Compiled, edited and constructed by Russell Dames Updated every Sunday at 2 p.m.
Volume 4 © BahamasUncensored.Com 2006
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
SISTER UGLY ATTITUDES
There
she was with the smile of a nitwit on her face, a supercilious grin, a
grin that smacked of deceit and deception. The leader of the Bahamas
Union of Teachers Ida Poitier Turnquest (pictured) appeared on television
on Friday 5th May telling the Bahamian people that what they were seeing
and experiencing with their own two eyes was simply not so. The Bahamas
Union of Teachers’ members engaged in unlawful industrial action for two
days: Thursday 4th May and Friday 5th May. They took the teachers
out of the classroom on the Thursday, leading them down to the negotiating
room to try to intimidate the negotiators. The next day they held
a sit in where they reported to work and did nothing. Ida Poitier
Turnquest was there with them on the Thursday singing songs and chanting.
Everyone saw her on television, and yet she was sitting claiming on TV
that she and the BUT had nothing to do with it.
Her fellow sister ugly attitude Belinda Wilson was said on Friday to have been away, no doubt creating other mischief and mayhem up in Grand Bahama. These are people not to be trusted. They have obviously decided that they are going to wreck the education system, damage it beyond any measure, and jeopardize the already fragile future of the Bahamian children by the high jinks and nonsense in which they have engaged over the last few weeks. The story is that they plan a massive sick out in the schools on Monday, the day before the final exams of students are to begin.
The Minister of Education Alfred Sears put his foot down on Thursday 4th May at a press conference. He told the BUT and their leaders that they must cease and desist and bring order and rationality back to the discussions, and to stop their unlawful behaviour.
Parents were furious that their children had to come out of school early on the Friday. The Minister told the country that on Thursday 4th May 14 students of Aquinas College lost out on their opportunity to take their exams because of Ida Poitier Turnquest and Belinda Wilson’s Bahamas Union of Teachers.
But it is clear that these two do not care for the people of this country, neither do they care for rationality, neither do they care for the children of the nation. They simply want what they want, and the devil takes the hind most. Interestingly enough Ida Poitier Turnquest is a religious Jew and maybe on her Sabbath on 6th May she may have prayed to Yahweh to forgive her many sins committed over the past week, including putting the nation’s children at risk. As for Belinda Wilson, she is simply a political ideologue, who does not know when to put politics aside and when to put the national good before personal selfish aims. She is a disgrace.
Perhaps her hero Hubert Ingraham might tell her that this is not the way for teachers to behave, and that even though she thinks that she might be doing his bidding, she is not, and that even he does not condone this. As a matter of fact had Hubert Ingraham been the Leader of the Government, the two of them would have been retired from the pubic service in the public interest.
But seriously folks; even given our sometime rhetorical excesses, the situation is very dangerous. This is an irrational set of people. On the one hand, they say they want a settlement. The Government is ready to settle. Each time the Government gets to the table, however, it is clear that Ida and Belinda do not want a settlement. What they want is to row and cuss and fight and disrupt. It must be to show how personally strong they are. We did not know that personal strength or the lack thereof was a factor in these negotiations. Let us advise them, it is not about strength but about the school system and the welfare of our teachers and the future of our children.
There is one positive development as far as we can see. The Minister of Education has now gotten himself personally involved in the matter. He told the country that he proposes to sit in on the negotiations himself when they resume on Tuesday 9th May. This might bring some rationality to the table. It might also be a clear channel for the Cabinet into what is actually going on around the table.
Our headline comes from the story of Cinderella, who you will remember had a wicked stepmother who favoured the two ugly sisters instead of the beautiful Cinderella. The two sister uglies had a begrudgeful attitude, never knowing the face of graciousness. We always try to make a distinction between comment made against the person and those directed toward their personality or their attitude. That is why we have made the distinction here. These two women need to go get a lesson in a basic manners, and stop having a sister ugly attitude.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 6th May 2006 at midnight: 101,374.
Number of hits for the month of April up to Sunday 30th April 2006 at midnight: 406,747.
Number of hits for the month of May up to Saturday 6th May 2006 at midnight: 82,302.
Number of hits for the year 2006 up to Saturday 6th May 2006 at midnight:
1,735,667.
PM:
“SO SAID; SO DONE!”
The convention hall at the Crystal Palace Hotel
in Nassau was packed with PLPs on Tuesday night, 2nd May, for a one night
Party convention in celebration of the fourth anniversary of the election
victory of 2002. Recording an avalanche of accomplishments by his
Government over four years in office, Prime Minister Perry Christie marked
the anniversary with a report on the performance of the governing Progressive
Liberal Party. Mr. Christie recited a list of promises fulfilled
by the Government with the refrain “So said; so done!”. Each Minister
of Government was called to the stage at the convention to give a brief
outline of accomplishments within their portfolio. The Prime Minister
presented his Cabinet as “…a team, not a one man band”. Of the FNM
leader Hubert Ingraham, he said “how in the world can you take any pledge
that he makes about anything with any kind of seriousness?” Please
click
here for the Prime Minister’s full address.
Photos by Peter Ramsay
THE
TRIBUNE GETS UNHINGED
When Arthur Hanna, now Governor General was an active politician and the
late Sir Etienne Dupuch was alive and the Editor of The Tribune, they would
have sparring wars. Etienne Dupuch was predictable. He was
quick to come to the defence if there was any suggestion or hint from the
other side about his race. It appears that he had a great sense of
disquiet about the fact that he had African blood. Arthur Hanna,
now the Governor General, used to play on that and raised it in the House
anytime he wanted to irritate Etienne Dupuch. One time the result
was a seven part series responding to the allegation that his mother had
African ethnicity. Eileen Dupuch Carron, the daughter of Etienne
Dupuch, is made in his same mould. She continues to have the sensitivity
on race, and even though she is not phenotypcially black like her father
was, it is known that the Dupuch family is one of mixed ancestry.
No one in her family is as skittish about it as she is. It colours
all of her reactions and is perhaps the reason for the often irrational
responses which she has for anyone who is PLP or from the PLP.
This week, The Tribune’s editorial staff was in
overdrive and totally unhinged rising to the bait of last week’s comments
about the silly John Marquis. Mr. Marquis who has been condemned
by the Minister of Foreign Affairs as trash writing and irresponsible is
the Managing Editor of the newspaper. Last week in our defence of
Raynard Rigby’s comments about the conduct of the journalism under John
Marquis of The Tribune, we made the comment that part of the reason why
the quality of The Tribune product is deteriorating is because Mrs. Carron
is spending time - laudably so - taking care of her mother, and not paying
attention to The Tribune. That obviously struck a nerve and for the
whole week she first attacked Raynard Rigby, then Fred Mitchell and then
the Prime Minister. The Tribune is trying to make Mr. Rigby’s sensible
comments about the tendentious nature of The Tribune's journalism, the
basic lack of fact checking and the sensationalism which the now Managing
Editor employs into some kind of crusade for press freedom.
Let’s not pretend here about the independence of
The Tribune. Everyone knows of the close relationship that Eileen
Carron has with Hubert Ingraham. He often dictates headlines in The
Tribune or at the very least can predict what the headlines will be the
next day. There is no mistaking where The Tribune is. Why then
should Raynard Rigby or anyone pay homage to an institution so totally
biased and tendentious? That organization should be condemned.
Last week’s Tribune editorials were full on invective
about Fred Mitchell. Obviously he hit a raw nerve when he talked
in the House about the low life journalism of John Marquis. We again
invite the Minister of Immigration to do the right thing and rid us of
this journalistic monstrosity. Let him sit safely in London, the
place where he loves so much that he had to come and work in The Bahamas
and criticize and campaign from there. You would think that after
all these years The Tribune would learn its lesson and not rise to the
bait. But all you have to do is to say something about race and Eileen
Carron and bing bang she’s at it again. We hope that mama was not
being neglected this past week. Click here for last week’s story.
John Marquis in a photo from his
recent book.
THE
FNM FLOATS ITS CANDIDATES’ NAMES
There is no official announcement yet but the names
of the Free National Movement’s ‘A’ list of candidates has been circulated
and the Bahama Journal in an article of Monday 1st May promoted those names.
The story was written by Candia Dames, one of the country’s best and most
experienced writers. The story seemed to be written with authority.
Hubert Ingraham, the new leader of the Free National
Movement has promised that he will have his candidates named and in the
field by this month. He promised the country that he will present
new faces.
The surprise in the list was Michael Barnett, the
former Bar Council President and a prominent attorney at law. Mr.
Barnett has waited quite late in his career to choose active politics.
He has been active for some time from the sidelines. He has also
acted as a lawyer for the Prime Minister in various legal issues during
the term. He is a Roman Catholic. Mr. Ingraham reportedly told
the FNM’s Council that Mr. Barnett’s father (some say mother depending
on whose telling the story) promised Mr. Ingraham that if he came back
to rescue the party, the parents would undertake and promise that Michael
Barnett would run for the House. The thinking is that Alfred Sears
is also a Catholic and a lawyer and that by putting Mr. Barnett, a prominent
Roman Catholic, to run against Mr. Sears in Fort Charlotte, this will split
the Catholic vote. We predict a win for Mr. Sears.
PLPs were incensed by the report that at least two
prominent public servants were on the FNM’s list of published candidates.
Neither person has publicly denied the report. Ambassador to the
United States for The Bahamas Joshua Sears has been reported as the candidate
for the FNM in Exuma. PLP circles say that the Ambassador was seen
at an FNM meeting with Hubert Ingraham on Saturday 29th April where he
was introduced as the former Prime Minister’s candidate. Brensil
Rolle who is an under-secretary at the Ministry of Works and a former Road
Traffic Controller is said to be the alternative candidate for Exuma or
may run against the Minister of Immigration D. Shane Gibson.
OSSIE
BROWN AND PROSTATE CANCER
Oswald Brown was mellow and sanguine in his column over the past week.
He reported in his column in the Nassau Guardian of Thursday 4th May that
he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is an
increasing concern among men in The Bahamas. The most recent prominent
victim of the disease being George Mackey, the former Member of Parliament
and Minister of the Government.
Mr. Brown said that after getting a normal PSA (protein
specific antigen) test last year, this year’s test revealed that the level
was seriously elevated. His doctors ordered a biopsy and the biopsy
confirmed that he has cancer of the prostate. He said a bone scan
revealed that the cancer has not spread beyond the prostate into the pelvic
area and that the cancer was caught in the early stages.
The normally boffo Mr. Brown had no boasts to make
this week. He reported that he was humbled by the diagnosis and could
not function for some time including missing his column and editorial duties
at the Freeport news as he contemplated the issue of death. He has
now gathered himself up and is back writing his column but will have to
move to Nassau where he opted for radiation treatments and hormone therapy.
We do not support Mr. Brown’s views and he has been
on occasion particularly mean to the PLP and to those whom we support in
this column but on this occasion, we wish him well and the best.
Mr. Brown is 64 years old and is married to the former Jean Turnquest,
a psychiatrist, who is also the sister of former Governor General Sir Orville
Turnquest and aunt of the former FNM Leader Senator Tommy Turnquest.
