they scuttled National Health Insurance which
would have put a stop to it all.
National Health Insurance was a programme designed
not for free medical care but medical care paid for by insurance with choices
by patients and co payments in cases where the NHI payments did not match
the actual costs of the doctors. The Guardian also got Colina Imperial
which owns it to supply quotes about the under estimating of costs when
designing an NHI programme. This is patently dishonest. Colina
has a clear profit motive and is not an independent commentator in the
matter. They by their own blinders did not see the commercial possibilities
in National Health Insurance for supplemental insurance for which they
would have had a windfall. They simply went running off on a political
agenda.
The spokesman for the doctors Dr. Duane Sands let
us down when he argued that you need to improve the hospital before you
start National Health Insurance. When is that going to happen?
He clearly knows that the NHI would have paid for the health care while
the government’s now contributions to health would go toward improvement
of the infrastructure. In The Bahamas you have to walk and chew gum
at the same time. But what it shows the PLP is that the assault continues
on its policies with the media, the doctors, the insurance companies and
the FNM all exposed now fully into the conspiracy. It is now wide
open what happened prior to the election where health care for the poor
was sabotaged by a selfish elites and so the poor must now still be frying
conch fritters on the Fort in order to help pay for their health care.
The Prime Minister and all Parliamentarians have health coverage which
is paid for at least in part. The rest of the population has no public
health insurance. Right now people are impatient at the hospitals
in Nassau and Freeport so the incident in Jamaica is really a low blow.
WE
NEED MORE THAN APOLOGIES FROM BATELCO
Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd. these days
known as BTC has apologized through its marketing manager Marlon Johnson
for a complete breakdown in its cell phone prepaid system last week on
29th January. The company has announced that it is going to offer
free phone calls, a give away that will amount to a hundreds of thousands
of dollars according to The Nassau Guardian, to its customers as a way
to make amends. Each pre paid customer will get a five dollar credit
on his or her account. This does not go far enough.
BTC is simply a company that cannot deliver the
services it promises. The cell phone system is bad enough, what with
dropped calls and intermittent service availability, depending on what
time of day and where you are in the country. But its internet service
is lousy and it also overcharges for its services to the point of being
rapacious. For example, its roaming charges are five dollars per
minute when you receive a call overseas. This means that this is
worse than making a phone call in the hotel’s system that you are staying
in. When a complaint was recently made to their customer desk about
these rapacious prices, their response was not to use the phone while you
are overseas. Something is wrong with that picture.
Now the employees of BTC say they are going on strike
because Hubert Ingraham’s new government that many of them voted for wants
to take away some of the privileges that they fought so hard for under
the PLP and the previous FNM administration. At the same time Mr.
Ingraham has announced that he wants to complete the selling of BTC to
Blue Water within 15 days or move on. Quite frankly no one knows
why it is taking so long for them to make up their minds. The Christie
administration had already approved the sale before it left office.
But the stop, review and cancel government, you know, has to stop, review
and cancel. They have no idea what they are looking for but look
they must.
THE
PLP CHAIRMANSHIP RACE
So far two candidates have surfaced for the Chairmanship
of the PLP, Glenys Hanna Martin, a Member of Parliament and Elcott Colby,
who is a member and supporter. The press asked former Prime Minister
Perry Christie and leader of the PLP his views on the matter and he told
the Bahama Journal on Wednesday 6th February that he would not interfere
in the race for Chairman. Incumbent Chair Raynard Rigby is stepping
down and has announced he will not run again. The press also reports
that he has stepped aside as Convention Chairman as well.
IN PASSING
PM Holds Forth On Flexi Time
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham reportedly wants to increase the opportunities
for flexi time in the public service. This allows the staggering
of the hours of work for people who work in the service. The idea
is to help ease the traffic congestion on the island of New Providence,
and also assist workers with the support and care of their children.
There is some limited flexi time now in the service. Flexi time was
agreed in the last contract between the Bahamas Public Services Union and
the PLP administration. No need for Hubert Ingraham to boast about
it, and John Pinder, the BPSU president should tell the man that the government
has an obligation to work with the union on the matter.
Who Should Pay In Pinewood Case?
The Bahamas Journal reported that the case for costs was argued before
the Justices of the Election Court on Thursday 7th February. The
FNM side led by Michael Barnett for Pinewood MP Byron Woodside wants the
PLP to pay all costs. But Philip ‘Brave’ Davis argued that some of
the costs were incurred because of the dilatory nature of the FNM’s response,
in some cases not agreeing to stipulations when the case could have been
more efficiently settled by those stipulations. He argued that each
side should pay their own costs. The Judges have reserved their decision
in the matter.
Anglican Struggle To Stay Together
The BBC reported on 7th February that Archbishop Drexel Gomez, the
Bishop of The Bahamas and Archbishop of the West Indies is trying to hold
the Anglican Communion together with a plan that would recognize the independence
of each of its parts but with the ability of each part to carry on its
particular practices. The Anglican Church is being rent apart by
a debate on the question of same sex unions. All of the Anglican
Bishops are to meet this year in London at the Lambeth Conference, which
takes place every ten years. The BBC reports that the church from
Sydney will not attend. The BBC says that Archbishop Gomez is hopeful
of a compromise.
