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VOLUME:114 No.120, MAY 15TH, 2017

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ELECTION RESULTS OFFICI

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

INSIGHT: WHAT COMES NEXT AFTER THE FNM VICTORY

Mitchell lashes out at FNM win ‘Sour grapes’ from former MP after PLP crushed

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net FORMER Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell yesterday downplayed the Free National Movement’s landslide victory over the Progressive Liberal Party, claiming that the FNM’s victory was due in part to “the money of foreign interests,” the “turn of clever phrases” and the manipulation of “a population suffering from the ill-effects of the economic recession”.

Mr Mitchell, in a statement, completely dismissed the “propaganda” and “rubbish” surrounding the reasons for the PLP’s

crushing defeat at the polls on May 10, as he said there is “nothing revolutionary” or “far-reaching” about the FNM’s “simple election victory which can be reversed in five years”.

In response, however, Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest said Mr Mitchell’s statement “smacks of sour grapes” and that the Bahamian people’s decision to vote the PLP out of office was largely due to them being “tired” of the same kind of “arrogance” and “disrespect” from the PLP that Mr Mitchell’s statement exuded.

SEE PAGE SIX

MOTHER’S DAY IS BETTER IN THE BAHAMAS

FORMER Prime Minister Perry Christie is expected to give statement on his political future tonight at a Progressive Liberal Party National General Council meeting, party Chairman Bradley Roberts confirmed yesterday.

However, Mr Roberts could not say if Mr Christie had plans to challenge the

TURNQUEST AIMS TO CUT BACK ON OVERSPENDING

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net THE country is facing a new era of conservative fiscal measures, according to Deputy Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest, who yesterday forecast a swift departure from the established culture of government overspending in his remit as the new minister for finance.

Mr Turnquest stressed that while he would be sensitive to the political nature of governance, his primary concern was to balance the country’s books by “cutting back on the excess” and prioritising value for money.

SEE PAGE 13

COLLIE SAYS CHRISTIE WAS WEAKNESS IN PLP CAMPAIGN

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

WHILE many braced for a close general election result, the Free National Movement’s data-driven campaign strategy allowed party officials to be all but certain of victory weeks before the vote, according to party Chairman Sidney Collie.

Months of the FNM’s research consistently showed that the Progressive Liberal Party was vulnerable on five main issues listed in descending order of importance: Prime Minister Perry Christie’s continued leadership of the country, how value added tax (VAT) was spent, the perception that the Christie administration had few accomplishments, high crime and concerns about corruption.

SEE PAGE SIX

CHRISTIE EXPECTED TO REVEAL HIS FUTURE PLANS TONIGHT

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

AL COUNT INSIDE

election results for the Centreville constituency, a seat Mr Christie narrowly lost to the FNM’s Reece Chipman after representing the area since 1977.

Mr Roberts also said other issues such as PLP Deputy Leader Philip “Brave” Davis‘ possible ascension to party leader as well as when, or if, the party will host a convention will likely be discussed at the meeting.

SEE PAGE FIVE

VOTER TURNOUT DOWN BY 2% OVER 2012 POLL ACROSS THE BAHAMAS, families paid tribute to their mothers yesterday - but one family travelling a little further for Mother’s Day yesterday was the Butler family, who were visiting from Florida, and enjoying the sun, sand and sea for the occasion. Humesiha Butler is pictured getting a kiss to mark the day.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

ONE MAN DEAD, TWO IN HOSPITAL AFTER SHOOTOUT WITH POLICE A MAN is dead and two others are in hospital following a car chase and shoot out with police.

According to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, of-

ficers were on routine patrol around 3am Saturday when they attempted to stop a Honda vehicle for a traffic violation at the junction of Blue Hill and Wulff Roads.

Police said the car “refused to stop” and sped away, prompting police to give chase.

SEE PAGE 11

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net VOTER turnout for the 2017 general election dropped just over two percentage points by comparison to the number of voters in the 2012 poll, according to The Tribune’s analysis.

The country maintained its high turnout rate with an estimated 88.26 per cent of the registered population casting a valid ballot, despite concerns over the sluggish pace of voter SEE PAGE 13

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, May 15, 2017, PAGE 3

K PETER Turnquest was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance by Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling during a brief ceremony at Government House on Friday.

Photos: Letisha Henderson/BIS

Cabinet to include 16 ministerial portfolios

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

lic Treasury is used for the public good rather than directed toward private interests.”

PRIME Minister Dr Hu“I will remind my minbert Minnis will establish isters to avoid conflicts of a Cabinet that features 16 interest in the exercise of ministerial portfolios, Free their public duties,” Prime National Movement Chair- Minister Minnis said. man Sidney Collie said on This is the first time a Friday. prime minister of The BaAlthough Mr Collie had hamas has not taken on the earlier suggested the list role of minister of finance. would be released to the Mr Turnquest, a charmedia on the weekend, tered accountant, will take when contacted yesterday on the hefty portfolio as he said the list of Cabinet his first Cabinet post after appointments was “never serving as the FNM’s shadfinalised” and was being ow minister of finance over worked on. the last few years.