BRIAN
MOREE AS DEAD AS A DODO
Brian Moree was the troublesome lawyer, a partner in the firm McKinney
Bancroft and Hughes, who did not support the Government’s view that it
should sign the revised Treaty of Chaguaramus and enter reservations to
those issues that The Bahamas could not now join which would allow
The Bahamas to benefit from the single market and economy. The debate
ended months ago and the point is a moot point. The Bahamas has in
fact come to an agreement with Caricom for the other countries to proceed
with the single market without the participation of The Bahamas.
This is to the disadvantage of The Bahamas and it is to the eternal shame
of men like Brian Moree that this country made such a decision.
Mr. Moree who before the debate had issued a disturbing
call for the immigration laws to be relaxed back peddled when it came to
the same issue in the CSME, some people thought largely because he thought
black people would be the beneficiaries of such a provision if The
Bahamas became a part of the single market. Never mind that
The Bahamas did not propose to enter into an agreement on that. But
that as we say is in the past. Everyone has moved on except it seems
Brian Moree.
Over the past week, however, came the startling
headline that Mr. Moree was speaking at a Chamber of Commerce seminar on
globalization in April and there he called for, of all things; a referendum
on whether we should sign the revised Treaty of Chaguaramus and implement
all of its provisions. The fact is the deed is done. The fact
is that we are not part of the single market arrangements. Some people
just can't get rid of the urge to fight where there is no fight.
That is what you call jonesing for headlines. Pick another issue
brother!
BRADLEY
ON INFRASTRUCTURE
The mini convention of the Progressive Liberal Party
gave each Minister of the Government the opportunity to highlight the work
of their Ministry. Bradley Roberts, the Minister of Works has a key
Ministry in the Government and he was able to give a full account to the
convention of what he proposes in the area of water, telephones and other
infrastructural development. You may click
here for his address to the convention.
Photo of Minister Bradley Roberts addressing PLP 1 night convention
2nd May, 2006: Peter Ramsay
THE PM
ON LNG
It appears that the American Deputy Chief of Mission
Brent Hardt can at least claim partial success if the comments of the Prime
Minister as reported by the Bahama Journal are to be believed. In
their edition of Tuesday 2nd May, the Prime Minister confirmed that the
Government has made a policy decision that it is not opposed to LNG in
The Bahamas. He was quoted as saying: “I think we are making good
progress. We know that the former government had given a commitment
to it, but did not allow for some of the developments that have taken place.
I think that we have now had an exhaustive review of it and the government
has made a policy decision that it is not opposed to LNG in the country
and now it is moving forward to the final review of most certainly at least
one application.”
You know that this column is resolutely opposed
to LNG in The Bahamas but what we did like about the Prime Minister's comments
was the response to the comments made by Brent Hardt, the Deputy Chief
of Mission of the United States government in The Bahamas at a globalization
seminar. You may click here
for last week’s story on the remarks.
The Bahama Journal reported that the Prime Minister
said of Dr. Hardt’s remarks: “I am surprised at the comments.
That’s like me saying the same thing about the United States of America.
I assume he is well intentioned in saying it, but I think sometimes Dr.
Hardt doesn’t realize what a minister or a cabinet has to do in balancing
development applications.”
KEN
RUSSELL - GODZILLA?
Every time the Member of Parliament for High Rock stands up to speak; there
is an air of ‘oh boy what the hell is he coming up with now?’ It
is like watching those old movies made in Japan where Godzilla comes to
town and is a one man wrecking crew. Finally, Godzilla is tamed by
the entire Japanese army and air force. Mr. Russell was the principal
spokesman on the new Police Service Bill discussed in Parliament on Wednesday
3rd May. This bill when passed will replace and repeal the existing
Police Act and put the Force on the path to becoming a more people friendly
force.
The Police Force is to become the Royal Bahamas
Police Service. Government members supported the Bill, and Free National
Movement members, well we don’t quite know if they support it or not.
The fact is that the Bill was drafted on their watch, and only refined
on the PLP’s watch. It has the support of the senior brass in the
police force. The problem is that the Government appears to have
faltered in not consulting sufficiently with the junior ranks at least
as represented by the Police Staff Association. The senior brass
headed by the Commissioner Paul Farqhuarson were in the House as the Minister
of National Security Cynthia Pratt began her contribution to the debate.
So were the junior members of the Force headed by Association President
Bradley Sands.
During a heated exchange between the Minister and
the Member of Parliament for Montagu Brent Symonette, the Deputy Prime
Minister admitted that she had not spoken to the President of the Police
Staff Association. The Minister for the Public Service made the point
that he had spoken to the Police Staff Association and the Minister was
well aware of the complaints of the Police Staff Association.
But back to Godzilla. The MP for High Rock
was intent on creating mischief as he did by suggesting that those persons
in the Urban Renewal programme that are working as district constables
are not up to scratch and are just cronies of the government. The
Prime Minister said that he did not influence one choice in his area.
The Minister for the Public Service Fred Mitchell said neither did he in
his area. The PM said that he was concerned about the lack of intelligence
of the MP for High Rock who just seemed hell bent on destroying everything
and attacking everything in the name of politics. As we said to quiet
Godzilla in the movies you had to bring out the entire army and the air
force. Stay tuned for Godzilla in Parliament part II. Just
like in the movies.
THE
HAITIAN AMBASSADOR’S APPEAL
Haitian Ambassador Louis Harold Joseph (pictured) told the press on Wednesday
3rd May that his Embassy plans to file a formal complaint to Bahamian authorities
as soon as possible after a detainee at the Carmichael Road Detention centre
was physically abused. The Ambassador met with Foreign Affairs Minister
Fred Mitchell and Minister for Immigration Shane Gibson on the matter on
Wednesday 3rd May.
The Ambassador’s statement also expressed concern
about the continuing round ups in The Bahamas and the fact that persons
who have lived legally in The Bahamas for 10 to 20 years are being detained
at the Detention Centre. The Ambassador said: “The embassy recognizes
the right of The Bahamas as a sovereign nation to take appropriate measures
to fight illegal immigration. However, in the process, it is important
that the rights of Haitian nationals be respected and they be treated with
dignity.”
Bahama Journal photo
LESLIE’S
ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE WHALES
The Minister for Marine resources Leslie Miller
has happened on to a good idea. He announced on Wednesday 3rd May
that he wants to form a group to investigate AUTEC to gain further information
about its operations in Andros. He made the statement in the House
of Assembly. He said the group would comprise two representatives
from the Department of Marine Resources, two from the BEST Commission,
two from the Public Hospitals Authority, two from non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), one from the Department of Environmental Health Services and one
from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The group would draw from both local and international
expertise. Let us hope that this approach gets the sanction of the
Cabinet because it will put some rationality to the public policy process
and further it will engage the NGO sector that feels snubbed by the way
the matter has been handled so far by the Government. In addition,
there is a need for the local Andros community to be represented on any
such group.
WORKS
AT MARSH HARBOUR AIRPORT IN JUNE
Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna Martin has announced that
$3.5 million public works are scheduled to begin at the Marsh Harbour International
Airport during the first week in June. The airport runway will be
lengthened and resurfaced and a new parallel taxiway constructed.
The Minister said the works represent phase one
of a project to revitalize Marsh Harbour International Airport “into
a modern, full functional facility which will meet all international civil
aviation standards.
“Although the contract for these works was signed
13th March, 2006, the timing of the construction has been arranged in conjunction
with the Ministry of Tourism and other stakeholders so as to minimize the
disruption to the traveling public and the Abaco economy.
“Pre-construction works including the collection
of survey data and the finalization of design works for the runway and
new taxiway are now being completed.”
Phase 1 of the project is tentatively expected to be completed by the
end of November, 2006.
Phase 2 of the project is scheduled to begin in August 2006, with work
on the construction of a new $4.5 million terminal.
FOREIGN
AFFAIRS REPORT TO THE HOUSE
We reported last week that the Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell visited the
Caribbean extensively over the week before. He represented The Bahamas
in Grenada at the Foreign Minister's meeting of Caricom, the UK/Caricom
Forum in Barbados and on an official visit to Antigua and Barbuda.
We now have the pictures of the visit from Antigua and Barbuda including
a picture of the Minister with the Barbuda Council on the steps of their
meeting hall (above, left) and with the security detail that protected
him during the visit (below, left), taken just before they left the airport
at Barbuda and on a tour of a wildlife bird sanctuary in Barbuda (below,
right) with the Hon. Trevor Walker, the Minister for Barbuda Affairs and
principal host of the Minister. Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer took the
Minister around (top) to see the brand new 55 million dollar stadium being
built for Antigua and Barbuda for World Cricket Cup 2007.
The Minister also reported to the House of Assembly
on Wednesday 3rd March on his visit. In his report Minister Mitchell
told the House about the complaints of Bahamians about secondary searches
by U.S. Customs at airports in the United States. He said that he witnessed
one such search in Miami and the Bahamians complained about the manner
of the searches. He said that the Customs in the U.S. have a complaints
procedure but where that does not work; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
stands ready to assist. You may click
here for the full statement.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Interesting perspective concerning editorial
of 30th April
One minor suggestion that may improve readability
in this paragraph:
“Both papers ought to have a public defender on
their staff and that public defender would have the right to correct inaccurate
and unfamiliar reporting in both papers. There ought to be a press
council which will also deal with public complaints about the press.”
How about using the word ombudsman? Both papers
ought to have an ombudsman.
Bahamian living in Germany
Larry Strachan
PM
ADDRESSES GRADUATES AT MTSU
Prime Minister Perry Christie travelled to the US
state of Tennessee Saturday 6th May to address graduates of Middle State
Tennessee University in their commencement exercises. Mr. Christie
exhorted the graduating students to "hold on to the belief that people
are not isolated from one another, that humankind is interconnected.
"Do not forget" said the Prime Minister, "that although
most of you are citizens of the USA, you are also citizens of a wider world,
a world where people will no longer be awed by your citizenship in the
developed world... Instead, it is the primacy of their needs that will
direct their relationship with you and your country." The President
of MTSU is Bahamian Sidney McPhee. You may click
here for the Prime Minister's full address.
BIS photo: Peter Ramsay
THIS
WEEK WITH THE PM
One Night Convention
The Progressive Liberal Party held a one night convention
Tuesday 2nd May, 2006 at the Crystal Palace Hotel to celebrate its fourth
anniversary in Government. Among the thousands in the crowd were
(photo at above left) Mrs. Bernadette Christie, wife of the Prime Minister
and the Christie's daughter Alexandra. The Prime Minister reported
to the Bahamian people on the accomplishments of his government (see
story above) and introduced Ministers of the Cabinet to report on their
respective portfolios.
Rigby's Brainchild - Mitchell Exposes 'Triple Dipper'
The PLP's one day convention was the brainchild
of Party Chairman Raynard Rigby, above left, and was warmly received by
the delegates and the general public, with many people reporting that they
were glued to their television sets during the evening. One amusing
moment came as Prime Minister Christie introduced Minister of Foreign Affairs
& The Public Service Fred Mitchell (photo above right) who exposed
FNM leader Hubert Ingraham as a 'triple dipper' for drawing three different
incomes from government.
PLP at Calvary Deliverance Church
Among the events of the week was a church service
of thanksgiving where PLP's attended Calvary Deliverance Church on East
Street South. Party Chair Rigby is shown with Mrs. Rigby and Prime
Minister Christie and Mrs. Christie during a light-hearted moment at the
service.
