Compiled, edited and constructed by Russell Dames Updated every Sunday at 2 p.m.
Volume 3 © BahamasUncensored.Com
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
THE HOUSE THAT EDWARD BUILT
(We
present a view of the many scenes of the funeral of Edward St. George -
editor)
Those who have read the novel ‘Taipan’ by James Clavell could not help but reflect that the Taipan of Freeport, Edward St. George was dead and now buried. He was the head of The Bahamas’ own version of Noble House, the fictional commercial house that controlled Hong Kong’s business in the novel. Edward St. George during his lifetime liked the comparison.
Those who troubled themselves to read his official biography (you may click here) will see a life of adventure from start to finish, his complicated family relationships, his lust for travel and business all over the world. He brought that lust and his considerable intellectual acumen to The Bahamas and made no doubt his finest contribution to the world here in The Bahamas.
For
the five thousand who attended and for the many thousands more who watched
on national television, the funeral service on Wednesday 29th December
2004 was one fit for a king. Edward St. George was even buried high
on a hill in a park newly created for the occasion. After it was
over, the guests were feasted with a sumptuous repast, all care of his
family.
His Grace, the Archbishop Drexel Gomez was there and personally celebrated the service assisted by his Archdeacon Keith Cartwright who has deep ties in Grand Bahama. The Cabinet of The Bahamas was there in force led by the Prime Minister. The former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham was there. Lady Pindling, the wife of the late Prime Minister Sir Lynden was also there. There were representatives of foreign governments. There was a message of condolence from Her Majesty the Queen.
The
church was represented by all the denominations. Archdeacon Cartwright
spoke of Edward in glowing terms as man who helped the poor, using as his
text the biblical injunction that if you do it to the least of these the
brethren you do it unto Jesus. The Ven. Rev'd Fr. Cartwright
said that Mr. St. George did not wear his religion on his sleeve.
His friends spoke. Jack Hayward, his partner and one of two survivors of what Sir Albert Miller, the Co Chair of the Grand Bahama Port Authority called “the three musketeers” spoke in his usual inelegant but humorous way. It was also moving as he fell into tears. He summed it all up by saying that he could not believe this was happening. He said he had been a partner of Mr. St. George for 44 years without a signature or a handshake. Edward St. George had made plenty of money for Jack Hayward. Albert Miller who was plucked into the orbit of the Port from a bad politically imposed ending at the Police Force saw his fortunes rise by his own partnership with Edward St. George. The city of Freeport prospered and dream after dream of its original founders came into fruition under Edward St. George.
Now
comes the hard part, keeping the thing going. Will the family do
like other families and immediately begin feuding with one another about
the shares left to them in this influential company? What will the
Government do? What role will Jack Hayward and his children play?
The Bahamians in the company jockeying for power and position, how will
they react? These are interesting times.
The Prime Minister has said that an era has come to an end. We agree and as we say farewell to a large presence over our country, let us thank him for helping to put our small country on the world stage and express our condolences to his widow and family.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 1st January 2005 up to midnight: 51,183.
Number of hits for the month of December up to Friday 31st December 2004 at midnight: 243,716.
Number of hits for the year 2004 up to Friday 31st December 2004 at midnight: 2,776,852.
1. Lady Henrietta St. George,
supported by her son Henry, walks with family members behind the coffin
of her late husband. Vision Photo/Tim Aylen2. Governor General Dame Ivy
Dumont, Prime Minister Perry Christie and Lady Marguerite Pindling follow
Anglican Archbishop Drexel Gomez and the casket of Edward St. George to
burial after the Taino Beach service in Grand Bahama. BIS - Vandyke
Hepburn.
2. Minister of State for Finance
James Smith, Leader of the Official Opposition , former Prime Minister
Hubert Ingraham and former Minister of Health Ronald Knowles sit in the
front row at the funeral.
3. Lady Pindling, Prime Minister
Christie and Dame Ivy backed by a host of Anglican Clergy and servers look
on as the burial proceeds. - Peter Ramsay
SAXONS WIN
The Junkanoo group known formally as the Shell Saxons Superstars have won
the annual Boxing Day Junkanoo parade in Nassau, held New Year's Day 1st
January. The Saxons rebounded handily from last year's defeat with
their portrayal of the 'Legends of Atlantis'. Onlookers - even those
supporters of other groups - seemed to agree that this year, in this parade,
the Saxons were head and shoulders above the rest. Long time rivals
the Valley Boys, finished a distant 4th place with the 'Many Faces of India'.
Saxons leader Percy 'Vola' Francis said the group
was "ecstatic" and credited "the whole package... we worked extremely hard
and spent quite a bit of money. We were different in our concept,
which was historical, educational. mythological, original, current, creative
and touristic; we had everything going for us."
Vola says the Saxons are looking for two straight
and promises a reprise of the original Saxons costume which gave the group
its name in 1965. The theme for the New Year's Day parade, he says,
will celebrate 40 years of Saxons 'The Invasion of the Saxons'.
The Boxing Day Junkanoo parade was named in honour
of Music Makers founder Sammy Thompson. The results and point standings,
which will remain unofficial for three days in order to allow for any disputes
which may arise, are as follows: 1st 2196 Saxons; 2nd 2166 One Family;
3rd 1977 Prodigal Sons; 4th 1939 Valley Boys; 5th 1798 Roots; 6th 1330
Music Makers. Nassau Guardian of the Saxons' impressive Boxing
Day parade entrance by Donald Knowles.
A
MESSAGE TO THE MISGUIDED GUARDIAN
The Nassau Guardian has now become the propaganda
arm of the Free National Movement it seems. First the stupid editorial
about the closing of the British Embassy here. (Click
here for previous story)
Now comes something even more silly, the call for
the resignation of Bradley Roberts, the Minister of Works in the face of
scurrilous allegations that he raped a woman. They do not know if
the allegations are true or untrue. No one has been charged in the
matter. Yet the Nassau Guardian says that the Minister ought to resign.
So that means that anyone can come and say that you committed some offence,
there can be no truth to it but because the police have to investigate
that means a Minister of the Government must step down. When it later
turns out the allegation is totally untrue what then has that done to a
person’s career. Doesn’t make any sense, and only the Nassau Guardian
could think of it.
Now the next thing: the Guardian claims that the
year 2004 was a year rocked by scandals and controversies for the PLP.
It seems to us that the year 2004 showed the reliability of the PLP to
get this country up and running in the face of two devastating hurricanes
back to back and still grow the economy with more jobs. The country's
revenue and economy took a huge hit, its people traumatized and displaced.
The PLP and its leaders rose quickly to the occasion. That is the
story of 2004. The so called scandals and controversies are largely
inventions of the press and exaggerations of the press. Yes some
bad things happened but we think in the main good was accomplished over
the last year.
To the Nassau Guardian we say: Bah Humbug!
Go blow it out your ear!