Contractors Boss Says 60 Per Cent Out Of Work
The Nassau Guardian reported the comments of Stephen Wrinkle, the head
of the Bahamas Contractors Association that 60 per cent of his members
are out of work. This is a lower figure than that given a few weeks
ago by Chamber of Commerce head Dionisio D’aguilar who out the figure at
70 per cent. Whatever the figure is, it appears that a lot of people
are out of work. The question now is when the FNM government is going
to get this economy going. Last week the Bahamar project was announced
but the project’s investors have since said that it will be months before
it actually starts because there are still regulatory approvals and land
transfers waiting to take place. Perry Christie, PLP leader, in an
interview with the Nassau Guardian on Wednesday 6th February welcomed the
new Bahamar project. He said perhaps one day Hubert Ingraham, the Prime
Minister, would thank him for initiating the new development. Mr.
Ingraham is full of praise for it now, a development that he questioned
while in Opposition.
Laurie Cornish Hanna Funeral
Mrs. Laurie Cornish Hanna of Coopers Town, Abaco was buried in that
settlement Saturday 9th February. Mrs. Cornish Hanna 83, was aunt
of Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham. She is survived three daughters
including Estelle McKinney, Phyillis Newton and Rosemary Murray and five
sons, including Reverend Leslie Cornish, Eijnar Cornish and A.S.P. Prince
Cornish, Gifford Bootle and McFerris Hanna. Former Prime Minister
Christie, a friend of the family, was among the mourners.
P.S. Murray To Have State Recognized Funeral
We reported on this site last week that Jacqueline Murray, the former
Permanent Secretary had died. Mrs. Murray was at the time of her
death Secretary to the Governor General, not the Attorney General as stated
last week. Mrs. Murray was 62 years old. She will have a state
recognized funeral on Monday 11th February at Christ Church Cathedral.
PLPs Mix and Mingle
PLP Leader Perry Christie and his wife Bernadette gathered at the PLP’s
headquarters on Farrington Road at a mix and mingle on Friday evening 8th
February. This is part of an effort for PLPs to get together on a
social basis and also to raise some money for the convention, which starts
on 20th February.
A Note To Claire Hepburn AG
You will remember that Claire Hepburn the Attorney General claimed
when she and the government were arguing in favour of reducing the size
of juries that the bill would help to stop the delay and backlog of trials.
The PLP told her that this was nonsense. Mrs. Hepburn even blamed
the Election Court for delaying criminal trials. Again no evidence.
Just FNM propaganda. Now comes a real life instance reported on 8th
February in the Bahama Journal. Justice Cheryl Albury lit into the
prosecution for entering a nolli prosequi (stopping the prosecution) without
telling the court and the defence lawyer in the rape trial of Dennis Forbes.
That means the Court, the jurors and the defence lawyer were all ready
for a trial only to find out that the AG had long ago decided that she
was dropping the charges. Even Calvin Seymour of the AG’s office
who came down to apologize seemed not to have known that the AG had decided
to noli the case. We agree with the Judge, that Claire Hepburn needs
to get her act together. Here is what Justice Albury said in her
own words:
“Time and time again we hear about cases that
can’t be heard. Everyone lays the blame at the feet of the judiciary.
“May I say from the outset that I consider this
a deplorable state of affairs? I had the file for preparation, as
I usually do, before the commencement of trial, only to discover that the
matter has been disposed of, and you will recall, counsel, that the thinking
was that we would not waste time when I came back on the criminal bench.
“We have jurors here who are plucked from their
normal work or routines to sit this morning, only to find that there is
no case. We ask citizens to perform their civic duty, and we leave
them to wipe ice dry because the Office of the Attorney General has not
done what they are supposed to do. I am not at all impressed.”
Belize Election Result
Fred Mitchell, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and now Opposition
spokesman on Foreign Affairs returned to The Bahamas on Friday 8th February
following a three day visit to Belize for the general elections there.
The elections took place on Thursday 7th February. The ruling Peoples
United Party (PUP) under Prime Minister Said Musa lost the election.
The United Democratic Party (UDP) under Dean Barrow won the election with
25 seats to 6 for the UDP. Mr. Mitchell congratulated Mr. Barrow
on his victory on behalf of the Progressive Liberal Party.
Sir Clement‘s Convalescence
Leader of the PLP Perry Christie told the press on Wednesday 6th February
that Sir Clement Maynard, the former Deputy Prime Minister under the PLP
continues to be stable but is still greatly ill. Sir Clement suffered
a stroke two weeks ago.
Fred Ramsey Hospitalised
Insurance executive, community leader and former FNM candidate for
Fox Hill Fred Ramsey was taken ill last night and is now reported as "resting
comfortably" at Doctors Hospital. We join all those wishing for Mr.
Ramsey’s quick, safe and full recovery.
Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return
to the top of the page.
|
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK: The
former Prime Minister of The Bahamas and Leader of the Opposition Progressive
Liberal Party Perry Christie traveled to Guyana, the South American Caricom
country, on Friday 15th February to deliver an address at the Rotary Club
of Georgetown in the capital of Guyana. The theme was World Understanding
Day. To a capacity crowd, Mr. Christie encouraged the exchange of
ideas between the two countries, both Caricom members, saying that the
fact that they were at different ends of the region did not mean that they
could not share ideas and learn from each other. You may click
here for the full address. While in Georgetown, Mr. Christie
had an opportunity to renew acquaintances with the President of the Cooperative
Republic of Guyana Barrat Jagdeo at the presidential office. Accompanying
Mr. Christie in Guyana was the Opposition spokesman on Foreign Affairs
Fred Mitchell, the MP for Fox Hill. Our photo of the week is Mr.