Weeknight PLPs
The convention hall was packed despite the
fact that the event was held on a Tuesday evening, the exact day four years
after the Party's 2002 victory at the polls. Party supporters wore
gold.
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
THE US CUBA DEBATE
This week the press was exercised led by the irrepressible Mindell
Small about how The Bahamas voted at the United Nations on the question
of the new Human Rights Council. The vote took place on Tuesday 9th
May and the phones of the politicians of the Government were said to be
ringing off the hook about what The Bahamas Government did or was going
to do. One reason for all this concern was the high profile appeal
by the U.S. authorities resident in The Bahamas and in Washington not to
support Cuba’s candidacy to the Council. The other reason was a high
profile intervention by the Cuban Ambassador seeking the support of The
Bahamas. No one knows what the position of the Free National Movement
is or will be on the matter but you can bet it will not be to support The
Bahamas Government’s position if indeed it was to support Cuba.
The vote was a secret ballot on Tuesday in New York. So far
the Government has issued no statement to say how it voted. We find
this interesting. It is a sign of the times, that of being elections
and all, why the Government cannot simply say who it voted for and
why. No doubt there are sound reasons for the policy of silence
because the most perverse arguments will follow if indeed the Government
voted for Cuba. The fact that the Government is unable or unwilling
to say how they voted has caused a raft of speculation in the press that
the country did in fact vote for Cuba but are afraid to say so. One
newspaper went so far as to say that in the absence of the Minister
of Foreign Affairs who was out of the country, a poll had been taken at
the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 8th May and that the majority supported
voting for Cuba.
The question is though; what turns on it? Why not vote for Cuba? The anxiety exists in The Bahamas because the U.S. dominates the political landscape here. Their diplomats are aware of the fact that they can largely get whatever they want from any Bahamas Government as soon as they (the U.S. diplomats) raise the spectre of a problem of some kind with the U.S. in the Bahamian public domain. Bahamians are aware of all of the work that is done with the Cubans in technical cooperation. They are aware of the excellent health care and some of it free that Cuba provides for Bahamians. Bahamians go there in droves for health care, for tourism, for education. Yet you will nary hear a voice in defence of Cuba if the U.S, decides that there is something they want. There is nothing which the U.S. feels that The Bahamas can say no to if they ask, no matter how small, insulting or inconsequential. They want it they get it.
Add to this the press of The Bahamas. No logic to them either save and except that with the exception of the Bahama Journal, they are simply interested in selling papers so anything sensational will do, or as in the case of The Tribune, madly using any anti PLP agenda that they think will cause the PLP to lose. They think that portraying the PLP as anti U.S. will help. To them it is not possible to be friends with Cuba and friends with the U.S. at the same time, particularly since it is an absolute necessity to be friends of both. But once you have the makings of an anti U.S. story, the press will go into the woodwork and produce the usual suspects, the mad cast of characters of, also rans, wanna-bes and some intellectuals who ought to know better. You know the names: Cassius Stuart, Dr Dexter Johnson, who is on a one man campaign against Cuba and against the West Indies where he got his education; Hubert Ingraham, Brian Moree, Eileen Carron, John Marquis…
Bahamian foreign policy has been skillfully handled by the present government and especially so by the present Minister of Foreign Affairs. Everyone knows what his views about Cuba’s system are from his days as a human rights activist but what he is dealing with today is a country’s business not his own. The Government must be keenly aware that all that the U.S. diplomats have to do in this country is to somehow intimate that the visas to go shopping in Miami are at risk and the Bahamian population goes scrambling for the tall grass. The fact is though that if it is simply a matter of principle, comity and good relations there is no reason why the Government should not have voted for Cuba.
Just as recently as February 2006, when The Bahamas needed to resolve the dilemma of two Cuban dentists Cuba apparently provided a way out for The Bahamas. This should be contrasted to the attitude of the U.S., whose public officials both local and foreign used every opportunity to defame, blast, criticize and inveigle The Bahamas. It appeared that they would bring the country to its knees over two persons who did not qualify for political refugee status and rightly should have been sent back to Cuba. How would The Bahamas look Cuba in the face and say it cannot be supported? Again, it is probably wisest for the Government to say nothing.
The Cubans did not need our vote in any event to win. They won handsomely by 135 votes, 96 was the minimum needed. The Americans were not running themselves. They could not win. They cannot with a straight face pretend that they are not without their human rights problems. The record over the last five years of human rights abuses, flagrant ones, in their own country would have sunk their chances.
The vote is now history, and it is one of the rare times that foreign affairs makes it into the domestic debate. There are sure to be other times, whenever this question of Cuba and the United States comes up. Our view is that it should be done on a principled basis, and if it is right to vote for Cuba; do so, and who does not like that…well, you know the rest.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 13th May 2006 at midnight: 126,697.
Number of hits for the month of May up to Saturday 13th May 2006 at midnight: 208,999.
Number of hits for the year 2006 up to Saturday 13th May at midnight:
1,862,364.
HAPPY
MOTHER’S DAY
Today is Mother’s Day in the new world. The
old world celebrates the day in March, the old Mothering Sunday in the
church’s calendar. The celebration has become so commercial these
days that many people have forgotten what the real celebration is about.
It is about trying to give praise to the women of the country who voluntarily
take on the joys, burdens and griefs of motherhood and successfully raise
their children into adulthood.
It is clear that women play a more dynamic role
in the running of country than they did a generation ago. Nowhere
is this more greatly reflected than in the Parliament. We have more
women than ever in the Bahamian Parliament and they prove by their success
that it is possible for women to combine two careers those of raising their
children and success in their professions themselves.
On this special occasion we wish all the mothers
in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas a good day and we wish them many good
days in the future.
TRANSFORMATION
BEGINS AT RUM CAY
Virtually the entire community of Rum Cay turned out Friday
for the groundbreaking of the PLP’s transformative anchor project for the
island. Prime Minister Christie in his keynote address said that
beyond the four hundred jobs expected to be provided by phase one of the
project, innumerable entrepreneurial opportunities would be provided for
Bahamians in Rum Cay, Cat Island, San Salvador and beyond. Over the
life of the project with developer Montana Holdings, some seven hundred
million dollars is expected to be pumped into the Rum Cay economy.
Please click here for the Prime Minister’s
full remarks.
TOP - Financial Services & Investment Minister Vincent Peet
and Montana Holdings principle John Mittens share a shovel as do Prime
Minister Christie and Rum Cay MP Philip 'Brave Davis in breaking ground
for the $700 million Rum Cay Resort & Marina. Minister of Works
& Utilities Bradley Roberts joins Rum Cay residents and descendents
as witnesses: BIS photo - Peter Ramsay RIGHT - Vincent Peet
introduces the Prime Minister (left) at the groundbreaking as John Gittens
(second left) and Philip Davis (right) look on: BIS photo - Tim Aylen
THE FNM
COMPLAINER
You can’t please some people. That is the only way to say it.
Can you believe that Robert Sweeting, the Member of Parliament for South
Abaco, who has been carping and complaining for months now about how the
airport at Marsh Harbour needs to be expanded and improved, is now complaining
that the work was started at the airport in the summer months when the
airport is going to be at the busiest? This is quite incredible.
Mr. Sweeting was speaking in the House of Assembly on Wednesday 10th May.
The PLP has gone out of its way perhaps to the detriment
of its own survival to show that it will help all Bahamians regardless
of their political stripe. The Marsh Harbour Airport is the second
airport in an FNM constituency where work has begun to substantially upgrade
and improve the facility. It is the right thing to do. The
other airport is the Stella Maris airport which is almost complete.
The Minister of Transport Glenys Hanna Martin should be congratulated for
the work she has done in getting these facilities up to scratch.
Our question to Robert Sweeting is whether he would
like the work to stop at the airport and perhaps go somewhere else since
he does not think this is the right to time to start the work? Fortunately
for the people of South Abaco this is his last time and the PLP knows that
the work must continue.
FURTHER
DEBATE ON THE POLICE BILL
The new Police Service Bill has been sent to Committee
by the House following a full and vigourous debate. The Bill seeks
to revamp and modernize the Royal Bahamas Police Force. When the
Bill becomes law, it will rename the Force the Royal Bahamas Police Service.
The idea is to bring the Force more in line with modern practices.
The Opposition Free National Movement can’t quite figure out where they
are on this one. The fact is the Bill came out of a report which
was commissioned by them. The report prepared by the group CDR International
out of the United Kingdom thought that the police force should become more
accountable, and subject to civilian review and transparently accountable
to the Government.
The Police Staff Association called a press conference
to say that they were not consulted on the bill. The Deputy Prime
Minister Cynthia Pratt who is the Minister of National Security denied
this but the additional thoughts of the Police Staff Association will be
taken into account. Allyson Gibson, the Attorney General, spoke to
the Bill and the Government’s reform efforts and the fight against crime.
The FNM spent its time in the House of Assembly
nit picking about one thing or the next but mainly trying to suggest that
crime is the problem of the PLP. Missing in action in the House was
Hubert Ingraham, their leader and it is quite interesting that without
him the group is unable to mount an effective argument. You may click
here for the full intervention of the Attorney General to the House of
Assembly on Wednesday 10th May.
Hubert Ingraham The Master Triple Dipper of The Bahamas |
MITCHELL
IN EUROPE
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell represented
the Prime Minister Perry Christie at the Heads of Government meeting with
the Prime Minister of Spain and then with the Heads of Government of the
European Union in Vienna, Austria. The meetings took place from 10th
May to 13th May. Mr. Mitchell used the opportunity while in
Spain to raise several bilateral matters. One of them was an appeal
on the question of the Schengen visas. Bahamians complain that there
is a problem with accessing Europe from The Bahamas. Many countries
that did not require Bahamians to have visas to come there like Sweden
after having joined the Schengen visa group require visas but have no local
office to issue them. The Bahamas has been working with Spain to
see if this matter can be resolved. Every year thousands of Bahamian
businessmen and tourists are inconvenienced by the lack of timely access
to Schengen visas. The Minister also took the opportunity to thank
the Government of Spain for the US$50,000 gift for Hurricane relief.
The Spanish Minister of State in their Foreign Ministry landed in Nassau
on the eve of the hurricane Wilma last year. He promised assistance
and that assistance was forthcoming within days.
The photo shows Minister Mitchell (centre
right, second row) with CARICOM Heads of Government and Foreign Ministers
and Secretary-General Edwin Carrington with Prime Minister of Spain, Jose
Luis Zapatero, on the steps of the La Mancloa Palace, before the start
of the Third CARICOM-Spain Summit. Caricom photo
THE
BUT’S NITWIT PHILOSOPHY
Last week, we wrote extensively last week in an
editorial comment about the nitwit philosophy that dominates the Bahamas
Union of Teachers (BUT). The two person wrecking crew that is at
its head is in our opinion intent on destroying all that has been built
up in education. The negotiations seemed to be going nowhere.
Well it appears that the nitwit philosophy has finally found its cooler.
That cooler is the Minister of Education Alfred Sears who on Tuesday 8th
May actually sat in on the negotiations and began the task of settling
the thorny issues.
The Union much to the shock and surprise of the
country was able to sign off on something that they had been ducking for
weeks and something which the Government had already decided to concede.