PLP
RESPONDS TO THE ACTION GROUP
The Action Group of the Free National Movement, the voice without attribution
of the Household of Senator Tommy Turnquest, was in the streets of New
Providence on Tuesday 28th December 2004 calling for the resignation of
Bradley Roberts as Minister of Works and that of the Deputy Prime Minister
Cynthia Pratt. Their logic was that the Minister of Works Bradley
Roberts stood accused of rape and had to go. Presumably it did not
matter whether the allegations were untrue. Then they went a bit
further into their theatre of the absurd by saying that the Minister of
National Security had to resign because (again without any evidence) the
Minister was handicapping the police from carrying out the investigation
into the allegation against the Minister of Works.
The Minister issued the following statement:
“I refer to my earlier statement to the press
when I stated that I was willing and prepared to co-operate fully with
the police in the investigation of the baseless and unfounded allegation
made against me. The matter has attracted much attention in the media.
To bring a quick resolution to this sad state of affairs and to bring relief
to the discomfort being caused to my family, colleagues, constituents and
friends, I voluntarily presented myself to the CDU of the Royal Bahamas
Police Force this afternoon and submitted to a full and frank interview
in response to the allegation. I answered each and every question
asked of me by the police.
“I reiterate that the allegation is baseless
and without merit. I am confident that I will be exonerated.”
In attacking the Minister, the FNM's Action Group
was only mirroring what its leadership had done when the story first broke.
They said that they were not saying the allegations were true but thought
the Minister ought to resign. This from the FNM political party that
sat back in its last days while scandal after scandal broke against them,
air-conditioning at the Ministry of Tourism, contracts at the Ministry
of Education, money going south at Bahamasair during their term and not
one Minister resigned. The Chairman of the PLP Raynard Rigby (pictured)
issued a statement calling on the Senator Turnquest to discipline his rowdy
and illogical supporters. We’ll see hell freeze over first but it
was worth a try by Mr. Rigby to bring some sense and sensibility to this
whole charade. You may click
here for the full statement by Mr. Rigby.
LESLIE
MILLER IS COOKING WITH GAS
The Minister of Trade and Industry Leslie Miller hit a home run last week
when he told the LPG dealers in Nassau to stop denying gas to the poor
housewives or face actions in the courts. That must have done it
because by Thursday 30th December, there was a meeting with the Minister
to settle the issue. The Minister got his way. The dealers
had their say. The price is still $65 dollars at the retail level.
There was some sleight of hand where the mark-up for the wholesalers was
allowed an additional $3 and that did the trick. Most of the dealers
are in fact importers. That means that while they cannot add anything
to the retail price, they are allowed an increase on the imported price,
and they get more money into their hands. Well done Mr. Minister,
and he even had the FNM’s bankroller and friend of former PM Hubert Ingraham
Alphonso ‘Bugaloo’ Elliott laughing on the front page with him. Yes!
Nassau
Guardian photo by Donald Knowles
HUBERT
INGRAHAM LEAVES THE HOSPITAL
We wish the former Prime Minister well in his recovery from the serious
issue which arose with the blockage of two of his arteries. The matter
was reported extensively on this site last week. He looks well and his
friends are saying that he has finally agreed to give up his two-pack a
day cigarette habit, and get some regular exercise and try to control his
diet. According to friends, he looked well at the funeral for Edward
St. George in Grand Bahama on Wednesday 29th December 2004, accompanied
by three doctors in tow. One was a gynecologist, the other a kidney
specialist, so presumably it was the third, the heart specialist who was
there in case there was any trouble. It looked quite powerful though.
Mr. Ingraham was shown on the front page of the Nassau Guardian being wheeled
out of hospital by his heart doctor Dr. Conville Brown on Tuesday 28th
December, 2004 accompanied by his wife. Ah the life of a pensioner!
ENA
HEPBURN’S FUNERAL
PLP Stalwart Councillor Ena Hepburn is to be buried
today as this site goes up. The service begins in half an hour at
2:30 p.m. at St. Agnes Church in Grant Town, New Providence. Ms.
Hepburn died in December 2004 at the age of 76. She had been suffering
from stomach cancer. She is survived by her children Athama Bowe,
Anthony F. Bowe, Cabrena Bowe-Adderley, Edith Ingrid Vanderpool-Bain; Daphne,
Fay, Mark and Kenneth Stubbs. Listed as amongst her good friends
in the obituary are Prime Minister Perry Christie and Minister of Foreign
Affairs Fred Mitchell. The Minister in his remarks at the funeral
will praise her for her political courage at a time when courage was all
the black community of The Bahamas had. You may click
here for the full remarks.
A
FOUL SMELL AT THE AIRPORT
The terminal for US Immigration and Customs pre clearance to the United
States of America at the Nassau International Airport had to be closed
for three hours and all persons evacuated after a smell ran through the
terminal on Wednesday 29th December 2004. The Airport Authority together
with the Ministry of Works discovered that the smell was coming from an
improper application of Freon gas by workmen who had serviced the system
or so it is believed. The matter was solved and the flights resumed.
It brings into question however, the need for effective policing of this
important facility for our country, and the proper management of the airport.
Bahama
Journal photo of travellers outside the evacuated airport terminal.
CANCELLING
CHRISTMAS?
This year the Minister of Culture Neville Wisdom swore that there would
be no Junkanoo controversy. Everything seemed to have been done right.
No controversy over the price of the bleachers, no complaints about the
prices of the tickets. The judging situation seemed to have been
solved. The merchants were happy with the arrangements of the bleachers
so that it would not adversely affect their sales. The Junkanoo bands
were happy that their representatives would be in charge of the judging,
so presumably there would be no cries of cheating and a repeat of the fiasco
last year which took Paul Adderley, former AG as a special judge to sort
out. No such luck. The Minister must have thought to himself:
“Did I rob the church?” The weather intervened with winds in gusts up to
30 miles per hour in the early hours of Boxing Day morn. This was
the threshold beyond which the rule says that Junkanoo has to be cancelled.
The parade was cancelled, and there was a meeting of the minds for over
five hours. Then it was decided that Junkanoo for Boxing Day would
be held on 1st January 2005 and the New Year’s Junkanoo on 7th January.
The public did not like it. They said that many people had travelled
here just for Junkanoo. There were cries for refunds of tickets.
The public thought they should have had a say. They made noises that
the Prime Minister and the Minister had conspired to protect the Valley
Boys since that group was first out in the parade and not ready.
Such is the life of a Junkanoo Minister. The parade went on fine
yesterday, Saturday 1st January. What more can you do? The
Bahama Journal's Omar Barr captured these Saxons returning a junkanoo piece
to their shack to escape the wind on Boxing Day morning. At right,
The Nassau Guardian's Donald Knowles shows Bay Street's empty bleachers
on Boxing Day morning.