Christie during the courtesy call with the President of Guyana. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
THE DEBATE ON CRIME
The
choice of the subject matter for the debate on Opposition Day in the House
of Assembly on Wednesday 13th February was that of the Leader of Opposition
business in the House of Assembly Dr. Bernard Nottage, the MP for Bain
and Grant Town. Dr. Nottage requested of the House a Select Committee
to inquire into all matters relating to crime in The Bahamas. The
government not surprisingly agreed. They even got one of the ‘snickerers’
who had been criticized in this column over the past week to be their lead
speaker on the motion and Bran McCartney made a surprisingly sober address.
Perhaps, they are learning that they are the government now.
The Committee will have a tough job. The fact is the crime
problem has been studied over and over again, over studied in fact.
But it is important for the country to see that its leaders are not simply
throwing their hands up in the air and refusing to at least engage in some
discussion over it, other than to point fingers at who politically is to
blame.
The Free National Movement administration led by Hubert Ingraham
has been singularly successful in doing nothing on this issue for the ten
months that they have been in office. They have in fact made the
problem worse. They scrapped the Urban Renewal programme, which was
designed by the PLP to intervene in communities to help make them safer
and create a sense of responsibility for their own security and safety.
They then destabilized the Police Force by putting someone who is not supported
by the Progressive Liberal Party in charge of it. Then they simply
sat and fiddled as the murder rate rose and the country seemed to disintegrate
into an orgy of violence. At one point in the first month of the
year, there were four murders in 24 hours.
In 2007, the FNM government outdid their record of 2000 when they
presided over 74 murders in the country. Their record “improved”
to 79 murders in 2007. Still, according to them there was nothing
they could do. It was simply a sign of the times. The Minister
of National Security seems helpless and hopeless.
There
is always some confusion in the issue of crime. When the FNM is in
Opposition, they like to say that the PLP is responsible for the crime
in the country. When they become the government, suddenly, crime
is not a political issue. They then appeal for all sides to come
together to help solve crime. No doubt, they had to walk the walk
instead of simply talking the talk when Dr. Nottage brought his resolution
on Wednesday 13th February. They knew the country was watching and
it would have been incredible if they had refused.
You would not expect however that it would go that smoothly.
It would take someone to spoil it. That someone was Prime Minister
Hubert Ingraham who decided to throw into the mix the question of the numbers
business in The Bahamas. He could not pin the murders on the PLP
so with a wink and a nod, he comes up with the fact that he had asked his
hand picked police commissioner why he could not enforce the laws on gaming
in The Bahamas and close down the web shops and casinos that are springing
up all over The Bahamas. The webs shops are the local equivalent
of the U.S. lotto shops in The Bahamas. You go in and buy a number
through the internet and if your number comes in, some web based operations
simply use the numbers of the Chicago lotto, then you get paid. Many
a nurse, maid, hotel worker get their extra money by playing what we call
in The Bahamas, the numbers.
Mr. Ingraham now says that he wants the law to be enforced or he
is going to pass a law to legalize the practice. We agree that the
laws on gambling ought to be changed. The Bahamas is still living
in the dark ages when it comes to gambling. The numbers racket has
flourished in The Bahamas for years. Some of the most prominent amongst
the owners of the numbers racket were supporters of the early PLP.
Some suspect that this practice happens today. So we have no doubt
that the real reason that Mr. Ingraham raised the subject was not part
of a genuine public policy effort but to get again at the PLP. He
is looking for support from a certain quarter, has been pressuring for
that support but so far he is unable to get it. So the idea is to
send a signal that the police are coming to get you. No more no less.
But
the PLP should take him up on the issue. The web shops should be
fully legalized, registered, licensed whatever you want to call it and
the government can get its tax take off the transactions. The
discrimination against Bahamians that prevents them from gambling should
be removed and all people over 18 ought to be able to gamble freely if
they wish in The Bahamas. The law that prevents that now from happening
is an anachronism from a different age that has simply outlived its usefulness.
In this regard, the Turks and Caicos have moved ahead of us.
But with all due respect to the Prime Minister, the question of gambling
in The Bahamas has little to do with the problem of crime and murders in
the country. The country has at its disposal an excellent statistician
in the person of the Chaswell Hanna at the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
He can tell you what the murder stats tell us. They tell us that
a great many of them are connected with domestic disputes: you step on
my toe so I shoot you. You take my girlfriend so I shoot you.
You don’t like how you are spoken to in school so you stab me.
The
latest focus on crime was in fact caused by the stabbing of a C.C. Sweeting
High School, student in broad daylight in the middle of the school day.
The country has a sense of panic, that its children are out of control
and they don’t know what to do. Yet Mr. Ingraham had no solutions
there. He simply remains adamant that the police will not be put
back into the schools and tried to defend that lunacy by saying that two
police officers were in the school when the C. C. Sweeting stabbing took
place. The PLP is not talking about two police officers randomly
in the schools but a policy of deliberately putting trained police officers
into the schools to deal with school security.