The administration will Mr Turnquest said before swear in Cabinet ministers charting a course for the today at a ceremony at Gov- future he will go on a facternment House. finding mission to learn “There are 16 portfolios,” what has happened over he said on Friday. “All 16 the past five years with the ministers have been iden- country’s finances. tified. The prime minister Reducing the debt and himself will assign the port- recurring deficits are key folios. We’ll do that tonight. priorities for the incomThere were six junior min- ing administration, as well isters and about six parlia- as helping the economy to mentary secretaries.” grow, he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy “This is not about enrichPrime Minister Peter Turn- ing ourselves but about enquest was sworn in as min- suring the services people reister of finance at Govern- quire are delivered,” he said. ment House on Friday while In the short term, the Carl Bethel was sworn in as government will focus on the country’s newest attor- creating the annual budget, ney general. which is due in two weeks.

The theme of trust was For his part, Mr Bethel prominent in Dr Minnis’ will be one of the most exspeech as he addressed the perienced members of Dr appointments of Mr Turn- Minnis’ Cabinet, having quest and Mr Bethel to served as attorney general their new posts. between 2001 and 2002 and Calling their appoint- as a Cabinet member in ments the beginning of the three terms overall. formation of the “people’s Mr Bethel was also apgovernment,” Dr Minnis pointed on Friday as leader said transparency and ac- of government business in countability were often the Senate. absent during the past five “(The Bahamian peoyears but will be restored. ple) want to know where He drew applause when the VAT money went,” he he said the “government told reporters. “They want 15th May 2017 all of the deciwill ensure that Monday, the Pubto know

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sions that were so highly questionable. They want to know what’s in the sealed deal about Baha Mar, why the secrecy. We need to take drastic and quick steps to seek to restore confidence in the administration of justice and in the operations of the Office of the Attorney General where I think the perception arose that perhaps things were not where they were supposed to be.

“I hope to be an agent in restoring confidence in the administration of justice in the Bahamas.”

The sealing of Baha Mar documents related to a deal with China Export Import Bank and Chow Tai Food Enterprises became a major political issue over the past year.

Mr Bethel said he will find out what the facts are and let that guide his approach.

“As I understand, it was

CARL BETHEL, QC, was appointed Attorney General by Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling at Government House on Friday. Mr Bethel has been named to the Senate, where he will serve as Leader of Government Business. sealed by a court order so obviously some approach would have to be taken; maybe some other arrangement could be arrived at.”

A major policy promise of the FNM has been making the Department of Public Prosecutions independent of the Office of the Attorney General.

“That is a long stated policy of the FNM and of the present prime minister,” Mr Bethel said. “He has been adamant about that and that is a policy that is not inconsistent with the intention of the organisation.

“Not only will (the director of public prosecutions) be given independence on the day-to-day events and everything else,” he said, “but we will also ensure that the office has the tools, resources and personnel that are necessary to enhance the powers of the director of public prosecutions.”

PAGE 4, Monday, May 15, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

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Bahamians want answers from the FNM IN moving into the future, it is important to understand why the FNM swept the polls in last Wednesday’s general election, almost eliminating this country’s first political party. According to Leslie Miller, former PLP MP for Tall Pines, the PLP were wiped out because of the hatred for former prime minister Perry Christie.

This, in our opinion, is an over simplification of the facts. From what we are hearing the FNM won because, in the opinion of many Bahamians, the FNM party was the lesser of two evils. It is, therefore, important that the FNM take nothing for granted. It is also important that they not over promise, as did the PLP. No one knows the truth about this country’s financial status, all we know is it is not in a healthy state - in the words of Standard and Poor’s international rating agency it has been downgraded to “junk status”.

Bahamians should be prepared for some belt tightening and even extra hard work should it become necessary to prevent the Ship of State from sinking.

From some investors, we have been told that our country has come very close to an international crisis of confidence in its economy, resulting in the possibility of pressure being brought to unpeg the Bahamian dollar from the US dollar. Therefore, as it was important in the aftermath of the drug years for the FNM government in 1992, under Hubert Ingraham, to rescue this country from its reputation of “nation for sale,” it is now important for another FNM government to urgently rebuild our economic image internationally. Today Bahamians are in no mood to be lied to by their leaders. The PLP promised the earth, but in the end delivered little. During the final days they were scrambling to make amends, by giving police officers their overdue promotions and settling — again overdue – pay disputes. The people were not impressed and election bribery was the talk of the day.

“I said from the beginning that the hate for Christie was strong in the country,” said Mr Miller, “much stronger than the people’s dislike for Dr Hubert Minnis.”

The hate for Mr Christie was in actual fact brought on by the perception that many of his ministers were taking care of their own interests, leaving the people to scrap for themselves. The exposé on the behaviour of Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald in his unsuccessful attempt to secure contracts from Bah Mar for his family – without so much as a reprimand from Mr Christie — was the final straw.

In our opinion, it was this type of behaviour of some in the Christie cabinet — openly talked on the streets – that destroyed the PLP and dragged their leader into the dust with them.