FOREIGN
MINISTER ON THE TSUNAMIS
Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell spoke from Grand
Bahama to express condolences to those who suffered the devastating
losses in the tidal wave that struck the Far East last Sunday. There
are over 120,000 dead as a result, and the property damage is extensive.
The Minister said that The Bahamas would act through the Commonwealth to
try to help. The Minister also said that The Bahamas is planning
an official visit to that area as a member of the Commonwealth Ministerial
Action Group at the end of January. The persons who are drivers for
the embassies of The Bahamas in all missions except Miami are all from
Sri Lanka and one of them, Hurley Senanayake, lost family members in the
tidal wave. The Minister has expressed condolences to Mr. Senanayake
and a fund has been started at the Ministry to provide financial assistance
to him.
FOREIGN
MINISTER TO GUYANA AND TRINIDAD
The Minister of Foreign Affairs will leave The Bahamas
from 4th January to 8th January 2005 for the meeting of the Council of
Foreign and Community Relations, the body that governs Caricom outside
of the Head of Government's conference. The heads are to meet in
Suriname in February of this year. The Ministers will set the agenda
for that meeting. The Minister will also stop in Trinidad and Tobago
on his return home for meetings with the Bahamian student community in
Trinidad.
A
YOUNG MITCHELL WITH THE PM
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell had been
in Grand Bahama bonefishing and stayed over for the funerals of Charles
Sealy and Edward St. George. Accompanying him was his nephew Denair,
the third son of his brother Matthew. The Prime Minister took time
to pose for this photo with the younger Mr. Mitchell, telling the younger
Mitchell that his uncle must make him a Rhodes scholar and that one day
he could say that because they took the photo together, that was the spark
which ignited his success.
ALAN
JONES DIES
26 year old Alan Jones has died after battling kidney
disease. He was cremated before a memorial service held 31st December
at Christ Church Cathedral. Mr. Jones was a well liked photographer
at The Tribune and his colleagues all turned out to pay their last respects.
The memorial was also attended by members of the press generally.
He is survived by his parents Christine and Robert Jones and Ron Jones,
grandmothers Ernestine Jones and Diana Casselman; brother Spencer Jones
and sister Melissa Jones. Mr. Jones was a member of the press fraternity
in The Bahamas and we shall miss him. Photo - Donald Knowles
THIS
WEEK WITH THE PM
Prime Minister Christie led a high level delegation of government ministers
attending the funeral of Edward St. George in Freeport this past week.
Bahamas Information Services' Dudley Byfield interviewed Mr. Christie about
the life and times of Mr. St. George in The Bahamas.
FREEPORT -- Prime Minister Perry Christie reflecting on the impact of
the Late Mr. Edward St. George on Freeport and The Bahamas and the legacy
which his passing has left, described him as “One institutional kind of
person”.
Mr. Christie related a recent story about of Mr.
St. George, noting, “Just around the time of the container strike, the
industrial action at the container port, I found Edward St. George in Hong
Kong on the way to Beijing, and I said to him, ‘Edward, don’t you think
you have been at this too long? Here you are around the world, on the other
side, still working hard, hard, at your age. Why don’t you relax?’
“He said to me, ‘No, my friend, all for Freeport.’ And then he said, ‘If
I had been in Freeport, it wouldn’t have happened.’ ”
Mr. Christie said that indicated to him somebody who was terribly committed,
totally committed; someone who was giving all that he had, even to the
detriment of his health.
“...he spoke about how he would wish to see Freeport
after he had passed, again thinking of succession and beyond – this tremendous
commitment to the continued development of Freeport, Grand Bahama, and
The Bahamas.
“His connectivity was to all elements in our society,
as evidenced by his total understanding of urban renewal when I introduced
and established it; his encouraging its introduction to Grand Bahama, and
his supporting it materially with resources as well as moral support to
it.
“He had this tremendous sense of humour. He said,
‘Listen, I have always been a PLP, except for 10 years.’
As to what he thought Mr. St. George’s legacy would
be, Mr. Christie said: “It is possible in a country, for someone who was
not born in that country, notwithstanding race, notwithstanding cultural
differences, to become a part of the landscape and become, so to speak,
without citizenship, nevertheless, someone who regarded and treated The
Bahamas as his home, and whose love for the nation, by what he did, is
unquestioned. Prime Minister is pictured at left with some of the many
residents of Grand Bahama who attended the funeral of Edward St. George
in this BIS photo by Vandyke Hepburn.
HURRICANE
RELIEF CONTINUES - Prime Minister Christie and Minister of State for
Finance James Smith continued this week to accept donations to the national
hurricane relief fund. Visiting the Office of The Prime Minister
was a youth group from the Pinewood constituency of Minister Allyson Maynard
Gibson who presented a donation, then stayed on to witness a similar presentation
by the former US Ambassador to The Bahamas Sidney Williams.
GOODBYE SMOKEY - Well known Bahamian entertainer Leroy 'Smokey
007' McKenzie was buried this week. after services at the Golden
Gates Assembly church on Carmichael Rd. Prime Minister Christie is
shown addressing the congregation.
Bahamas Information Services photographs by Peter Ramsay (except
where noted)
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
THE DECISION
Nothing has dominated the news more in the past week in The Bahamas
than the allegations, the investigations into an alleged sexual assault
by the Minister of Works Bradley Roberts. The news broke when the
people who concoct slime at The Punch made an allegation calling the Minister
by name, and quoting extensively from what appeared to be a complaint made
to the police. In retrospect, the wiser course would have been to
sue The Punch immediately for libel.
The matter was compounded when the lead investigator into the matter Assistant Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson confirmed to the press that there was such an investigation into such a complaint. He also said that no one dictates to the police how quickly they conduct their investigation.
The Free National Movement entered the fray without any evidence calling for the Minster to resign. The supposed attorney for the complainant one Wallace Rolle was feeding the matter as well, in a most un-lawyer like way, by suggesting that the police were derelict in their duties and being influenced politically. There was no evidence offered to support that conclusion.
The Minister himself spoke to the press and denied such an event calling it absurd.
With all of that the mainstream press was free to speculate, comment, allege, interview; and they did, feeding a frenzy in the country that is unseemly. The international press has taken up the gauntlet with unvarnished reports overseas of the allegation as if it were fact that has e-mails crisscrossing the world, with all the attendant negative comments about The Bahamas.
The PLP as it should stood by the Minister. The view of the Party is that no charges in a court of law have been made and so any call or talk of resignation is premature. We support that view.
The Commissioner of Police held a press conference on Wednesday 5th January to say that their investigation was at an end and that the matter had been referred to the Attorney General’s office for a decision. The next day the Attorney General Alfred Sears confirmed the Commissioner’s statement but said that a further review was being conducted by the Director of Public Prosecutions in his office. The AG said he would properly advise the country when he has decided to exercise his discretion in the matter.
Those are the facts, as we know them. Anything else is in the realm of speculation.