Let us hope that this keeps on track in this way. We have said before
we have never seen a more difficult, ornery set of people than this crew
at the head of the Bahamas Union of Teachers. But let’s hope that
the nitwit philosophy does not prevail, that good sense will instead prevail.
THE
TRIBUNE NIT PICKS AGAIN
It did not create much fanfare at the time of the
announcement. Perhaps the news was too good. Who knows how
and why the press decides what is important and what is not? But
the fact is that the Minister responsible for the Public Service Fred Mitchell
did announce that the Government was thinking about lifting the moratorium
on public hiring that has been in place since 2001. The Minister
made the announcement at the PLP’s mini convention on 2nd May 2006.
The Minister did announce that the Government thought
that it was time to look at more hiring in the public sector subject to
the available resources, and he also added that he hoped that some of these
jobs would be private/public sector partnership jobs. The idea would
be that people who did not have the requisite minimum qualifications for
the public service of 5 subjects in the Bahamas Junior Certificate exams
would be able to join the service, paid a stipend but be subject to an
agreement to upgrade their qualifications within a specified time.
The programme was not given a price tag but in our
way of thinking a carrying cost annually of an additional ten to fifteen
million dollars would not be an unreasonable cost for the country to bear
in order to deal with the vexing problem of youth unemployment.
Now to The Tribune. Well as you would expect
they are not very happy with this. They are not concerned about sopping
up youth unemployment even though dynamic private sector growth is not
dealing with the issue. They simply dismiss it as an election ploy.
In their editorial of the past week, they claim that there is no surprise
to them that this is coming just before an election. The truth is
the economy is just now in the position where it can afford this.
Elections have little to do with it, except that they are coming when they
come.
The fact is there is a serious problem of youth
unemployment that must be fixed; otherwise we are looking at a huge time
bomb down the road. It is particularly vexing for young women.
Even when there is a construction boom as there is now in The Bahamas,
the women don't seem to get their fair share of that kind of work.
Thousands of young women are simply sitting at home twiddling their thumbs.
The social discrimination in the work place is still much in evidence.
Further, we know that if male unemployment is not addressed there is going
to be social upheaval and unrest. So we say congratulations to the
Minister on this proposal. We hope that it works and that the jobs
programme will be up and running before the summer is over.
It appears that the Minister has some exalted company
that is thinking the same way. The Secretary General of the United
Nations Kofi Annan speaking at the opening of the European Union, Latin
American and the Caribbean summit spoke to the issue of youth unemployment
and the need to address it on an urgent basis. The SG said: “Overall
employment growth is a necessary, but not a sufficient way, to alleviate
the plight of the young unemployed. Separate and specific measures
are needed to tackle the relative disadvantage of young people entering
job markets. That is why, as a second step, national youth policies
must specifically target both increased employment opportunities for the
young and their improved employability. In effect, governments must
seek to create and to increase both the demand for youth labour and to
supply people with the skills that are needed.”
NO
DISTRACTIONS FOR SHANE
By Bahamas Information Services
FREEPORT
– Minister for Labour and Immigration, the Honourable Shane Gibson made
it clear Monday that he will not be distracted from doing his job, which
includes ridding this country of the illegal immigrant population. Mr.
Gibson also made it clear that all those persons who reside in The Bahamas
legally “Have no reason to be concerned.”
Mr. Gibson was in Freeport for the swearing in ceremony
of several new Bahamian citizens, as well as to deal with work permit issues
and some labour matters.
Speaking during a press briefing Mr. Gibson also made it clear
that the Department of Immigration has a mandate and that they are “Not
picking on any particular group of nationals, but simply doing their job.”
Additionally, he said that while there have been
some concerns expressed with regards to the Immigration roundup, “The vast
majority of Bahamians approve the initiative of the Government in tackling
the illegal immigrant population”.
Telling journalists that they have a job to do,
Mr. Gibson pointed out, “we do not pursue illegal immigrants in the hospitals,
we do not pursue them in the schools, and we don’t pursue them in churches.
“If you don’t want us to go early in the morning,
you don’t want us to go on the job, you don’t want us to have them in bus
loads during the middle of the day, when do you want us to do it,” he asked?
The Minister said he agrees that it is a touchy
subject to those who object, “but for the most part I think Bahamians,
and also the Haitian immigrants, understand that we are only enforcing
the law; we are not introducing any new laws; we are not being bias to
Haitians; we are looking for illegal immigrants.
“I think the message has to get out there that,
if you have information where illegal immigrants are being housed, then
you should bring that information to us. The more information we get from
the public, the less we have to go out and actually conduct these types
of exercises,” he said.
According to Mr. Gibson, when one looks at the numbers
that they have been able to put together so far for the years, everyone
will agree that the Bahamas has a significant amount of illegal immigrants
out there.
“Our position is not that we want to inconvenience
anybody, but at the same time the laws of The Bahamas must be upheld, and
we will continue to be extremely vigilant in what we have to do.
“I will not be distracted and I will not lose focus
on what it is we have to do. We have a job to do! We have a Bahamas
to protect for all Bahamians, and for everybody who comes here legally.
The Bahamas is not only for Bahamians; the Bahamas is for all Bahamians
and those who come here under the right condition,” Mr. Gibson said.
He also used the occasion to discredit rumours regarding
the Immigration Department placing a moratorium of new applicants for work
permits.
According to Minister Gibson what they are doing is not entertaining
any applications where the person is in The Bahamas.
“You have to be outside of The Bahamas.
So if you have somebody that you want to hire who is in The Bahamas, get
them out before we get to them. And if you send them out and they go out
voluntarily, we will then entertain the work permit application and process
it as quickly as possible.
“If we get them through one of our exercises, or
if some someone calls us and tells us, and we pick them up, then we will
not entertain the application for work permit,” he said.
Minister Gibson further pointed out that they are
pursuing even more vigorously, those persons who employ illegal immigrants.
He noted that if illegal immigrants have no where to work, then more than
likely they will not want to be here, since they come here seeking a better
way of life.
“Where we were being sort of lenient in the past
with employers, turning a blind eye and just repatriating and deporting
those illegal immigrants, we will now be dealing more forcefully with those
persons who hire illegal immigrants,” he said.
He advised that utilizing the existing policies,
it is their intent to bring the level of illegal immigrants down to a bare
minimum, and, he advised, it is not the intention of the Government to
introduce any new policies as it relates to illegal immigrants since the
policies that are currently on the books are workable. However he
did not rule out putting in place new policies if it becomes necessary.
NOTTAGE
TOUTS NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE
By Bahamas Information Services' Dudley Byfield
The
pace of preparations for the introduction of a National Health Insurance
plan -- as a companion of the present National Insurance Scheme, which
deals with retirement benefits, old age pensions, and allied assistance
– was accelerated in a presentation to the recent Zion United Baptist Convention
West Grand Bahama District at Bethel Baptist Church, at Pinedale in Eight
Mile Rock by Minister of Health and National Insurance Senator, the Hon.
Dr. Bernard J. Nottage, assisted by a high ranking National Insurance team.
Dr. Nottage expressed his pleasure for the invitation
to speak here and to know that, “the convention has included social issues
affecting our country among your discussions; and to find that National
Health Insurance is of concern to you.”
Dr. Nottage further told the convention that the
Ministry of Health is also very concerned about the fact that there are
so many people who fall victims of illness who cannot get adequate treatment
for their illness -- sometimes because the Ministry did not have the resources,
sometimes because they did not have the money.
He said that he knew certainly that on an annual
basis there are people who do not seek medical care because they cannot
afford to go to a doctor; there are people who go to a hospital and have
to wait hours and hours for care, because they cannot afford to pay a private
physician.
Dr. Nottage continued, “There are people, I know
because I get letters from them, whose children or parents have illnesses
that will cost thousands of dollars, sometimes hundreds of thousands of
dollars to correct and they can’t afford it, can’t get any help … and we
decided that we had to do something about that.
“We cannot continue to say we are representing people
and continue to come to you to get your support to be the Government and
not find a way to do something about things like that,” said the Minister.
He asked the convention to think about National
Health Insurance, as an investment in the health of the Bahamian people.
Dr. Nottage said that if they can get the National Health Insurance
right, those who join and contribute to the scheme would not have to struggle
with the formidable costs of high-tech medicine.
But he cautioned: “This is not as simple as I am
making it: but we can do it if we want it, if we understand it, and if
we care about ourselves and our health. This is really about how we relate
to each other. Are we our brother’s keeper? If all of us pay a little bit
each month, we will be able to provide protection for all of us when we
need it.
“And, if in addition to that we can adopt a healthier
lifestyle. And I have to say this also: I am not the Minister of Sickness.
I am the Minister of Health. So my job isn’t to make you get sick and make
you better. My job is to try to keep you healthy. It is far better to stay
healthy than to get sick and get treatment. Even the Bible said prevention
is better than cure!”
Dr. Nottage concluded, we have come to tell you
about a very important initiative. We want you to understand it; we want
you to understand the benefit it could have for you; and we want you to
be in this battle with us to promote it.
Dr. Bernard Nottage, Minister of Health and National Insurance,
as he addressed the Zion United Baptist Convention on the merits of the
proposed National Health Insurance Plan, preparations for and details of
which, it was stated, are to be presented in Parliament later this year.
(BIS photo by Dudley Byfield)
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
More On CSME & WTO
You conclude in your response to Brian Moree's
recent press statements on CSME by saying the deed is done and suggest
that the issue is closed. I beg to differ
Yes we have opted to maintain the status quo
but the issue is not a dead one (maybe sleeping), but I think the continuation
of the discussion, particularly at non political forums and at the intellectual
level that was demonstrated at the conference is a great thing. What is
dangerous however is that Brian Moree and others are often misleading the
public and I dare say, intentionally misleading the public and no one is
pointing out the scare tactics that they are using – It is in this forum
(website) that I have come to expect reprimand to these characters and
the nonsense they often print - To dismiss him or the issues raised is
the wrong approach –
You should note that The Bahamas is still a member
of the African Caribbean Pacific Group (Caribbean Forum of the ACP) and
is engaged in negotiations towards an Economic Partnership Agreement -
Yes another trade agreement and a reciprocal one at that - the point is
the ACP/Cariforum group is essentially Caricom, and when these negotiations
are completed (scheduled for end 2007) The Bahamas will once again be asked
to declare itself and its positions on engagement in the political economy.
The negotiations are happening right now, and
many persons in The Bahamas has never heard the acronym EPA – Government
is not doing enough to engage the private sector and the private sector
in many instances are not privy to much of what is now currently being
negotiated – so encourage the debate, relevant or timely doesn’t matter,
as I hope that at some stage the facts will become necessary and persons
will be better equipped to discuss these matters and assist Government
in advancing the best trade policies for The Bahamas.
Hank Ferguson
Thank you for your reply. Those among the brightest and the best and should use your talents to promote what is best for The Bahamas. Clearly the decision to join CSME and WTO are good for The Bahamas but the voices for the case in the public domain are largely silent. This has allowed misguided philosophy like that of Mr. Moree to go virtually unchallenged. We hope that you and other progressive thinkers rejoin the effort. It would be a shame for the Brian Morees of this world to succeed to the detriment of the country, taking it backwards a whole generation. - Editor
Food for thought - The Immigration Problem in The Bahamas
I have been reading the various comments and
points of view on this topic for a while now and have decided to express
some views of my own. It would therefore be appreciated if you would
allow me to express these views via the medium of your newspaper.