So we are happy that the matter of the Select Committee request came
up and has been agreed. We know that under Dr. Nottage's leadership
something will get done on this issue, but we also believe that the FNM
government led by Hubert Ingraham will never allow a PLP inspired report
to see the light of day. But the FNM must be shamed nonetheless into
doing something rather than the nothing that they presently do.
The members of the Committee are Bernard Nottage PLP, Chair; Frank
Smith PLP, Glenys Hanna Martin PLP, Kenyatta Gibson, Ind., Bran McCartney
FNM, Kwesi Thompson FNM.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 16th February 2008 up
to midnight: 243,815.
Number of hits for the month of February 2008 up to Saturday 16th
February 2008 at midnight: 600,761.
Number of hits for the year 2008 up to Saturday 16th February 2008
up to midnight: 1,936,051.
BIS photos / Peter
Ramsay
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
THOSE
GAMBLING LAWS
The President of the Bahamas Christian Council Bishop
John Humes has responded to the Prime Minister’s foray into the change
in public policy on the gambling laws. The Bahama Journal of Saturday
16th February reported that Bishop Humes said that the church is opposed
to expanding gambling or changing the law. He says that the present
law should be enforced. We disagree with the Bishop. The law
must be changed. But what we do add is that Mr. Ingraham was not
speaking to the church, neither does he intend to change the laws.
Mr. Ingraham was simply trying to find a way to sidestep the PLP’s success
in bringing the crime debate by raising a red herring. In that
sense the church should stay out of this fight because it really does not
concern them.
KEOD
OPPOSES MPS FOR PLP CHAIR
Former Member of Parliament for the Mt. Moriah constituency Keod Smith
has made it official. He is not standing for Chairman in the upcoming
election in the PLP. Mr. Smith did not say who he would support in
the upcoming race that will see MP Glenys Hanna Martin pitted against newcomer
Omar Archer and Elcott Colby, a member of the National Progressive Institute.
The announcement from Mr. Smith was standard fare save for his view that
he does not think that any sitting Member of Parliament should be Chairman
of the party.
ALSO
ON WHOSE RUNNING FOR PLP CHAIR
Obie Wilchcombe, the PLP MP for West End in published
remarks in the Bahama Journal reportedly said that Glenys Hanna Martin
is not a stalking horse for his leadership bid for the PLP. He said
that the report was a rumour designed to discredit him and Mrs. Hanna Martin
whom he supports. He said the matter had to be handled carefully.
The report appeared in the Bahama Journal of Saturday 16th February.
Mr. Wilchcombe said that he was supporting Mr. Christie for leader at the
convention.
CHRISTIE
ON GUYANA TOUR
Perry Christie, the former Prime Minister and now
Leader of the Opposition of The Bahamas visited Guyana from Thursday 14th
February to Sunday 17th February. While in Guyana, Mr. Christie spoke
to the Rotary Club of Georgetown (see photo of the
week). Mr. Christie, who served in the Caricom quasi Cabinet
as the lead Prime Minister for Tourism made an impassioned address for
Guyana to embrace tourism like The Bahamas as a way of creating a sustainable
future. He said that Guyana had the resources to attract tourists
to an eco experience. You may click here
for the full address.
Mr. Christie was accompanied on the visit by the
former Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell. On Saturday 16th February,
Mr. Christie was accompanied by his host former broadcaster Hugh Cholmondeley
to see Guyana’s interior and a new development being planned by investor
Stanley Ming. This included a trip to Fort Island to see the remains
of the first structures built by the original European (Dutch) settlers
to Guyana. Guyana has some 36O river islands in the Essequibo River.
Some islands are actually bigger than the island of Barbados (26 miles
by 14 miles). The photos of the country visit are by Al Dillette.
THE
CASE FOR PRIVATISATION OF BTC
The Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham has said that
he is proceeding with the talks to conclude the privatisation of the Bahamas
Telecommunications Corporation (Batelco or BTC). This is important
to all of us. The government has dragged its feet for far too long
on this matter. You will remember that Mr. Ingraham when he was last
in power spent well over one hundred million dollars trying to downsize
Batelco to make it fit for privatisation. Having spent this money
and created all kinds of ill amongst the staff when they were laid off,
Mr. Ingraham lost power. The effort to privatise foundered after
much delay during the PLP’s time. As the PLP was going out the door
they concluded a sale with Blue Water to sell the company. However,
they too lost power and did not complete the deal.
Now Mr. Ingraham after ten months back in office
has finally gotten around to it and says that he will complete the discussions
with Blue Water within 15 days. Part of that time has gone.
Enter into the picture the Privy Council. The Privy Council has now
disposed of the contentious litigation brought by Batelco against SRG d.b.a.
Indigo. Indigo, owned in part by the FNM’s favourites The Tribune,
has wanted to get into competition with Batelco in voiceover internet protocols
(that is voice communication over the internet). The Public Utilities
Commission gave them the green light to go ahead only to have Batelco stop
them by way of injunctive relief in the courts. The Privy Council has now
dismissed that action and Indigo is now free to enter the market.