The Opposition Free National Movement through its Chairman Carl Bethel on Friday 7th January 2005 was quick to condemn the Attorney General and the Police for not conducting the investigation more quickly. He even went further and said that the AG should not have said anything at all.
The FNM can't have their cake and eat it too. What Mr. Bethel is arguing is that the FNM can whip up hysteria in the country over this, but the Government must be silent in the face of that public hysteria. He must think again.
There is much talk about violations of the code of ethics. Where precisely is the violation of the code of ethics? No one has said and no one can point it out. There is no evidence of such a violation. In what conflict of interest situation does Mr. Roberts now find himself?
The PLP’s leadership is no doubt aware of the swirl of public discussion in the face of lots of unsubstantiated allegations that are in the public domain. Everyone, in every house and in every bar has an opinion. God Bless them! They are entitled to it. The PLP, the Government has an obligation to act on the facts. One does not simply dispense with a Cabinet Minister on unsubstantiated rumour, or on allegations that may be false. Even the FNM does not think the PLP is that stupid.
As for any moral questions which eventuate as a result of alleged conduct; proximate issues that might arise, those are for the church, and once they do not impinge on the conduct of public business are not for the arena of the Government. Would to God all of us were blameless in our lives both public and private.
This then is a time for more silence and circumspection, more than ever. Certainly all the public figures in this matter and we say ALL should hold their tongues. There is no need for anyone to say anything more until the Attorney General has decided whether or not charges are going to be preferred and even then there must be great circumspection and humility whatever the decision.
The allegations are serious. The Minister, the Government, the PLP all know they are serious, and know that whatever happens, there will have to be a fight for the hearts and minds of Bahamians given the swirl of negativism that has arisen over these allegations. You don’t get to be a governing party, 51 years old without knowing how to keep your ears to the ground. Come what may, we believe that the PLP is very much up to the task. The PLP must win in 2007, remembering why they won in 2002 and building on the confidence that people reposed in them in that year that they know how to do the right thing and will always do the right thing.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 8th January 2005 at midnight: 76,739.
Number of hits for the month of January up to Saturday 8th January 2005 at midnight: 83,301.
Number of hits for the year 2005 up to Saturday 8th January 2005 at midnight: 83,301.
TOO
EARLY FOR JACKASS OF THE YEAR
Carl Bethel really tests the patience of the intelligent. One wonders
what does it say about a country like The Bahamas that it can produce as
a national leader someone so obviously politically perverse. It appears
that any crazy political idea that he has the FNM allows him to project
it on the national stage. He just has no logic.
On Friday 7th January, Mr. Bethel in his inimitable
way called a press conference to make amongst others the following points:
the police did not question Bradley Roberts quickly enough and so their
investigation was not a proper one; the Attorney General by announcing
that the decision had been referred to him not to prosecute by the Commissioner
of Police was pressuring his staff to agree with the Commissioner.
Further, sitting on the left side of Mr. Bethel in the Nassau Guardian’s
photo of Saturday 8th January was Johnley Ferguson, a former candidate
for the FNM and the brother of the Assistant Commissioner of Police Reginald
Ferguson. It was that same Reginald Ferguson who told the press that
no one dictates to the police how quickly their investigations should be
done.
Increasingly one simply has a problem responding
to this stuff by Mr. Bethel. It is just so patently stupid, so patently
illogical. What does one say? The constitution gives the Attorney
General the total discretion over prosecutions. So if he is asked
by the press do you have the matter and what does the decision say, does
he deny it and does he refuse to say? All that Mr. Sears did was
confirm what the Commissioner of Police had said the day before.
As for the police, is Mr. Bethel questioning the
integrity of the Commissioner? The last time we saw such a thing
was when Mr. Bethel’s former boss Hubert Ingraham took over the investigation
of two murders that occurred on Paradise Island for which a Bahamian was
eventually convicted. It had implications for tourism so the then
Prime Minister called a press conference to announce that it could not
have been a Bahamian who committed the murder, and he had the Commissioner
of Police sitting like a school boy mute on the side of him at the press
conference. A Bahamian was later tried and convicted of manslaughter
on one of the charges.
Political writers at that time called the then PM
and his Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson, Inspector Ingraham and Sgt.
Watson. It is the FNM's way to pressure the police. Perhaps
that is why they are so quick to charge the PLP because they think that
is the only way. The beauty of this is that the PLP does not work
that way.
EVERETTE
ARCHER IS BURIED
Stalwart Councillor Everette Archer was buried on
Friday 7th January at Lake View Memorial Gardens after a funeral service
conducted at Salem Baptist Church by Rev. Dr. Charles Saunders. Mr.
Archer was 63. Mr. Archer’s premature death to cancer was a blow
to many in the PLP. During the time that Hubert Ingraham was in office,
Mr. Archer one of the sons of Marsh Harbour, Abaco kept up the fight for
the PLP in that Marsh Harbour. He even returned home to build a small
hotel business. Mr. Archer’s support of Prime Minister Perry Christie
as Leader of the PLP led to the present success that the PLP now enjoys.
The PLP has lost a great son. BIS Photo - Peter Ramsay
REGIONAL
AIRLINES IN TROUBLE
The Board of Directors of Bahamasair, this nation’s
national flag carrier, should feel that they are in “good” company as the
airline freefalls into public criticism and vituperation. Over the
Christmas holidays, the staff were abused, cursed, the airline attacked,
the passengers were frustrated by delay after delay, lost baggage.
Some visitors to the country were left without their bags for days.
Some lost two days of their holidays trying to get to points within The
Bahamas. It was a mess. In the meantime, there was hardly an
explanation by the management of the airline for the problems. One
got the impression that the staff at the counter were left to act on their
own.
Meanwhile down in the Caribbean, Air Jamaica’s private
shareholder Butch Stewart, a successful businessman in tourism and hotels
threw in the towel and the Government of Jamaica is now once again fully
the owner of Air Jamaica. Mr. Stewart has lost his total investment
of 25 million dollars US. The airline has accumulated losses of $620
million dollars US, $90 million from last year alone. They have announced
that staff at the senior level will take voluntary pay cuts. They
have announced that planes will have to be returned and routes cut.
This is a desperate effort to save the airline, which Jamaica considers
vital to its tourism industry.
In Trinidad and Tobago, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs Fred Mitchell complained that on BWIA he has had variously four
delays in each of his last four trips to the region: the first for fifteen
hours, the second for seven hours, the third for three hours, and the last
for eight hours. Again, no explanation from the airline, not even
an apology. The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Patrick Manning
seemed at the end of his rope when he told the airline they have 30 days
to get their house in or the airline will be wrapped up. No one believes
him. Such a move would be a challenge to the move by Trinidad and
Tobago to be the headquarters for FTAA where they have promised that they
will provide the air links to their capital city.
In the U.S. a price war is starting with Delta airlines
desperate to save itself cutting fees by up to sixty percent. U.S.