My primary intention is to stimulate some thought processes, which will
eventually (and hopefully very quickly) allow us to make some decisions
and come up with some reasonable answers to this age-old problem.
We need to begin to take some form of positive action and cease being afflicted
with “the paralysis of too much analysis”.
I request that you treat the following comments
as “food for thought”. [PLEASE
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LETTER]
We all know that it is impossible for us to completely
seal-off our borders, but certainly more can be done to police it.
Sam Haven
Miami, Florida
A thoughtful contribution and well worth the read. Thank you - Editor
THIS
WEEK WITH THE PM
Protect Your Heritage
Progressive Liberal Party Leader Perry Christie
flew on a three island tour at week's end to Rum Cay, Cat Island and San
Salvador. Accompanied by Minister of Works & Utilities (not pictured),
Minister of Financial Services & Investment Vincent Peet (right) and
area Member of Parliament Philip 'Brave' Davis (left), Mr. Christie officiated
at several Party banquets in the installation of Stalwart Councillors.
The Order of the Stalwart Council is the highest rank awarded by the Progressive
Liberal Party. The Prime Minister and Party Leader challenged the
new Stalwart Councillors to protect their heritage and all that they had
fought so hard to win for progress in The Bahamas over the years.
"These are some of the faces that we never see and that Nassau does not
know", said the Party Leader, but these are the faces who fought for freedom,
justice and new opportunities for the next generation. "The PLP"
said Mr. Christie "is known for generating the largest movement to the
middle class in the history of The Bahamas". He called on the Stalwart
Councillors to stand with the Party in protect their heritage. The
new Stalwart Councillors in Rum Cay are pictured.
Instruments for New Bight High School Band
The Prime Minister visited the New Bight High School
while in Cat Island and was asked to present new instruments to the band.
Mr. Christie challenged the school and the band's supporters to identify
other students who have the talent and drive to be a part of the band and
pledged to find the instruments necessary so that each one would be able
to practice at will. The instruments were purchased with money raised
by Cat Islanders for the national award winning group. Among those
pictured are band Director Police Constable Philip Sturrup, District Education
Officers Thacker, School Principal King, Philip Davis MP, Mr. Christie
and Band Founder, former police officer Kemuel Hepburn. The Prime
Minister personally pledged a susaphone, the large, tuba-like instrument
popular in marching bands and widely adopted by Junkanoo groups.
To the delight of the band members, Mr. Christie performed a short slice
of his trademark 'Christie Shuffle' before treating the student musicians
to lunch.
|
Mrs. Edwards died Sunday 21st May, 2006 afternoon after a long battle with cancer. The cultural icon of The Bahamas who was one of the first recipients of asistance from the Bahamas Heart Association of Sir Victor Sassoon when she had a hole in her heart repaired. She gave her lifetime to the country of music, song and cultural enrichment. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
INTEGRITY IN JOURNALISM
Journalism is one of the freest professions that one can enter,
and with one of the freest existences. There is no cumbersome Bar
Association or Medical Council whose standards one has to answer to.
Essentially, the profession is unregulated save for the law on libel and
if you are a publisher, you have also to carry a masthead which indicates
who the publisher is and what the address of the publisher is. Apart
from that, you do what you like.
The press is supposed to be a combination of information, education and entertainment. In fact, the charter of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas makes that the main objects for the existence of the Corporation. But apart from those lofty objectives, the press is really a commercial product. It finds content that readers want to read, that is information of interest, and around that they wrap advertising content which pays for the paper. So much for the loftiness. That means that you can have a newspaper or a radio and television station that simply exists to sell advertising and makes money and any content, no matter how untrue, how salacious, how lacking in integrity can make it to its pages or on the air, so long as it is able to get people to listen to the station or buy the paper. That is life in our free society.
In marketing terms some papers in The Bahamas have a long history of being papers of record. Those are The Tribune and the Nassau Guardian. The Tribune was established in 1903 and the Nassau Guardian has been published continuously since 1844. The Tribune was started by a mulatto family as an anti establishment paper at the turn of the last century. It has now become the centre of right wing opinion in the country but until recently apart from its vitriolic anti PLP bias has kept itself on the straight and narrow as a paper of record. The Nassau Guardian which was started shortly after slavery ended in The Bahamas and was originally the repository of liberal opinion in the then colony, became by the Second World War, the centre of establishment opinion. After the Mosley family gave up its ownership, the paper was owned by the Bay Street Boys that ran the country in the fifties and sixties and so reflected their opinions. The paper was later sold to John Perry an American newspaper publisher until Bahamians bought it from his family company just after the 2002 election. Interestingly enough Mr. Perry died this past week at the age of 89.
Today, one is not sure quite what the Nassau Guardian is, except that it does not appear to be well edited. It does not appear at press conferences about the news. It often gets the news wrong or late, and it does not apologize for glaring mistakes which it makes all too often.
The late comer into this show as a paper of record is the Bahama Journal. The paper was started by Wendall Jones in the 1980s. Feeling a sense of discrimination by the establishment, including the PLP he scrapped his way into getting a radio licence from the FNM government so that he now owns both a paper and a radio station. He has announced that he will also get a television licence. The Bahama Journal does not always get it right but more often than not it has a sober sense of reporting which tries to reflect balance in its stories, not propaganda. Imagine then our surprise at the way the newspaper and its radio station dealt this week with the story of the vote at the United Nations by The Bahamas on Cuba’s position on the United Nations Human Rights Council. We report on that vote below.
One other side to this story must be told and that is all of the newspapers and radio stations in the country have been suffering from the pressure of a trashy, low life newspaper called The Punch. That paper has no regard for the truth; lies all the time, makes up anything that will sell newspapers and is run by someone who has a low sense of self esteem particularly as it relates to his race. All of the papers have felt the pressure and all of them cave in at one time or another in an effort to compete with The Punch. Still, we think of some journalists as persons of integrity, not newspaper hacks who people often accuse of being on the take from one FNM politician or other.
This week, we saw all of the press save the Nassau Guardian at their worst. They all ran stories at the start of the week about The Bahamas and its vote for Cuba at the United Nations. This is the only country in the Caribbean that elevates such an insignificant vote to such huge proportions. The former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, now scrapping for an issue to become Prime Minister, made the point that had he been Prime Minister, the Cubans would not have had the gumption to ask him to vote for the Human Rights Council. It would be unthinkable, he said. Except wait a minute, the Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell was able to show from the record and a cogent presentation in the House on Wednesday 17th May that while Mr. Ingraham was Prime Minister he did exactly what the present Bahamas Government did and that was vote for Cuba to be on the Human Rights Commission. One would have thought that Mr. Ingraham caught out in a gross contradiction would be called to account. That’s the news, but not so for at least one news organization.
The Tribune led on the front page with the condemnation of the Government for the Cuba vote, not the fact of Mr. Ingraham’s hypocrisy. The Guardian had the story buried in it back pages even though it got the story right. The Bahama Journal saw the matter as a fight or war of words between the Leader of The Opposition and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. On their radio station, they described it as a war of words and their reporter got out of the whole story a personality fight between two individuals, like the politics of The Bahamas on this serious issue is reduced to some kind of clichéd, alley brawl.
On radio, Mr. Ingraham said that Mr. Mitchell was a political coward. Later Mr. Mitchell pointed out who the real coward is. Mr. Ingraham sat as Mr. Mitchell said during the Minister’s House presentation with his tail between his legs in the smoking room rather than come face the truth of his contradictions on the U.N. vote.
Reports then came in of how Mr. Ingraham influenced the reports that were made. He was seen talking to one of the reporters immediately afterwards, and it appears that whatever he said, the brief was followed entirely by that reporter. Some say we should call the name but it serves no purpose now. All we say is journalists have to be careful that their integrity is not compromised. The report in the Bahama Journal was disappointing and beneath their standards.
All of this once again raises the question of what the new PLP is going to do about distributing information on itself. You have the publishers against the PLP. You have the reports influenced by FNM politicians in the most perverse way. What does one do? Somehow the message must get out and get out fast, lest we sink.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 20th May 2006 up to midnight: 78,116.
Number of hits for the month of May up to Saturday 20th May 2006 at midnight: 305,653.
Number of hits for the year 2006 up to Saturday 20th May 2006 at
midnight: 1,959,018.
MITCHELL
ON THE UN VOTE
On Monday 15th May, The Tribune carried the headline: INGRAHAM SLAMS GOVT
ON CUBA. The writing is so bad in the press these days that it was
not clear where he made the remarks and on what day. In the old days,
the lead paragraph of a news story had to answer five questions: who, what,
where when and why. Sometimes, the stories in today’s press are written
as if they dropped from heaven, no context, no background.
Hubert Ingraham, the Leader of the Opposition made
some sort of speech in Freeport or had a press conference in Freeport either
on the Saturday or Friday before the report. He must have been good
and juiced up because he talked one set of rot after the other. In
the story on the U.N. vote he said: “If we were in Office, Cuba would not
have the nerve or the gumption to ask us to vote for them to be on a Human
Rights Commission. That’s an unthinkable event.” This is a
statement being made by a man who wants to be Prime Minister toward a friendly
country on our western border. The language betrays a certain kind
of political madness.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell (pictured
in this file photo) gave a detailed account; a point for point rebuttal
of Mr. Ingraham’s actual history on Cuba as Prime Minister. It turns
out that not only did he support anti U.S. resolutions at the U.N. in favour
of Cuba, but also voted for Cuba to be on the last Human Rights Commission.
Strange man, with a convenient memory. You can click
here for the full statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
ATTORNEY
GENERAL ON THE JUDICIARY
Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson on Monday
15th May accepted the completed review of salaries and benefits for the
Judiciary. “I am sure everyone will agree that it is desirable that
matters affecting the pay of the judiciary should be removed as far as
possible from the arena of partisan controversy” said the AG. The
report was presented by former Attorney General Sean McWeeney who served
as Chair of the Review Committee appointed by the Government.
UPDATE
ON 'SWIFT JUSTICE'
Later in the week, Attorney General Maynard Gibson
was back before the press to give an update on her popular 'Swift Justice'
initiative. Among the items covered in the briefing was the vision
of the Attorney General's office as "law firm that represents the government
and people of The Bahamas…" and their use of the Voluntary Bill of Indictment
procedure in serious criminal matters to avoid "time wasting". Please
click
here for the remarks of the Attorney General at the news conference.
MOTHER
PRATT DELIVERS RBDF REPORT
The report of the special Commission to investigate
the Royal Bahamas Defence Force is now in. The Deputy Prime Minster
Cynthia Pratt who is also the Minister for National Security presented
some of the reports findings to Parliament on Wednesday 17th May.
You may click
here for the full statement to the House.
WORKS
MINISTER TOUTS BUILDING STATS
Reporting to the House of Assembly on Wednesday
17th May, the Minister of Works told a story on the increase in building
in The Bahamas over the past year. This heralds a great improvement
in the economy. You may click
here for the full statement to the House.