The owner of Indigo said that this reaffirms that The Bahamas believes
in competition. We have made no bones about this.
We agree BTC needs to be privatized. We also
believe there needs to be competition. The cost of telephone service
is too high. The services offered are poor: poor voice lines on the
internet, poor internet service generally and too many unclear or dropped
calls on the cell system. Let’s hope that Indigo will help with that.
But we should allow all the other Caribbean carriers in here and U.S. or
German whatever if they want to come in. The fact is the lousy service
has to stop and with a little tweaking of the policy there should be lots
of equity opportunities for Bahamians with the new companies and even work
opportunities. Our only regret is that Indigo is owned by The Tribune.
We hope they fail for that reason but the principle is sound.
THE
COURT OF APPEAL MISSPEAKS
The Court of Appeal judgment in the matter of Samuel
Knowles against the Government of The Bahamas brought by the attorney of
Samuel Knowles against the government to order the return of Samuel Knowles
to the country is now available. Perhaps Dame Joan Sawyer, the President
of the Court of Appeal might check the website of the Court to ensure that
the website delivers what it promises because the judgment was not available
on its web site as of last Friday 15th February. However, the press
has published many of its expressions.
We have made the comment before; the Judgment comes
to the right result but for the wrong reasons. The Judges made pronouncements
on the actions of the executive that were not before it, that is the lawfulness
of the conduct of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General.
Arguments were not advanced on the proposition of whether not it was lawful
to remove Mr. Knowles from the jurisdiction. The comments then from
the court on this matter were not appropriate and as we have said in the
past may have endangered the lives of the individual ministers who were
then involved in the matter.
IN PASSING
PLP Convention Starts On Wednesday
The delegates are gathering and the excitement is building as the first
National Convention of the PLP in two years and since the defeat in 2007
begins at the Crystal Palace on Wednesday 20th February. Following
registration and a welcome by Party Chair Raynard Rigby, the Leader of
the Party will initiate a discussion on Election 2007 about what went wrong.
The convention will end with a prayer breakfast on Saturday 23rd February.
Ginn Warns About Crime
Bobby Ginn is the major investor, who came from Florida to West End
to sink billions into the ground. Mr. Ginn gave a press conference
in Grand Bahama last week to talk about his project in West End, Grand
Bahama. The project is going ahead despite the coming recession in
the United States. But Mr. Ginn said that he was concerned about
the problem of crime. He said that The Bahamas had to get on top of the
problem. He talked about the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Croix and
how crime had ruined the tourism product in St. Croix even though the crime
did not directly affect the tourists. Perhaps the Prime Minister
Hubert Ingraham would take note. Hubert Ingraham said in defence
of his government’s abysmal record on fighting murder in The Bahamas that
at least they are killing one another, referring to the number of murders
that are alleged to have been committed by drug dealers.
The report appeared in the Bahama Journal on Thursday 14th February.
Marina Pinder Dies
Former kindergarten school teacher at St. George’s Anglican Church
in the Valley Marina Pinder nee Culmer died last Sunday 10th February.
She was buried on Saturday 16th February following a service at St. George's
Anglican Church. Mrs. Pinder is survived by two daughters Dr. Francise
Pinder, Crystal Bethel, Craig and Andrew Pinder. Mrs. Pinder was
a close friend of the former Prime Minister Perry Christie whose brother
Gary read condolences on his behalf at the funeral. Mrs. Pinder was
also the kindergarten teacher of former Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell
who sent condolences. Both men were in Guyana on official business and
could not attend the funeral.
Former ACP Lawrence Major Passes Away
We reported on this site some weeks ago the presentation of the award
of the rank of Stalwart Councillor to former Assistant Commissioner of
Police and former Superintendent of the Prison Lawrence Major. The
presentation was made to Mr. Major on his sick bed by the Party’s Leader.
Mr. Major died last week and was buried on Saturday 16th February following
a semi military service at Bethel Baptist Church in Nassau. Mr. Major
is survived by his wife, five sons and five daughters. Dr. Bernard
Nottage MP for Bain and Grants Town spoke on behalf of the PLP in the absence
of party leader Perry Christie who was in Guyana. Dame Marguerite
Pindling, wife of the late Sir Lynden Pindling, former leader of the PLP
and the first Prime Minister, attended the service together with many former
PLP Ministers including former National Security Minister Darrell Rolle
and other MPs. The photo of Dame Marguerite, Sir Lynden’s widow and
Mr. Rolle at the funeral is by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information
services. May he rest in peace!
Poor Reporting In The Bahamian Press
We continue our critique of the press of The Bahamas and their poor
reporting. It was interesting to us that the major debate in the
House of Assembly took place on crime but none of the press actually said
who was appointed on the Committee to look into crime that was appointed
by the House of Assembly. We keep saying it, the fundamentals of
journalism have been forgotten: who, what, where, when and why in the first
paragraph.
Consuls General
The unconfirmed reports are that former Senator and former FNM candidate
Gladys Sands is to become the Consul General in Miami, succeeding Alma
Adams. Carl Smith, the Under Secretary in charge of the National
Emergency Management Agency, is to succeed Ed Bethel as Consul General
in New York.