Airways lost thousands of bags over the Christmas holidays. Comair
lost its reservations system and had to cancel flights. Seems like
turbulent times ahead. What the Board of Bahamasair should take comfort
in is this fact; any notion that they can successfully run Bahamasair in
the sense of making it profitable is not to accept the truth. While
they have done a creditable job in improving where Bahamasair once was,
there has to be another way.
THE
NASSAU GUARDIAN’S PROPAGANDA
The lead effort against the PLP and Bradley Roberts
during the past two weeks of manufactured scandal and controversy has been
from the Nassau Guardian. They have written front page piece after
front page piece in which they indicate that the Code of Ethics of the
Prime Minister has been broken. Their newspaper has fed the rumour
mill with extensive interviews with the lawyer for the complainant in the
matter against Bradley Roberts. They have also written an editorial
calling for Mr. Roberts to resign, then another one to say that the Prime
Minister must do the right thing. In this they have fallen into the
same trap as the Free National Movement. They base their arguments
on an alleged violation of the Code of Ethics.
If one exams this Code of Ethics, you will see that
there is nothing that has been broken in the code. The Code speaks
only to ethics, not to moral behaviour. The Code was designed to
deal only with situations where a Minister’s private motives and business
conflict with his public business. In this situation, the Code does
not arise. That is why the FNM had to hang its hat on what its hapless
Chairman called “the spirit of the code”.
Cedric Moss, the Pastor, is the only one who has
actually examined the Code and found that we are right. However,
he argues that it is time to amend the Code and include acts of adultery
as part of the moral behaviour that would lead to a Minister’s resignation.
Most people would think that goes too far. The business of Government
is about public behaviour. Once that public conduct in office is
honourable, acceptable then that is where we draw the line. Certainly,
one does not condone behaviour that is immoral but that gets too much into
the personal lives of people who have a right to privacy in our law and
in our traditions. The personal peccadilloes are for God and the
persons.
When the private behaviour becomes a matter of impinging
on the public conduct, and by this we mean when a criminal charge has actually
been brought, then it is the time for the Minister to go. So if there
is a charge in the present circumstances, it is clear what should happen.
The Nassau Guardian though is quite worse than The Tribune and should be
thoroughly ashamed of themselves for this.
TSUNAMI
RESPONSE
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell revealed to the country that
the Caribbean governments have each decided that they will go their own
individual ways when it comes to contributions to tsunami relief.
The Bahamas is still formulating its position. The Minister said that having
consulted with other Caribbean delegations, The Bahamas was of the view
that it would start a fund with a major Government contribution and then
invite others from the private sector to contribute. This is the
approach that is being taken in other Caribbean countries.
Jamaica has announced a donation of $250,000 US,
Trinidad and Tobago, two million dollars US, Guyana $50,000 US. The
Minister also said that a comprehensive proposal for the establishment
of an early warning system has been mooted by Caricom and the cost would
be in the vicinity of five million dollars. The plan includes early
warning for such an eventuality and also public education. The Minister
said that all the evidence is, however, that while the Caribbean is a volcanic
region the probability of such an event like the one in Asia happening
is not high.
WAS
THAT JUANIANNE THAT WE SAW?
The Free National Movement’s defeated candidate
in Fox Hill Juanianne Dorsett appeared in a picture with the Chairman of
the Free National Movement on Saturday 8th January in the Nassau Guardian.
The FNM has been casting about for a new candidate for Fox Hill but has
reportedly been unsuccessful, so they have now decided it is said to ask
Mrs. Dorsett to come back and run again against Fred Mitchell, the Minister
of Foreign Affairs. Well, round two! Nassau Guardian photo by
Patrick Hanna
INTERNET
AND WEB CAFES
If you are a tourist in The Bahamas don’t be fooled by the signs, which
read INTERNET AND WEB CAFÉ. Those establishments have nothing
to do with getting computer time on the Internet. They are gambling
houses. The people who sell numbers in The Bahamas use these houses
to get around the laws of The Bahamas which require papers to bust you
for selling numbers. The racket has flourished and flourished.
Sometimes you look through the windows into these establishments and there
is a long line in front of a one way glass like you are in a bank.
Policemen, preachers, nurses, lawyers and hotel workers are amongst those
high and low who buy numbers at these houses. Percy’s Web Café
was raided by the police during the past week. They took away equipment
and one wonders whether charges will be brought. The public was angry.
A crowd gathered outside the establishment hurling insults at the police
for in their words wasting time. We believe that gambling should
be legalized for Bahamians and that the proceeds should be extensively
taxed. Hmmm! Police officers load confiscated computer equipment
from Percy’s Web Café into a vehicle in this Bahama Journal photo
by Omar Barr.
UBIQUITOUS
RON PINDER
TALKING
HEALTH - Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health Ron Pinder turned
up in Freeport, Grand Bahama recently. Mr. Pinder was championing
the cause of apartment residents whose water had been disconnected by landlords.
"Unsanitary" said the seemingly ever present Mr. Pinder. He is pictured
here in this Freeport News photo by Navardo Saunders discussing the dispute
between management and tenant/owners of Sea Sun Manor Condominiums on the
Mall Drive during a press conference at the Government complex in Freeport.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
A HIGHER STANDARD
“I am behind in my reading but I want to respond
to an article in last week’s
column even if it means bringing public attention to my own situation.
“We find it amazing that an allegation of rape
can be brought against a minister of the government and based simply on
the minister’s denial of the allegation the minister can continue in office.
We understand that the minister has not been charged with an offense but
shouldn't he be held to a higher standard than you and I. We are
employed as a claims officer at the National Insurance Board. We
were suspended on November 11th, 2003 after false charges of Indecent Assault
were laid against us in the Magistrate’s Court at Fresh Creek, Andros.
We remain on suspension pending the outcome of the case which was committed
to the Supreme Court on July 26th 2004.
“What we are accused of allegedly happened on
my personal time but because we are employed at NIB we are subjected to
the policies and regulations of our employer, the Board, who requires that
we are suspended once we have been charged with a criminal offense. To
whom or to what is the minister accountable? There must be some policy
or guidelines that govern cabinet ministers. You speak of conventions,
but whose conventions are you talking about? Certainly not the Westminster
conventions.”
Vaughn N.P. Scriven
The difference is that charges were laid in court against you. In Mr. Roberts’ case, this is in the realm of speculation. – Editor
Airport Observations
“I could not agree more with your observations
about the airport. This was a point of emphasis during my tenure as
Ambassador. There seems to be a problem maintaining a reliable level of
security at the airport. Please do not forget the sarin gas used by terrorists
in Japan is colorless and odorless. Significant amounts of sarin were produced
by Iraq and the disposition has never been determined. Did we dodge a bullet?
Who knows but something must be done about security. There should also
be no doubt the Bahamas has moved up on the target list of terrorist organizations
with the destruction brought about to the tourist destinations by the tsunami
in the far east. Happy New Year to all.”