FOR
THE RECORD ON INGRAHAM
Leader of the Opposition Hubert Ingraham must be
called on the carpet and made to account for the stupid statements that
he made in Freeport last week. (Click here
for story on UN vote). He reportedly urged Haitians to sue the
government where they have been unlawfully detained. He attacked
the fact that the Government plans to hire 1200 new workers to the Public
Service over the next year.
So let’s get this right: Haitians must sue the Government
of The Bahamas which he plans to head (God Forbid!) and the Government
should not hire people who are unemployed.
CHINESE
FOREIGN MINISTER ARRIVES
The Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of
China Li Zhaoxing arrived in The Bahamas on Friday evening 19th May for
a one day visit. This is the second visit by one of the Foreign Ministers
of the Permanent Five group at the United Nations to The Bahamas this year.
Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State of the United States visited The
Bahamas in March. The Foreign Minister of The Bahamas visited China
in January of this year. The photo shows the two men exchanging greetings
at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two sides will discuss matters
of mutual concern including recent developments at the United Nations and
in the world, and will review developments on the design and construction
of the new 30 million dollar stadium being donated by the Peoples Republic
of China in The Bahamas scheduled to break ground in July of this year.
THE
BAHAMAR EMPLOYMENT PROBLEM
The Bahamas’ government gave permission last year
for a major new development on the Cable Beach strip of New Providence.
The Bahamar Group headed by Sarkis Izmerlian got permission to transform
the Cable Beach strip including moving the road and knocking down all of
the Government and commercial buildings and putting them elsewhere.
They have to perform by 2010 and it looks like when they are finished there
should be 3000 new rooms at Cable Beach, including the refurbished existing
rooms.
Problem is that the group has developed an early
reputation for being chinchy in the way they approach their life in the
Bahamas. They have also developed a reputation amongst the staff
of not wanting Bahamians to work for them. Complaints have come from
the Radisson Hotel to the Crystal Palace to the Nassau Beach. Bahamian
managers are being displaced by expatriates, and there is a concern that
despite the new tougher reputation of the Immigration Department, there
are more work permits than ever being issued for jobs that Bahamians can
do.
Perhaps the Minister of Immigration ought to have
a look at what is going on there. Perhaps, the Minister for Financial
Services needs to have a talk with the group to be sure that Bahamian contractors,
artisans and professionals are not being cheated out of jobs. Reportedly,
the medical services ended because the group was trying to nickel and dime
the medical services provider.
If this is going to be a mega resort, with high
end and upper end services, the resort cannot have the reputation amongst
its staff and the Bahamian professional class of being cheap and nickel
and diming for services. It also cannot get the reputation of being
anti Bahamian. That would be sure sign of problems to come.
COB
TO ANNOUNCE HODDER FOR PRESIDENT
It now appears that calm and rationality is returning to the College of
The Bahamas. This week, the Minister of Education Alfred Sears signed
an agreement with the Union of Tertiary Educators of The Bahamas (UTEB)
settling the trade dispute which may have led to a strike. Jennifer
Isaacs Dotson, the President of the Union said that while the agreement
was not all that they wanted, they found it acceptable. That is what
they all say.
The other calming of the water will come this weekend,
today in fact, when the President of the College of The Bahamas Franklin
Wilson will announce that the new President of the College is in fact Janyne
Hodder, the former wife of architect and musician Pat Rahming. She
is now the Vice President of McGill University in Canada.
It appears that the Union’s President, who is the sister of the present
wife of Mr. Rahming, has finally seen her way clear to remove her objections
to the new choice. Let’s hope that the College of The Bahamas now
has better luck with the new President than with the previous one Rodney
Smith, who shot himself in the foot within months of his getting the job.
THE
BUT CALMS THEIR NOISE
We have not heard from the two sister ugly attitudes
in recent weeks. The fires of contention must be calming as the negotiations
go on with the Bahamas Union of Teachers and the Government. The
reports are that some progress is being made, even though the President
Ida Poitier Turnquest and the Secretary General Belinda Wilson are showing
up their lack of experience which they try to pass off as bravado.
Now that they realize that it’s the salary that the teachers are interested
in, they are apparently trying to rush through the contract. The
Government ought to stay the course with them.
THE
WINNING BID FOR CITY MARKETS
BSL Holdings Ltd, a group that includes Frank Crothers,
Franklin Butler and Craig Symonette, has won the bid to purchase the 78
percent stake of the American chain Winn Dixie in the City Markets Food
Store here in The Bahamas.
City Markets is a brand name of Bahamas Supermarkets
Ltd. The balance of the shares in Bahamas Supermarkets is publicly
traded. The winning bid was 54 million dollars. This bid was
accepted by the Bankruptcy Court in Jacksonville, Florida on Wednesday
17th May.
The group at first had the Trinidadian group Neal
and Massey involved but it was removed because the Winn Dixie chain believed
that the government of The Bahamas would hold up the sale because a part
of the group was non Bahamian. The advisor for the sale was Fidelity
Merchant Bank and Trust headed by banker Anwar Sunderji.
The decision is a blow to the hopes of young Bahamian
entrepreneurs Jerome Fitzgerald and Mark Finlayson who put together what
was considered a failure proof bid. Let’s hope that this does not
lessen their resolve to be entrepreneurs in The Bahamas.
SABU
PASSES AWAY
Percival ‘Sabu’ Butler has passed away. He
was 71 years old. Mr. Butler was well known figure in The Bahamas
during the 1970s and 80s for fire dancing at tourist resorts. In
later years he could be seen walking the streets of Nassau promoting the
cause of culture and seeking to find work in the industry, with his signature
cutlass at his side. He was a strong believer in Bahamian art and
culture. The cause of death was not disclosed. He was buried yesterday
Saturday 19th May in Nassau. He will be missed by the Bahamian artists’
community.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
FNM complainer
I read BahamasUncensored every week and I’m not
often tempted to comment, because I take it for what it is. I am
not trying to defend Robert Sweeting’s comments in Parliament because the
fact is Marsh Harbour airport is one of the busiest in the country, so
there will be no IDEAL time to disrupt. But for your column to say
the PLP has gone out of its way, perhaps to its detriment to help all Bahamians
is absolute nonsense. On May 2nd, 2002 the PLP became the Government
of The Bahamas. They are to SERVE all Bahamians. They will
not be doing any special favours when they upgrade Marsh Harbour Airport.
The fact is Abaco is a MAJOR contributor to the Treasury. For any
government to neglect Abaco is to bite the hand that feeds them!
Name any other Family Island that contributes more to the economy than
Abaco!
For God's sake, this is the 21st century.
Let’s do away with early 20th century politics where people think they
have to “vote right” to get anything done. Any government should
do what’s best for the country. And building a proper airport in
Abaco is in the best interest of not just Abaco, but the country!
Abaco Potcake
Our point is this. The issue of getting to do public works in The Bahamas is complex. There are planning issues, financing, logistics to name a few. So when the job is actually lined up, then let’s at least say great; at last it’s done, not suggest that it is the wrong time to do it. Mr. Sweeting is the representative for Abaco. Supposed the Government decided that; okay, since he is the representative and that’s what he says, we will stop. In the meantime, a hurricane comes; other logistics problems come. Then where is the Marsh Harbour airport project? You are right, the PLP is not doing Abaco a favour, but the other fact is that the PLP has its representatives screaming for work to be done in their areas, so where would the PLP naturally look? This PLP administration tries to balance the country’s needs in addition to trying to satisfy its political constituency. That is our only point. Marsh Harbour is getting the airport, so the representative should simply say at last we are getting an airport. Great. – Editor
Police Service Act
There was no consultation with the rank and file
of the police force regarding the new police act. The gist of the police
act is to usurp the present authority the Commissioner (a civil servant)
has over the police force and shift it to the minister responsible for
National Security (a politician). Is that what’s best for this country?
In essence the ‘politician’ seeks to have greater control. There
is an inherent danger in that I submit.
Name Withheld
While this is the popular opinion, neither assertion is correct. The Commissioner’s powers are not diluted and there was and is consultation with all levels of the Force. – Editor
THIS
WEEK WITH THE PM
COB Faculty Signing
The Prime Minister Perry Christie Thursday attended
the historic signing of an industrial agreement with College of The Bahamas
(COB) faculty. The Prime Minister (centre) is shown above sharing
a smile with Government Ministers Alfred Sears (right), Shane Gibson (partially
hidden at left), Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary Creswell Sturrup
(left) and Government negotiator Keith Archer standing at rear left.
Mr. Christie was quoted in the Bahama Journal as saying:
"What I see happening today is that we are ushering
in now this new level of examination of our country through the research
and community service," he said.
"I expect that the professors at the University
of the Bahamas would have a direct impact, much more so than before, in
fact an historic impact, on informing public policy. I see them as
resource people for this country."
According to the Journal, Mr. Christie said he expects
professors at the institution to develop new economic theories, examining
the economy and sociology of the Bahamas.
"For the first time in my view, we are going to
release the creative energies of a lot of people with great qualifications
to directly impact the course of development of our country, and I believe
when we look back in history, this is a defining moment in the history
of this country".
China's Foreign Minister Comes To Visit
Also this past week, Prime Minister Christie received
the Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China Li Zhaoxing during
the top level Chinese official's one day visit to Nassau. The Minister
Li (centre left) is shown with his Ambassador and an interpreter across
the table from Prime Minister Christie and Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell
during the courtesy call. No doubt among the topics under discussion
was the new 30 million dollar stadium being donated by the Peoples Republic
of China to The Bahamas, an impressive gift negotiated personally by the
Prime Minister during a trip to China.
| PRELIMINARY BHCAWU ELECTION RESULTS - As we go to final upload Sunday evening, preliminary results are in for the Bahamas Hotel, Catering & Allied Workers Union election. The incumbent team of President Pat Bain have almost all been displaced. Bain was ahead by 20 votes in his bid to retain the presidency and incumbent Secretary General Leo Douglas was ahead by 4 votes. All other incumbents had lost. A recount is set to begin Monday 29th May. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
WHAT’S WITH THE POLICE
The
PLP is at a delicate state of relations with the police. The PLP
won them the last time. But the history before that is that after
Hubert Ingraham made such a special pitch for the police in 1992 and in
1997, most of the pundits believe that the police largely and by inclination
tend to go with the FNM. Not so last time. The Prime Minister
Perry Christie when he was Leader of the Opposition spent a great deal
of time and effort trying to make sure that he maintained his share of
the police vote. But we know that it’s a struggle.
Some people trace the loss of the police back to the charging of several high profile police officers with the manslaughter of a police prisoner in the 1980s by the unfortunate nickname ‘Slaughter’ who died in police custody. Several officers were charged with his death. The cases were dismissed but the damage was done.
One of the officers became such a well known FNM operative that he literally campaigned openly on the Force. It is only now with the change of administrations, with his former lawyer now the PLP Prime Minister that he has softened his attitude.
The prosecution of anyone is complicated in this country because the Attorney General is not just a disinterested, so called neutral public servant, but is a politician with the a party political label. While the constitution gives the authority to the Attorney General to start, stop or review any criminal prosecution, the Attorney General does not exist in a vacuum because the political consequences for his or her party can be stark as the Slaughter case showed us.