PM Says Too Much Money On The Youth Service
Hubert Ingraham has a special talent for saying the most unfortunate
things. In today’s comment we spoke about how he wrecked Urban Renewal,
part of the PLP's long term plan to deal with crime. We also mentioned
elsewhere in the column how he said that at least the drug dealers are
killing each other. This was done to reassure the Bahamian public
that they were safe in the face of last year’s record 79 murders.
Mr. Ingraham has furthered the trash talk by saying that the PLP spent
too much money on National Youth Service. He said that he looked
at the figures and the money spent on the children in the programme as
established at Andros was too much per capita. That does not come
off well. The Prime Minister who is faced with crime in the country, crime
amongst youth, saying that his government is spending too much money on
young people. Great!
Former PM Speaking In Guyana
Former Prime Minister Perry Christie is shown in this photo taken in
Georgetown, Guyana on Friday 15th February when he spoke to the Georgetown
Rotary Club at their World Understanding Day observance. Mr. Christie
was presented with a special plaque by Club President Doodnauth Persaud
to mark the occasion of the speech. The photo is by Al Dillette.
George Bush In Africa
All American Presidents seem to do it. Suddenly as they end their
terms in office, essentially lame ducks without influence, they decide
that Africa must be on the agenda. So it is with George Bush.
He has now run off for a quick six day tour of Africa. No doubt this
will look good for the media, inspecting the guards of honour, African
Presidents meeting them at the airports. What will it actually mean
in policy terms, not much. We think that Africa must rely on its
own resources to get up off the ground and stop looking to the developing
world in what is essentially a relationship. The other
issue American Presidents always seem to start up in their last months
is trying to find a solution to the intractable Israeli / Palestinian conflict.
They have had no better luck. Mr. Bush has joined that line too.
While we hope for the best, history has not been kind to American presidents
in a similar position.
Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return
to the top of the page.
|
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK: The
Leadership and supremacy of the PLP by Perry Gladstone Christie has been
reaffirmed by the Progressive Liberal Party’s 50th annual convention.
Mr. Christie who had come under severe criticism from the governing Free
National Movement for his conduct of the government from 2002 to 2007 was
firmly and resolutely supported by delegates to the convention by acclamation.
His Deputy Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt was also re-elected by acclamation.
Their election took place on Wednesday 20th February when they were nominated
and no one opposed them. It only proves what we told the FNM in the
beginning. The business of who is leader of the PLP is not the business
of the FNM. It is the business of the PLP. Mrs. Pratt announced
that she would not be seeking re election to the House of Assembly in the
next general election. Our photos of the week show Mr. Christie as
he gave the final remarks at the PLP convention on Friday 22nd February.
The photos of the re-elected leader of the Progressive Liberal Party are
by Andrew Burrows. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
THE CONVENTION 2008
The
PLP can be forgiven if it gets carried away by the yellow pompoms, the
music, the drama, the speeches and the rah rah over the past week during
their 50th annual convention. No doubt, everyone left feeling good.
It was a good show on TV and radio and in the press. It appeared
that the party was together. The Leader was reaffirmed and the PLP
has for the first time a female as its Chair. On the face of it,
all is well and good. Many in the room seemed to think in the afterglow
of the convention that if elections were called today the PLP would go
sailing in: no changes, no reform, no amendments, just picking up where
the party left off in the disastrous year 2007.
That
of course will not happen. There is a long way to go it appears to
the next election, and it is still not clear to the public exactly what
the strategy will be to remove from power someone who in Hubert Ingraham
appears to be adept at the use of state power to consolidate his place
in history and in office. The problem is further compounded by the
fact that many PLPs seem to admire Hubert Ingraham and what he does.
Complimenting him as they do from time to time on what he does and how
he does it. Not so us, but the tendency is to relegate this column
and its comments to the fringe, even though we are inevitably one hundred
per cent correct in our political analysis.
Where
are we headed with this? The PLP cannot go to sleep and confuse a
successful convention with success at the polls. The reasons for
the loss of the government have little to do with organizing a convention
and more to do with a plethora of difficulties and ailments that simply
sagged the spirit of PLPs and caught us unawares.
We think that what happened last week was a good thing. There
should have been a convention. The public should still see that the
PLP can put one thousand or more enthusiastic supporters in a room and
say ‘PLP ALL THE WAY’. 
But
from that base, we must rebuild mass support. The party needs to
authorize and conduct a detailed study on why they lost and what they have
to do to address it.
The party has to do more than talk the language of change, it must
change. All of the speakers talked about the need to embrace youth
in the PLP but where is the evidence of that embrace? There
are some signals with a constitutional amendment that will give the Young
Liberals three seats on the Council of the PLP. The members of the
Progressive Liberal Action Network (PLAN) got two of their members elected
to office, after all the fighting just to survive in Freeport. Melissa
Sears, one of the new Vice Chairs made a smashing debut.
Glenys
Hanna Martin has now been elected Chair of the PLP. She will have
her hands full. The PLP is, to say it delicately, challenged to find
money. Money is the number one issue for the new Chairman, paying
off the bills and making sure that there is the income for the party to
survive. Secondly, it would seem that the branches are in need of
repair and retooling, the cadres in need of retraining and some kind of
centrality brought to the business of being PLP. Thirdly, the public
relations of the party and its very sense of self still seems to be not
what it should be.