Ambassador J. Richard Blankenship
The writer is a former Ambassador of the United States to The Bahamas.
– Editor
MAUREEN
DUVALIER STARS
The New Year's Day Junkanoo Parade, held Friday 7th and Saturday 8th
January this year, was named in honour of Maureen Duvalier MBE, acknowledged
as the first woman junkanoo. 78 year old Ms. Duvalier wowed the crowd
in Rawson Square with a spirited performance, which belied her age.
Ms. Duvalier says she has never missed a junkanoo parade. The groundbreaking
performance by Maureen Duvalier and her women's junkanoo group took place
in 1958. This time, she is pictured in this Peter Ramsay photo performing
for the crowd. Thinking of the current debate on national honours,
we recalled a not-too-distant ceremony where Ms. Duvalier was invested
with the unlikely and incongruous designation of 'Member of the Most Excellent
Order of the British Empire'. At the time, Prime Minister Perry
Christie lauded the memorable sight of her "resplendent in her Junkanoo
costume", as a "wonderful manifestation at a time when it was not generally
considered to be socially correct to do such things." BIS Photo
- Peter Ramsay
THE
INIMITABLE LEONORA
Leonora Rodgers, former Miss Bahamas is shown alighting
the steps of the Christ Church Cathedral following the funeral of her brother
Andre Rodgers in December. Ms. Rodgers who is known for her unusual
outfits captured the imagination and photo eye of photographer Peter Ramsay
in this shot.
THIS
WEEK WITH THE PM
The Thompson Quintuplets are famous black quintuplets who are being assisted
by the Dubois Foundation headed by Dr. the Hon. C. Delores Tucker.
Dr. Tucker's institute earlier this year honoured Prime Minister Christie
with the Distinguished Leadership Award at a banquet in Washington, D.C.
The Prime Minister, who took an interest in the quintuplets, invited them
to The Bahamas for a trip to Eleuthera, with which they have ancestral
ties. Mr. Christie and Minister of Social Services Melanie Griffin
are shown at right greeting the quintuplets at Nassau International Airport
on their way home to Atlanta.
COB'S
PORTIA SMITH STUDENT SERVICES BUILDING -- Prime Minister Perry Christie
is among the dignitaries as Bishop Michael Eldon (in wheelchair) Chairman
Emeritus of the College of The Bahamas blesses the institution's new student
services building. The building is named for the former COB Assistant
Vice President of Administration and Student Services who died in 1998,
but who was credited with championing the project. "It was she who
dreamed of and lobbied constantly for a dedicated student services facility,
and here we are today," said COB president Dr Rodney Smith. Portia
Smith's widower, Minister of State for Finance Senator James Smith unveiled
a plaque in honour of his wife, saying "It was a tremendous honour for
person like Portia, who was committed to her job." The plaque described
Mrs Smith as having had "formidable intellect" and having given "determined
attention" to enhancing the effectiveness of student services. Nassau
Guardian photo of the building.
FANS
- At New Year's Day junkanoo, it was hard to tell who were the fans
and who were the heroes in this shot of Bahamian basketball star Rick Fox
with Prime Minister Christie and Minister of Sports Neville Wisdom.
Mr. Christie is a great fan of the Los Angeles Lakers for whom Mr. Fox
played and Minister Wisdom is a die-hard fan of all Bahamians in sport.
The trio are engrossed in conversation while waiting for the next junkanoo
group to pass on Bay St.
EVERETTE ARCHER HONOURED - The Stalwart Councillor Everette Archer (see story above) lay at the Sir Lynden Pindling Centre at the Progressive Liberal Party's Gambier House headquarters this week as his political colleagues gathered in sorrow at his passing. Prime Minister Christie is shown comforting Deann Archer, the bereaved widow after a ceremony of honour and mourning.
VISITING LAW LORD - Chief Justice Sir Burton Hall (left)
and British Law Lord, the Rt. Hon. Lord Hope Of Craighead (right), pose
for this photograph during a courtesy call on the Prime Minister.
Lord Hope was feted to a reception with the legal community in Nassau during
his visit by Attorney General Alfred Sears.
Bahamas Information Services photographs by Peter Ramsay (except
where noted)
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
DODGING A BULLET
On Tuesday 11th January 2005, the woman who accused Bradley Roberts
the Minister of Works of rape went into the Attorney General's office with
a new lawyer Anthony McKinney, and signed a voluntary statement that she
was withdrawing the charges unconditionally and without fear or favour.
That is the end of that. It is now left to the pundits and the Opposition
to quarrel over whether or not this or the next should have happened.
This column said all along that the matter was one where people were seeking
to prejudge, and imagine if the Minister had actually resigned in the face
of these outrageous allegations. In retrospect we say again, The
Punch should have been sued from day one. A bunch of louses.
One wonders what the hapless Carl Bethel, Chairman of the FNM, has to say now that he has egg all over his face. It is good that Senator Tommy Turnquest his leader stayed out of the matter. What surprised us was the comment of Sir Arthur Foulkes who acknowledged in his column of 11th January that allegations are easy to make. He also acknowledged that one can’t encourage every crackpot to come forward causing a Minister to resign. But then he sought to stretch his logic by suggesting that when “serious” allegations are made, the Minister ought to step down. He concluded also that if Mr. Roberts did not step down, then the other Ministers should step down lest they adopt the scandal. All of this is bad logic.
Now that there is no case and we said so from the beginning, what does Arthur Foulkes say now? He would have had the whole Cabinet resign over an allegation from someone who may have been mentally unstable, politically motivated, pushed by a foreign operative who should be thrown out of this country, manipulated by her lawyer for his own publicity, led by the psycho babble counsellors who are supposed to be protecting her rights. Sir Arthur said that the whole cabinet ought to resign if Mr. Roberts didn’t resign.
It is always best then to react with caution when dealing with these subjects. Discretion is the better part of valour. The fact is that the only objective way to deal with whether an allegation is serious or not is if the police charge you with an offence. The police did not. They also said that they were not inclined to prosecute. The Attorney General and his professional staff in light of the police advice, their own review and the withdrawal by the complainant, have all decided there was no case.
Congratulations to Mr. Roberts and go now and continue to do the good work that you are doing for the Bahamian people.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 15th January 2005 at midnight: 73,740.
Number of hits for the month of January up to Saturday 15th January 2005 at midnight: 157,041.
Number of hits for the year 2005 up to Saturday 15th January 2005 at midnight: 157,041.
THE AG’S
STATEMENT
On Tuesday 11th January 2005, the virtual complainant in the matter of
an alleged sexual assault by Minister of Works Bradley Roberts walked into
the office of the Attorney General Alfred Sears (pictured) and withdrew
her complaint in writing. She was accompanied by Attorney Anthony
McKinney. The Attorney General issued a statement, which was reported
in the press on Wednesday 12th January 2005. It contained the following:
“The virtual complainant was interviewed by the
Director of Public Prosecutions and the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions
who were both satisfied that the virtual complainant was making a voluntary
withdrawal of the allegation of rape against Minister Bradley Roberts.