In 1997 on the eve of the police vote Hubert Ingraham campaigning then for his second term in office went on the public platform and told the police that when they voted the next day they must: “Remember the money!” That reference was to the fact that on the day of the police vote there would be a lump sum payment of $1500 waiting for them as part of their negotiated salary package. For him it was the beginning of a special relationship between the Free National Movement and the police. For the PLP, it caused further disaffection with the police, an estrangement. It was Perry Christie who worked tireless from 1997 to 2002 to get the PLP’s share back up to a respectable showing in 2002.
The effect on the Royal Bahamas Defence Force was to cause mass defections from the FNM and disaffection for the FNM. The former elite RBDF group established under the Pindling Administration was treated very much like a step child during the Ingraham administration, and the RBDF officers made it known that they wanted change and the only way to redress the perceived imbalance was to rid the country of the FNM government. Perry Christie got his share of RBDF voters and more.
Today, the PLP struggles with both groups. The RBDF thinks the PLP Government has taken too long to redress their concerns mainly about the parity of pay and leadership. The Police Force think that their special relationship has eroded.
Now we have made several assertions here about both the RBDF and the RBPF. They are political assertions but you all know that both Forces are neutral politically, and neither Force or its personnel are allowed by law to be involved in political matters. This is key in a democratic society. When you join either Force or the Prison Service you give up your civil right to free speech and to freedom of association. When the country requires it, there must be a Force that responds to command controls, without question.
Over in the United States, the U.S. President took the unusual position of ordering that files obtained by a search of a U.S. Congressman by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the U.S. ought to be sealed while the question of the legality of the search is determined. This arose because both the Republican and Democratic House leadership were furious that the FBI could come into their precincts and take away documents by order of the Judiciary without regard to the separation of powers doctrine of the U.S. constitution and the co equal strength of each branch of the Government of the U.S.
It is instructive for The Bahamas, where when the Attorney General exercised her right in law to charge a police officer, scores of police officers, claiming that they were off duty, showed up they said not in protest of the AG’s action but in support of their colleague. The old story is that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. Theirs was a protest and calling it some other name does not help the issue.
The question then: did the police cross the line in showing up in a public demonstration, when theirs is a disciplined Force and they ought to have no opinion on these matters save their private opinions. The question asked by the officers was: should the attorney general have dealt at all with the matter of whether or not an officer of the law should be charged for manslaughter in the shooting death of a suspect, which shooting angered her own constituents and involved one of her own constituents? The Policemen got Desmond Bannister, the Chairman of the Free National Movement involved in the matter as their attorney further clouding the political view of the matter. The answer to the first question is the police did cross the line and someone ought to point it out to them. The answer to the second question is that is not a matter for them or their attorney but if they have specific concerns the place to address that is in the courts of law not seeking to poison the jury pool by seeking to influence the court of public opinion.
National institutions are fragile things and in the blink of an eye disorder and chaos can ensue if the guardians of our freedoms are not eternally vigilant and ever careful about what they do and how they act.
One thing you can say for the AG’s decision is that despite the threat of political consequences she did what she believed to be right in the circumstances.
This story is probably not true but it is told that before the decision came down in the trial for sedition of the former Labour Leader Sir Randol Fawkes in the 1950s, the judge in the case called in Vivian Blake, Sir Randol’s attorney and asked him what in his view would be the result on the public if Sir Randol was convicted. He was told that there would be a riot. The judge thanked him, and of course, Sir Randol was acquitted. Complicated facts make bad law sometimes but often bring peace, and peace may be more important sometimes. All the parties ought to think about this.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 27th May 2006 at midnight: 91,192.
Number of hits for the month of May up to Saturday 27th May 2006 up to midnight: 396,845.
Number of hits for the year 2006 up to Saturday 27th May 2006 up to midnight: 2,050,210.
POLICEMAN
CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER
Nathaniel Charlow 33 years old and a police officer
of ten years on the Royal Bahamas Police Force was charged with the shooting
death of Deron Bethel of Pinewood Gardens on 27th March. Mr. Bethel
was 20 years old and his death incensed the people of Pinewood Gardens.
As the charges were laid before Chief Magistrate Roger Gomez, scores of
police officers stood outside the courtroom in what they described as an
act of solidarity with the officer who was being charged.
This is the second officer of a disciplined force
who is being charged with a homicide in as many months. Sandy Mackey,
a prison officer, was to be charged with murder following the finding of
a Coroner’s Jury but he was granted a stay by Supreme Court Justice Jon
Isaacs until his lawyers could present a case that his constitutional rights
had been violated by the inquest.
ZHIVARGO
LAING: JACKASS OF THE WEEK
We try to avoid responding to every little foolish comment of the man who
calls himself a born again preacher, and all that, honest Abe if you know
what we mean but who continues to peddle political lies at a time when
he promised that he was removing himself from frontline politics.
Now that he has been relieved of the big fat 10,000 per month pay cheque
at the Grand Bahama Port Authority maybe he has more time to be more vitriolic
and spread more lying propaganda than ever. Such is the state of
affairs with Zhivargo Laing, the former Minister who we like to call the
former Minister of Uneconomic Development. This week was a real doozy.
Here is what he said in his own words about the vote at the United Nations
by The Bahamas on Cuba for the Human Rights Council. Poor man, he
and the reporter who wrote the original story on the House vote seem to
have brains as thick as molasses. Can’t help them if they can’t read
what is in plain sight and in plain English.
“The Government will not say outright that it voted
for Cuba to be on the Human Rights Council… (That is a lie - Editor)
“Could this strange behavior be the reason that
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell would not directly declare to
the Bahamian people how he voted on their behalf? Is this why he
chose to hide behind the skirt of a junior officer in the Bahamas consulate
in New York?”
Poor man, when you don’t know you don’t know.
First, the vote was not cast by the Minister. The Minister was in
Europe on 9th May when the vote was cast. That much is clear from
the public record. Secondly, the advice which was given the Permanent
Mission, not consulate, (again when you don’t know, you don’t know) to
the United Nations, was given by the Permanent Representative, not a junior
officer. The letter tabled in the House was simply signed on behalf
of the Permanent Representative. If the thick as molasses writer
and Mr. Smarty Pants Laing would read the record it is quite clear who
The Bahamas voted for. But for all of these reasons, our first vote
is for Zhivargo Laing to be the Jackass of the Week. Mr. Laing's
comment appeared on Thursday 25th May.
OR
IS ADRIAN GIBSON JACKASS OF THE WEEK?
This young man, who we’re not even sure exists,
(he may be just a nom deplume for John Marquis or Eileen Carron), is becoming
more and more an embarrassment for the Negro race in The Bahamas.
The amount of absolute drivel which he produces as commentary is simply
embarrassing. He is so angry and puffed up about himself that he
can’t see the forest for the trees. Some time ago, we tried to give
him the benefit of our advice to free himself from the mental slavery of
the Carron household. Instead, he has dug himself even deeper into
the hole launching into a childish broadside against the Minister of Foreign
Affairs. It is simply disgusting. This week he claims that
Jacinta Higgs (see story above) will send the Minister packing after she
defeats him in Fox Hill. Stranger things have happened but we suspect
hell would freeze over first. Nevertheless we thought that on second
thought a man with such silly, Uncle Tommish views deserves to be called
the JACKASS OF THE WEEK. His column appeared on Friday 26th May and
again on Saturday 27th May.
|
Hubert Ingraham The Master Triple Dipper of The Bahamas |
B.J.
MOSS RESIGNS
We carry this second story of an officer of the
Free National Movement who has decided that he will call it quits and join
the other side. B. J. Moss is the son of Paul Moss, now deceased.
Anyone who remembers Mr. Paul Moss will know that at the height of the
powers of the Progressive Liberal Party, he took on the lion and tried
his best in his beloved Crooked Island to win a seat for the Free National
Movement. When he passed away, the FNM lost a giant of man, a great
supporter. Naturally, one would assume that his children would come
along in the same tradition, and in the main they did.
Paul Moss Jr. has done well in the financial services
sector. Pastor Cedric Moss has done well in the field of religion.
B.J. Moss is a successful businessman. B. J. Moss is the activist
in the family. He was an officer of the Bamboo Town Branch of the
Party. Now anyone who knows politics, it was a hard thing to be in
the Bamboo Town branch because Tennyson Wells, the former FNM member, won
the seat as an independent with the help of PLP voters. To continue
there is a struggle. Yet Mr. Moss did.
But lately B.J. Moss has been watching the signs.
First he saw how Tommy Turnquest was savaged by the former Leader in order
to take the leadership back. Then he watched as he and other officers
who had been loyal to Mr. Turnquest were systematically cut off from the
decision making of the party and its branches. He has had enough
and issued a letter of resignation which we publish today.
In his letter Mr. Moss said that it was a painful
decision to make the leap out of an organization that he had fought for
all of his life but reluctantly he had to leave and he said as difficult
as it was, he had made the leap. You may click
here for the full letter of Mr. Moss and the reasons why he resigned.
Mr. Moss joins former branch executive Ricardo Smith amongst those FNMs
who have had enough.
DANNY
FERGUSON, A DEBUT OF SORTS
Fox Hill is the home of Daniel Ferguson, an accountant and businessman,
who had planned if all went well to run for the Free National Movement
in the Fox Hill area. He would have been amongst the number of the
candidates for the FNM about to be announced at what the FNM is calling
a mass rally on Tuesday 30th May. Instead the candidate is to be
a little known matron by the name Jacinta Higgs.
Mr. Ingraham is seeking to divide the Fox Hill community
again by choosing someone who is a Fox Hill girl and thinking that this
will destroy the PLP’s chances in the Village. The Last FNM candidate
found out that even her family were reluctant to support her. What
has happened though is that Mrs. Higgs was one of those who were instrumental
in asking and encouraging Mr. Ferguson to move forward and seek the nomination.
Had party Leader Tommy Turnquest retained his leadership, Mr. Ferguson
was a shoo in for the nomination. But when the cutthroat action was
taken to get rid of Mr. Turnquest, treachery, perfidy, arrogance and lies
followed down the line.
Mrs. Higgs took the opportunity to seek from Mr.
Ingraham the nomination and Mr. Ingraham summarily took the nomination
way from Mr. Ferguson. But Mr. Ferguson continues to be someone who
has the respect of Fox Hill and he spoke at the opening of the Urban Renewal
Office in Fox Hill on Friday 26th May. You may click
here for Mr. Ferguson's full remarks. The Prime Minister officially
opened the office along with a housing project by First Step Development.
He congratulated the Prime Minister for his sense of fairness and his ability
to listen to people. He congratulated Mr. Mitchell for his work in
Fox Hill.
Danny Ferguson, Chairman of the Fox Hill Steering Committee (left)
at the podium with Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell and Charles Johnson, Chairman
of the Fox Hill Festival Committee (right). BIS photo: Peter Ramsay
TWO
MIDDLE AGED “BOYS” PLAY SOLDIERS
The President of the United States George Bush and
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom were in conference this week as Mr.
Blair paid a visit to Mr. Bush to help staunch the flow of support for
the war in Iraq, a morally wrong and murderous war. Their respective
people have seen through all the deceptions and there were lots of mea
culpas to go around from each of them. But they still don’t get it.
What they did was fundamentally wrong, flawed and
they need to get out of Iraq forthwith and leave those people to their
own devices but they ought to pay compensation for wrecking Iraqi society.
Not likely but those are the unvarnished facts.