The FNM has taken ten months trying to discredit the PLP. The
PLP has taken those same ten months trying to find its way. The PLP’s
convention was simply the first tentative step to correct it. 
The
PLP has a long way to go. The convention gave us a sense that there
is still some hope in the air, but the country now watches to see what
will happen. Its main lacuna was the fact that it did not deal with
succession planning. No organization can survive without a succession
plan. Avoidance behaviour is what got to the PLP into the stew it
now finds itself.
We congratulate the reaffirmed Leader of the PLP and all its new
leaders and wish them well as they do what they are supposed to do.
The Afrikaners were told in South Africa: “adapt or die”. We say
the same to the PLP.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 23rd February 2008 up
to midnight: 303,934.
Number of hits for the month of February up to Saturday 23rd February
2008 at midnight: 921,881.
Number of hits for the year 2008 up to Saturday 23rd February 2008
at midnight: 2,257,171.
Photos of PLP Convention
by Peter Ramsay
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
AND
THE WINNER IS…
Glenys Hanna Martin, the daughter of the Governor General
and the PLP MP for the Englerston constituency was elected in a fiercely
fought contest at the 50th Convention of the PLP. She defeated newcomer
Elcott Coleby; 423 votes for her to 299 votes for him.
Mrs. Martin is the first female Chair of the PLP.
She is a former Chair of the Women’s Branch of the PLP. In her statement
to the convention on Thursday 21st February following her victory, Mrs.
Martin said: “My message is short, and very simple. We are compelled
by our philosophical underpinning to remain faithful to our legacy.
It is a shining one of liberation and empowerment, and we are not simply
seeking power. We seek to unify by creating a place for us all to
gather in celebration of our country and our people.”
The candidate Elcott Coleby who lost to Mrs. Martin
congratulated her on her victory and noted the historic significance of
a woman heading the PLP for the first time. He said: “I caution
the party’s leadership to remain open-minded about making the necessary
structural and functional alignments to the organization, strengthening
the party’s public relations and effectively managing intra-functional
relationships as they position the PLP to regain the government of The
Bahamas. I encourage the party to leave no stone unturned as it seeks
to decisively address all critical areas of the party’s machinery… I encourage
Mrs. Hanna-Martin to consider the vision, plans, and objectives for reorganizing
the PLP as outlined in my platform.”
Photos by Peter Ramsay
OTHER WINNERS
Grand Bahama’s Progressive Liberal Action Network
(PLAN) seemed to have come out successfully in the PLP’s 2008 convention
at getting into the mainstream of the PLP. Two of the members of
the PLAN ended up being elected to offices in the PLP at its 50th annual
convention. They are Melissa Sears, whose maiden speech at the convention
wowed the audience. She is a lady to watch. The other is Patrick
Davis who was on the first count locked in a tie at 303 to 303 with fellow
PLAN member Kurt Neilly. Mr. Neely later withdrew to allow Mr. Davis
to take the position. Constance McDonald, former candidate for the
PLP in Grand Bahama, was also elected as a Vice Chair. Young Liberal
Darron Rodgers was elected a Vice Chair as well. Kenred Dorsett was
elected as Deputy Chair in a race against Judson Wilmott. Mr. Dorsett
succeeds PLP stalwart Irrington ‘Minky’ Isaacs who has been named Deputy
Chairman Emeritus. Mr. Isaacs is shown above receiving his plaque
of merit from Party Leader Perry Christie. Forrester Carroll, also
of Grand Bahama, was elected to the Leadership Council of the Party along
with Alex Storr, Ricardo Moncur and Kabrina Adderley. The PLAN was
formed after the last general election to rally public opinion in Freeport
for the PLP and to galvanize PLP support. There was some institutional
resistance to the PLAN but now their members are central to the party’s
efforts. It remains to be seen how the PLAN goes forward with its
mission from here now that its members are party officers. Some of
the new officers are shown at the convention's prayer breakfast finale
Saturday morning.
Photos / Peter Ramsay
PLP
LEADER ON THE ATTACK
The Free National Movement under Hubert Ingraham
has had a free run over the last nine months since the general election
in the media, to attack and denigrate Perry Christie as the leader of the
PLP. The PLP showed Mr. Ingraham better than they could tell him
by re electing him as Leader of the PLP by acclamation on Wednesday 20th
February. In a fiery address to the 50th annual convention of the
PLP on its final might, Mr. Christie attacked the FNM as being careless
and indecisive. He said that the FNM by delaying and stalling on
projects had caused the decline in the economy leading to increased unemployment
and lower growth in the economy. Here is some of what he said in
his own words:
“On the many major development projects, especially
in the Family Islands, we may have missed the boat already because of the
FNM’s carelessness and indecisiveness – yes, you heard me right because
that’s a word we used to hear a lot of from them when we were in government.
“So let me repeat it – because of the FNM’s carelessness
and indecisiveness we have missed the boat on a number of major projects
that will simply not happen anymore, or if they do happen, are getting
off to such a late start that we will never be able to achieve the full
benefits we could have achieved had the FNM not been pussy-footing around
these last nine months.”
“And if that’s not bad enough, the FNM has turned
its back on the Anchor Resort Policy that was so central to the economic
success of our country over the last five years.”