“[The statement of the AG contained an excerpt
from the letter of the virtual complainant] ... My decision to withdraw
the allegation is not based or due to any payment made to me or any offer
to pay me in the future. My decision is made of my own free will
without any pressure, duress or undue influence.
[The AG said that the withdrawal was in “clear
and unequivocal terms”]
“I have considered the file, the recommendation
of the Commissioner of Police, the advice of my senior officials and the
letter of withdrawal from the virtual complainant and I have decided, in
the total circumstances, not to institute criminal proceedings against
Mr. Roberts in respect of this matter.”
(The statement was reported in the Nassau Guardian on Wednesday
12th January 2005—Editor) Bahama Journal photo of Attorney
General Alfred Sears.
THE
MINISTER OF WORKS IS RELIEVED
Bradley Roberts, the Minster of Works issued a statement on Wednesday 12th
January 2005 saying that he was relieved following the withdrawal of a
complaint of rape against him and the decision of the Attorney General
not to prosecute. We give his full statement in his own words:
“I was pleased and relieved to be informed that
the complainant has unequivocally withdrawn the allegation of rape against
me. I wish at this time to thank my prime minister, for remaining
resolutely confident that there could be no basis for such a charge against
me along with my cabinet colleagues, who remained steadfast in their support
of me.
“I likewise thank my dear wife and family for
never wavering at any moment in their belief that such an allegation could
ever be attached to me and from that belief; they too were steadfast in
their support.
“I thank may constituents of Bain Town Grants
Town, and well wishers for their support and encouragement and their commitment
to believing in my innocence.
“The definition of the word allegation was so
perverted in The Bahamas which is unfortunate but I am persuaded that God
is on the throne, so is truth. God is like Tide. He gets the
stain out that others leave behind. I am grateful it is all behind
me.”
TSUNAMI
RELIEF
The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Vincent Peet
announced in the House of Assembly on Wednesday 12th January that The Bahamas
has agreed to start a fund to give relief to the tsunami victims of Asia.
The fund is to start with the $150,000 donation of the Government.
Here is the Minister full statement delivered
to the House of Assembly on Wednesday 12th January.
FOREIGN
MINISTER AT THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL
Fred Mitchell, the Minister of Foreign Affairs joined
his colleagues from Caricom at the United Nations for the delivery of a
statement on Haiti at a special session of the UN Security Council called
to discus Haiti. The Minister is pictured with his colleagues as
they stood in the Security Council; from left Bahamas Ambassador to Haiti
Dr. Eugene Newry, Minister Mitchell; Dame Billie and Guyana's Foreign Minister
Samuel R. Insanally (photo by Nicole Archer).
Dame Billie Miller, Senior Minister and Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Barbados as the Chair of the Council of Foreign and
Community relations of Caricom (COFCOR) delivered the statement on behalf
of the Community. Mr. Mitchell becomes the Chair of COFCOR in April
of this year. You may click here for a full
transcript of Dame Billie’s address.
CRISIS
IN AGRICULTURE
The agricultural sector in The Bahamas is in the
midst of a major crisis. Canker has been discovered in the citrus
groves in Abaco. The farm on which it was discovered had some 3000
acres under cultivation. All of the groves there and in Abaco generally
have now been quarantined. All of the groves have to be ploughed
up and buried. The whole industry there has come to a halt.
The problem is some 500 employees now have been abandoned by the company
without compensation and without anyone saying what is going to happen
to them.
MINISTER
OF HEALTH IN MAURITIUS
Minister OF Health & The Environment Marcus Bethel is leading a Bahamas
delegation to the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) meeting in Mauritius.
The meeting is to discuss the 10 year review of the Barbados Program Of
Action (BPOA). This time last year, Dr. Bethel and The Bahamas
hosted the interregional SIDS meeting in Nassau. He is seen at top
co-chairing the panel discussion on Emerging Trends and Social Challenges
for the Sustainable Development of Small Islands Developing States and
in the photo at right; from left: Philip Weech, representative to the UNFCC
Secretariat; Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Paulette Bethel;
1st Secretary to the UN, Tishka Fraser; Youth Representative Frederick
Arnett II; NGO Representative, Mrs. Eleanor Philips, Director of TNC Bahamas;
Dr. Bethel, Youth Representatives Linda Hammerton and Achari Lloyd; BEST
Commission Asst. Geologist Rochelle Newbold; BEST Commission Undersecretary
Dr. Donald Cooper and General Manager for Sustainable Tourism Earlston
McPhee. Photos: BEST Commission
YA…
IS A WEAK PRIME MINISTER
The Tribune carried an analytical piece by Rupert
Missick, one of its reports under the headline “WEAK PRIME MINISTER SLAMMED”.
The story was published on Tuesday 11th January. This seemed a rather alarming
headline and must (to rate coming on the front page) have come from an
important political personage. But when you read the story, the story
was based on a comment from Omar Smith, the Deputy Leader of the extra
parliamentary party the Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM). You will
remember that it was he and Cassius Stuart who got locked up for chaining
themselves to the Speaker’s chair in the House of Assembly in 2002, were
charged by the FNM and freed by the PLP. Mind you it was Perry Christie,
the now Prime Minister who saw to his defence, and saw to it that he was
freed. But now Mr. Smith says that Mr. Christie is “poor, weak and
indecisive”.
Ungratefulness is a sin. But beside that,
The Tribune’s sanity and judgment must be questioned when they take a political
personality with absolutely no influence on the political scene and project
that it is an opinion that has support. It shows the tendentious
nature of Bahamian journalism. We answer in a classic fashion in
this manner: Ya… is weak Prime Minister.
NEW
AIRLINE STARTS SERVICE
Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe looks like he
is chalking up a new airline every week in The Bahamas. On Monday
10th January, Spirit Airlines began service between Ft. Lauderdale and
Nassau. This brings jet service to that route. Some 150
persons can be accommodated on board. Spirit now joins JetBlue and
Song Airways as the latest low cost carriers to come to The Bahamas. Nassau
Guardian photo by Donald Knowles
FORMER
CHIEF JUSTICE DIES
We send our condolences to Joyce Georges, wife of
former Chief Justice Telford Georges. Mr. Georges died on Thursday
13th January at his home in Barbados. He was 82 years old.
One of the finest judges of the times, the eminent
Caribbean jurist celebrated his 82nd birthday last week Wednesday.
Born in Dominica, Mr. Georges and his wife had four
children. He became a high court judge in Trinidad during the 1960s and
also acted as a judge of the Court of Appeal.
In addition to being Chief Justice in The Bahamas,
during his 50 year legal career, Georges was also Chief Justice of Tanzania
between 1965 and the Chief Justice of Zimbabwe.