The oddity of this; and there are many of them,
we admit; is that neither got the opportunity to be real soldiers and experience
first hand what death and dying is. One actually used his influence
not to get sent into the war theatre. Yet both have the power to
order other people’s children into harm’s way and be killed and maimed
for life for goals that are dubious and based on full deceptions.
It is a sad, sad thing indeed.
ANDREW
ALLEN ON CUBA
Andrew Allen, the son of the former Minister of Finance William Allen,
writes a column for The Tribune. He has generally a problem with
this column, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the PLP. That is
why his column this week was all the more remarkable. He supported
the position that we need to have an embassy in Cuba, confronting what
he called “where tomfoolery begins and Uncle Tommery begins”. We
always thought that Hubert Ingraham had an Uncle Tom mentality, and one
of his own now suggests that this might be so. Here is some of what
he said in his column of Monday 22nd May in his own words:
“… It is hard to be forgiving of some of Opposition
Leader Hubert Ingraham’s comments last week on Bahamian/Cuban relations
under the present administration… Specifically he threatened that, if elected,
he would downgrade our recently opened embassy in Havana to a consular
office. This is irresponsible politics of the highest order, in that
it potentially undermines the country’s diplomatic position in one of he
most sensitive areas. While Mr. Ingraham (like any other politician)
can be forgiven for engaging in disingenuous political talk when such talk
has no victims, this statement, if it is sincere gives Bahamians cause
for serious concern…
“And Cuba does indeed make a curious poster boy
for human rights. So of course does the US. But it does not
help either local interests or international diplomacy to emphasize either
of these facts when you are a small happy country smack between the two
of them. That is why the PLPs quiet, neutral stance is so right and
the FNM’s descent into Cuba bashing is so wrong.”
U.S.
AMBASSADOR MISSTEPS
On Tuesday 23rd May in the Nassau Guardian and later
in the week in other newspapers, a piece written by John Rood on Cuba was
elevated to a front page story. The piece was described by the pro
FNM writer Mendel Small as a scathing attack on Cuba’s Human Rights Record.
This newspaper piece comes at a time when the Government
is engaged with its Opposition on the issue of the vote on the Human Rights
Council for Cuba with most people agreeing that the Government simply slapped
down Mr. Ingraham's stupid arguments on the subject. The argument
is now over and society has moved on to other things.
The U.S, Ambassador now writes an article which
brings the whole thing up again in a manner that appears calculated to
help the Opposition leader. This is a very interesting move.
COMMONWEALTH
YOUTH MINISTERS MEET IN NASSAU
Prime Minister Perry Christie opened the Commonwealth
Youth Ministers meeting in The Bahamas on Tuesday 24th May in Nassau.
Visiting The Bahamas for the occasion was the Secretary General of the
Commonwealth Don MacKinnon. You may click
here for the opening remarks of the Prime Minister at the conference.
Prime Minister Christie (left) with Mr. MacKinnon at centre and
Youth Minister Neville Wisdom at right. Peter Ramsay - Bahamas Information
Services.
URBAN
RENEWAL IN FOX HILL
An Urban Renewal office has come to Fox Hill.
The programme which is the baby of Prime Minister Christie was brought
to Fox Hill to be able to damp down on the violence and tit for tat homicides
in the area that is one of the last remaining free African villages in
New Providence. It covers keeping the environment clean and safe,
upgrading the housing stock in the area for those who cannot afford it.
It is meant to eliminate the outside toilets. It is also meant to
intervene when social issues get out of hand and lead to family instability
and economic distress. The official opening by the Prime Minister
took place on Friday 26th May. The representative for Fox Hill Fred
Mitchell was instrumental in bringing the programme to Fox Hill.
LEFT: Prime Minister Perry Christie and Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell
are joined at the ribbon cutting for the Fox Hill Urban Renewal office
by Miss Bahamas, the Fox Hill Mother of the Year and Miss Fox Hill.
Rev. Dr. David Johnson delivered the blessing of the building. RIGHT:
Fred Mitchell MP greets police Sgt. Floyd Bastian (left) for president
and Inspector Richard Sands, (right) current president of the Police Staff
Association. BIS photos: Peter Ramsay
PM
PRESENTS STALWART AWARD
Samuel Ferguson is the father of 15 children with
his faithful wife Essie. Mr. Sam and Miss Essie as they are affectionately
known are stalwart supporters and warriors for the PLP. Mr. Sam has
been bedridden for years and was unable to receive his award personally
on the night of the banquet. It was arranged that the PM would come
to the home of Mr. Sam to give the award. There was palpable excitement
in the village for the occasion. The award was presented on Friday
26th May and the photo is by Peter Ramsay.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
I Aint Your Friend No More!
I hope Bahamians read carefully what Ambassador
Rood wrote earlier this week in a letter published in the Nassau Guardian
and rightly adjusted the definition of “friend” in their Bahamas-U.S. diplomacy
dictionary, for obviously the United States of America is only The Bahamas’
friend when it does what Uncle Sam tells it – some friendship.
Ambassador Rood was of course airing his country’s
deep concern over Cuba’s ascension to the UN’s Human Rights Committee and
was also in no shy way letting the Bahamian public know of his country’s
concern over the way the Bahamas apparently supported Cuba’s appointment
in its vote. Of course we don’t know for sure which way The Bahamas
really voted, as it was a vote cast by secret ballot, but what remains
clear is that the United States is none too pleased with independent countries
that do not do what they are told.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating for
Cuba’s appointment to the Human Rights Committee. In fact any sensible
person that favoured Cuba’s appointment, on reading the comments attributed
to the Cuban Ambassador to the Bahamas - which amazingly featured the man
bragging about Cuba not allowing its citizens to travel freely - should
immediately change their position, as obviously that country has no concept
of a human’s right and is in need of another revolution.
My issue with Ambassador Rood’s comments though
was that it sounded more like a Father speaking to a Child, in true “My-Way-or-the-Highway”
overtones and thereby flagrantly belittled The Bahamas’ sovereign right,
which is just as sacred as a human’s right. Ironically, the Ambassador
in composing his letter failed magnificently to see his contradiction.
On the one hand he praises the rights of the individual and their right
for unsuppressed freedom, but on the other issues a poorly veiled threat
to The Bahamas for exercising its sovereign right to vote for whomever
it so pleased.
Even more distressing, the Ambassador in Machiavellian
form framed his discourse by relegating it to the North American region,
suspiciously out of the scope of another much more controversial appointee
to the committee. Strangely I don’t recall any mention or protest
to China’s ascension to the committee; I guess American interests there
coupled with Chinese buying power are too powerful to jeopardize.
But seriously, when any citizen of the world
objectively analyses the human rights record of any country, there are
bound to be instances when abuses are reported. For the self-righteous
and powerful Americans, there is Abu Ghraib and Guatanamo Bay, where people
are tortured, made to walk in the nude, bound and gagged and then all forced
to take pictures with a smiling female marine. In fact, reports by
several international agencies (much like the ones that Ambassador Rood
cited to highlight Cuba’s shabby record) have recently called for the United
States to close down operations of these kinds in order to protect the
rights of individuals.
What’s even more peculiar about the Ambassador’s
letter is that it was actually written in the first place. To what
Public does the Ambassador have to lobby? Does he plan to run for
Bahamian office? Surely if he wanted to advise the government of
his country’s position he could have easily telephoned the Minister of
Foreign Affairs or the Prime Minister. We should deduce then, that
his desire was not to inform the powers that be of his country’s disapproval,
but to inform the Bahamian public, aimed I guess in turning up the pressure
on the government. An Ambassador politicking in the public domain!
Is this the neo-conservative approach to global diplomacy? Since
when is it fair game for an Ambassador or any senior member or envoy to
publicly comment on what should necessarily be private discourses?
Is this an act of friendship?
No ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, cast
down your illusions. From the good Ambassador’s remarks it is clear
that the United States is only The Bahamas’ friend when it does what it
is told. It obviously doesn’t respect this nation’s sovereign right
to pursue what it perceives to be its interests and thus this “friendship”
has some very powerful contingencies which can be summed up to simply,
“Do what I say or else I aint gern be your friend no more!”.
Kelé Isaacs
BAHAMAS-CUBA STORY
With all due respect, on the matter of the reporting
of the Bahamas-Cuba vote story, the foreign minister got it all wrong in
respect of the Journal/Love 97 reports. It is sad and disappointing
for him to suggest that FNM Leader Hubert Ingraham influenced my reporting
in anyway. In fact, it appears that the minister himself seems to
be the one who tried to influence the story. It is not for him to
determine what the story is, as the Journal/Love 97 news always seeks to
be objective. He should not seek to intimidate the press. The
fact that we sought to balance the story by reporting Mr. Ingraham's response
to his statements shows not an effort to carry propaganda, but to be fair
and balanced, as always. I don't see it as the minister's place to
phone me and blast me over a story or to seek to demonize the Journal/Love
97 news on his website. But we live in a free country, as they say.
From where I sit, I assume that also means a place where the press can
be free.
Candia Dames
The response of the writer is quite curious at one level and pathetic at another level. There is a saying that if a rock is thrown and the chicken squawks then the rock must have hit. No name was called in the editorial of last week. The details about the Minister of Foreign Affairs we have no knowledge of, but there was no public complaint about the matter. So whether he called or not does not seem germane to the issue but shows that there is complete lack of journalistic ethics when what appears to have been a private phone call is made public in this manner. It shows all the more why our initial position is correct. The reporter, whoever the reporter was, needs more training; needs to be less influenced by FNM politicians, and needs to be able to understand the nature of confidentiality and its importance to the art and craft of reporting. Generally, we live in hope for the individuals to whom we initially referred, but expect that the anti PLP bias will prevail. – Editor
Oh, and by the way; last time we checked the Minister's website at www.fredmitchelluncensored.com which seems to be only archives there was no attempt to demonize the writer, nor for that matter was there any attempt on this website.
THIS
WEEK WITH THE PM
Haitian Church Conference
The Prime Minister Perry Christie this past week
attended the convention of Haitian community churches in The Bahamas at
the Church of God auditorium on Joe Farrington Road in Nassau. The
conference included delegates from various parts of the world and the Prime
Minister thanked the group for their contribution to religious tourism.
Mr. Christie reassured the Haitian community that he valued and would protect
their dignity. However, the Prime Minister told the group that it
was his "job to enforce the laws of The Bahamas" and encouraged them to
support him in upholding the law.
Junkanoo Smiles
From Left: Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Public
Service the Hon. Fred Mitchell, Commonwealth Secretary-General His Excellency
the Rt. Hon. Donald McKinnon and Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie
enjoy watching a performance by the Colors Junkanoo group during the opening
ceremonies of the 6th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting on Tuesday,
May 23, 2006 at the Wyndham Nassau Resort. (BIS Photo: Tim Aylen)
Indian Courtesy Call
From left K.L. Agrawal, High Commissioner Of India
To The Bahamas; Prithviraj Chavan, Minister Of State, Office Of The Indian
Prime Minister; Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie and Ashish Kumar
Singh, Permanent Secretary to the Minister Of State, Office Of The Prime
Minister during a courtesy call in Nassau this past week.
Cancer Ball
Prime Minister and Mrs. Christie were patrons of
the Cancer Society's Ball this past week and paused for a picture with
the Society's executive. [BIS photo: Derek Smith]