You may click here for
the full address.
Photos of Mr. Christie by Peter Ramsay
THE
WEEK THAT WAS
It was the week that was. Nothing beats the
Progressive Liberal Party in convention. Members of Parliament for
the PLP spoke and acquitted themselves well (see some photos above).
In some senses it was a gathering of old friends and the parties went on
into the wee hours. The press seemed to be captivated by the PLP
as the only show in town for the week. The pictures were legion in
the press and the show was carried by all the radio and television stations.
From the opening gavel on Wednesday 20th February to the last nail that
knocked on Friday 23rd February, a great time was had by all. There
were the old faces and the new faces. Please click
here for an essay of photos by Andrew Burrows from the convention.
Photos / Peter Ramsay; Obie Wilchombe photo / Andrew Burrows
FRED
MITCHELL ON INACTION IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Brent Symonette, the now Minister of Foreign Affairs
has proven to be even more ineffective than Janet Bostwick when she was
the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the last FNM government. No one
quite knows what it is that he does. There have been two trips to
Africa for The Bahamas to participate in world affairs and in each case
Mr. Symonette has chosen another Minister to go in his place. But
of course if there is a trip to meet one of the leaders of the developed
world he is busy making ready to leave and go.
Fred Mitchell the former Foreign Minister and now
Opposition spokesman on Foreign Affairs spoke at the convention of the
PLP on Friday 23rd February. He made the point that we now make that
it is curious that when it comes to Africa Mr. Symonette had no time to
deal with it. Mr. Mitchell scored other points against the FNM administration:
lack of action on the visa abolition agreement with the Schengen countries
of Europe; the attacks by the courts on the leader of the PLP; and the
legalizing of the numbers racket by Hubert Ingraham and the FNM.
You may click here for the full address.
The panel of pictures shows Mr. Mitchell in different flights of his address
in these photos by Peter Ramsay.
IN PASSING
Leanora Rodgers Dies
Former beauty queen in the days when it was Miss Nassau Leanora Rodgers
is dead. The funeral for Ms. Rodgers was held at St. Mary the Virgin
Anglican Church on Saturday 23rd February.
Dudley Byfield Dies
Journalist Dudley Byfield has died at his home in Freeport, Grand Bahama
after a protracted bout with prostate cancer. Originally from Jamaica,
Mr. Byfield rose to notable heights in the field of Bahamian journalism.
He was a former editor of The Nassau Guardian and of the Freeport News.
He also worked with The Bahamas Information Services.
Vincent D’Aguilar To Be Buried
He was the founder and proprietor of Super Wash, the major self laundering
service in The Bahamas. He served once as the President of the Chamber
of Commerce. His son Dionisio who succeeded him in the business is
now the President of the Chamber. Vincent D’Aguilar was also the
premier collector of Bahamian paintings from landscapes to abstracts.
No one had more. Mr. D’Aguilar died on Monday 18th February after
a bout with prostate cancer. He was 75 years old. His funeral
will be held at St. Francis Xavier’s Roman Catholic Cathedral on Wednesday
27th February at 4 p.m. The community of artists paid tribute to
Mr. D’Aguilar in the press, praising him for his commitment to them both
financially and in moral support. The country has lost a great Bahamian.
He is survived by his wife Marina and two sons.
Cutting Off Mother Pratt
She was in the middle of her address to the country at the PLP’s convention
on Wednesday 20th February when the publicly owned broadcasting station
ZNS decided that they had enough of the PLP and cut the coverage off in
the middle of the speech. Some blamed the PLP for always running
over time. But the fault is clearly the station’s; the fact is she
was the keynote speaker, the Deputy Leader of one of two major political
parties in the country. The notion that the PLP had to come up with
six thousand dollars to get half an hour of additional coverage and no
one being able to make a decision to extend the time seems ludicrous.
In fact, it is ludicrous that the PLP has to pay for coverage at all.
The fact is the content of the convention is a matter of public interest
and it should be the stations that pay the PLP for having the right to
cover it. Not the other way around.
New Mexican Ambassador
Mexico’s new Ambassador to The Bahamas Leonora Rueda is shown at Government
House following her presentation of credentials to the Governor General
Arthur Hanna on Thursday 21st February.
BIS / Peter Ramsay
Malcolm Adderley At The PLP Convention
Progressive Liberal Party MP for Elizabeth Malcolm Adderley who has
been the subject of considerable speculation in the press about his political
allegiance, attended the PLP‘s convention on the evening of Wednesday 20th
February.
Photo / Peter Ramsay
Three Murders For Mention
The Leader of the Opposition demanded in his address to the convention
on Friday 22nd February that the FNM government put the police back in
the schools. The FNM cancelled the PLP’s policy supported by the
then Commissioner of Police Paul Farquharson to put police officers in
the schools to help to quell the incidents of violence in the public schools.
Just this year there have been three murders of students, one off campus
in the heart of Nassau and two in February within or near the campus.
The students’ names are D’Angelo Cargill, 17 year old, 12th grade C.R.
Walker, shot down on Bay Street; Rico Farrington, 17 year old stabbed to
death at C.C. Sweeting High School; 17 year old Jameel Wilchcombe, student
of C.V. Bethel.