He was a justice of appeal in The Bahamas, Bermuda,
Belize and the Cayman Islands.
He was also a professor of law at the University
of the West Indies (UWI) and received honorary doctorates from the University
of Dar-es-Salaam, University of Toronto, UWI and Dalhousie University.
The legal fraternity throughout the Caribbean went
in mourning at the news.
THE BRADLEY
ROBERTS FALLOUT
Now that the Bradley Roberts matter is put behind
the country in a legal sense, it seems to us that there ought to be some
investigative work done here. First, we do not agree that there ought
to be any prosecution of the woman who brought these false charges.
This is likely to cause more grief politically to Mr. Roberts and the PLP
than it is worth. In any event, there is a widespread feeling that
much of this was manipulated through unscrupulous means, by persons with
their own particular motives.
It seems to us that the Bar Association has a duty
to investigate the role of Wallace Rolle, the attorney in this matter,
who first represented the virtual complainant. When he found out
he had been fired and was asked by the newspapers to comment, he told The
Nassau Guardian in their story of Wednesday 12th January 2005 “I don’t
believe it. It is a hoax.” He then added some view that he knew that
pressure was being put on the woman to withdraw. Again, if the matter
was a hoax, he had a way to find out. He could have called his client
or former client to determine what the situation was exactly.
It was also reported that when the Commissioner
of Police held his press conference to announce that the matter was referred
to the Attorney General, Mr. Rolle was present at the press conference
asking the Commissioner questions, although he is neither a cameraman nor
a journalist as far as anyone knows. The question then must be asked
whether or not he crossed the line from being a counsel and attorney and
thereby made the situation worse which could have been resolved long ago.
The Bar Rules prescribe how attorneys are to behave in these circumstances.
There should also be an investigation into the police
and their conduct of this matter. There is widespread view around
town that this matter having reached The Punch and the Confidential Source,
the two scum newspapers of the country, could only have done so by a series
of leaks out of the police force. This is something that needs to
be investigated, and who could possibly be behind such leaks if they did
indeed emanate from the Force, and did they have political motives?
Finally, there is talk about sanctions against The
Punch and The Confidential Source. Certainly, the PLP has cause to
see what can be done to deal with these two papers that are engaged in
an unseemly vendetta against it. No one quite knows what the peculiar
problem of The Punch’s owner is.
The Confidential Source is owned by Mohammed Harajchi
who wants a bank licence, but he is not a fit and proper person it appears
for that to happen. The Confidential Source was castigated by Director
of Public Prosecutions Bernard Turner for naming the woman complainant
which is against all ethics of journalism. But again, the newspaper
had the statements of the woman and Mr. Roberts published in their newspaper.
They could only have gotten it from the police. There should also
be an investigation into the role that the Women’s Crisis Centre played
in this matter.
The PLP itself ought to assess the fallout to it
as an organization. It must not only seek to protect itself from
this kind of blindsiding in the future but go after the enemies who perpetrated
it with resolution.
‘SAVE
THE BAHAMAS’ IS OUT OF LINE
The Organization SAVE THE BAHAMAS was out of line
as usual when it issued its statement calling upon Bradley Roberts, the
Minister of Works to resign because of the allegations of rape made against
him.
SAVE THE BAHAMAS fell into the same error of Sir
Arthur Foulkes and other FNMs who seemed to think that simply because some
crackpot comes up and makes an allegation of wrongdoing and it makes the
FNM dominated press that this means that resignation should follow.
The PLP was not born yesterday. That much is clear. The words
were hardly out of the pens of SAVE THE BAHAMAS, when it all collapsed.
The virtual complainant withdrew the charge, there is to be no prosecution.
It would be useful for SAVE THE BAHAMAS to spend
its time and energy trying to bring people to Jesus, instead of driving
them away like they did when they stood screaming at the docks telling
some of God's children to go back home because it is alleged that they
were part of a gay cruise.
THERE
IS NOW A NEW REGISTRAR GENERAL
Elizabeth Thompson is today the former Registrar
General. On Monday 10th January, the Governor General on the advice
of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission brought her contract to an
end as Registrar General after four tumultuous months. The end came
in accordance with the terms of her contract. No reason was given
and the contract does not call for a reason to be given. Ms. Thompson
sought to portray herself as victim but the matter rings hollow.
The Government of The Bahamas is reportedly refusing for the good of Ms.
Thompson to say why the appointment was terminated. We think that
is probably best for all, but Ms, Thompson should really cease and desist.
PLP
RESPONDS TO ROBERTS’ EXONERATION
Progressive Liberal Party Chair Raynard Rigby says
the exoneration of Minister of Works Bradley Roberts is “welcome and refreshing”
news. In a statement to the press, Mr. Rigby castigated the FNM’s
handling of the matter. Please click
here for Mr. Rigby’s full statement.
SO
SORRY ZHIVARGO LAING
We have no idea why we continue to waste time trying
to reform Zhivargo Laing’s behaviour. The former Minister of Economic
Development has a column in The Tribune and he uses it to attack the PLP
in the most vicious way, but most of all, in the most unChristian and uncharitable
way. In his last column he claims that the Christie administration
has started the sorriest chapter in political history of The Bahamas with
one scandal after the other. We have only this to say, so sorry Zhivargo
but the only sorry part about this whole matter is your column. It
is a sorry excuse for good journalism.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
COURAGEOUS CHRISTIE HOLDS THE LINE ON BRADLEY
Editor,
I have watched with mounting disbelief as the
FNM and its various spokesmen have struggled in the media to convict Minister
Bradley Roberts on mere accusations that have now been shown to be baseless.
In addition to this, these same so-called ‘national leaders in Opposition’
have ignored the unmistakable leadership of Perry Christie in staying above
the fray and letting the country’s systems work.
Did it ever occur to these dishonest, pandering
FNM gossip mongers that it would have been oh, so easy for the Prime Minister
to dump Bradley Roberts from the Cabinet at the first sign of trouble?
Instead, this same man whom they accuse of weakness in leadership, courageously
took the heat in near silence for weeks, in order to let the country’s
systems work.
Allegations – however serious in nature - are
just that; only allegations. If and when they produce a formal charge
from the Police before the courts, they then have the additional weight
of having passed the test of a Police investigation. At that point,
I would have agreed that Bradley Roberts should go, if only temporarily,
or the Prime Minister should have required him to go. Any such
action by the Prime Minister – or the Minister for that matter – prior
to a formal charge before the Courts would have been weak and craven behavior.
It’s time that the FNM and its leaders realize
what the Bahamian people realized in May of the year 2002; that Perry Christie’s
leadership is a rational, balanced, new and forward thinking leadership
that gives The Bahamas its best shot at success in a new, globalized world.
Time and time again, the Prime Minister has demonstrated that he will not
be the Minister Of Everything, he will not rush to judgment and that he
will allow, even encourage, the participati