We recall advising Mr Christie in this column during his first administration –2002-2007– that it was important to get his ministers under control. They took off like so many sputniks on their own missions. They are the ones who wrecked Mr Christie’s political career, and took him down with them. It was his weakness in controlling his own ministers that was his undoing. Of course, he must shoulder the full blame, because it was at his desk that the buck had to stop.

Mr Christie did untold damage to his political career when on declaring that he had “no horse in the race” in deciding the future of web shops, which are now polluting the land, he reversed the voice of the people and legalised web shops. A resounding “No” from Bahamians had defeated the gambling referendum. What

annoyed Bahamians even more was to discover that unnecessary funds left the Treasury to pay for a referendum not required for such a vote. However, it appears that the PLP government wanted to avoid a House debate on the matter so as not to be blamed by Baptist ministers who are bitterly opposed to gambling. Mr Christie seemed confident that Bahamians would return a “yes” vote at a referendum. However, their vote was a resounding “no.”

Obviously, the PLP had certain previous agreements, which forced the Christie government to ignore the people’s “no” vote and legalise gambling.

We were frankly surprised at the extent to which this vote had influenced the rejection of the PLP government at last Wednesday’s polls. The people were double-crossed once. They were not prepared to take a second chance — and so the PLP had to go. The same will happen to the FNM now that the people have found the power of their X. So take this as a lesson – don’t shadow box with the electorate.

However, we have been overwhelmed by messages sent by Bahamians through e-mails, by telephone and through friends for us, in this column, to demand an investigation as to where this country’s revenues have gone. The VAT tax, as a starter, was introduced for the specific purpose of reducing the public debt. All Bahamians know is that the debt has increased, and the explanation for the VAT has been buried in unacceptable platitudes.

The loud message that we are receiving is that Bahamians want – no they are demanding – answers. And, if necessary, prosecutions. “It is the only way we will save this country,” said one letter writer.

“The present mind-set is that you go into Parliament to see how much you can get for yourself – these new Parliamentarians and future Parliamentarians need to know that if you are corrupt, if you are crooked, you will be prosecuted,” he wrote. “Minnis has to prosecute; that is why people voted the PLP out.”

He ended by demanding that Prime Minister Minnis “ensure accountability in his own Cabinet”.

We recall many years ago — during the height of the drug smuggling trade – we had a young Bahamian in training in our press room. Staff hated to see us leave the island, because invariably this youngster would tangle with the law.

On one occasion when we returned from a short trip we were told he was in prison. We bailed him out and a long conversation followed. He was a small time drug peddler, who was employed by a well known citizen.

In the course of our conversation, he stopped us with the question: “Why is it,” he asked, “do I have to go to prison and he doesn’t?”

On another memorable occasion, the late Sir Etienne Dupuch was at the airport, when he saw a PLP cabinet minister’s car parked in a no parking area. It had been there for quite some time. A police officer walked by, looked at the car and quickly walked on. Sir Etienne stopped him. “He’s breaking the law,” Sir Etienne informed him, “why don’t you book him?”

The young policeman, shrugged his shoulders, quickened his step and disappeared.

Bahamians are now demanding that examples be made at the top so that crime can be dealt with at the bottom.

They want the new government to investigate, and if anyone is found wanting — at whatever level – they want prosecutions.

Don’t encourage regulations EDITOR, The Tribune ON Thursday past, the CEO of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation was lamenting that people renting their homes through Airbnb should be regulated.

His concerns seem directed more to closing the home rental industry than regulating it because hotel occupancy is down. Either way, proposing closing them or regulating them, is not the purview of the Chamber of Commerce.

International groups like Airbnb provide as much safety through market regulation and oversight to make the renters accountable as the Ministry of Tourism does with “regulating” hotels here.

The suggestion that the Chamber can “develop that into a more viable industry” is another interesting suggestion.

Where do politicians get the idea they know what’s best for an industry to develop? Regulations usually get in the way of developing industries. And the Cham-

ber should be discouraging regulation, not encouraging it.

The Chamber is supposed to be there to help business by seeking ways to make the ease of doing business a priority, not add to the clutter of government regulation, taxation and bureaucracy. If they want to add a registration type service for Airbnb accommodations maybe they have a role to play?

RICK LOWE www.weblogbahamas.com May 14, 2017

Patty Roker’s disastrous election night EDITOR, The Tribune.

WHEN will our television broadcasters invest in the modern bells and whistles and state-of-the-art technology needed to give their viewers 21st century election night coverage?

As the nation retired to watch the election returns, we got the usual cacophony from talking heads parroting the sterile dribs and drabs from the bean counters at the parliamentary registrar’s office.

There was only a slight pretense at electronic gadgetry, graphs, and constituency maps but absolutely no comparison to elections past. The FNM and PLP campaigns may have rolled out computerised microtargeting of voters and precision boundary mapping, but for our broadcasters it might as well have been election night 1967 missing only the crackling airwave clutter of the old Zephyr Nassau Sunshine on short wave radios.

Four hours into the coverage on ZNS and the OUR network and not one presenter was willing to call the election. Even after PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts raised the white flag of surrender in a prepared text he read from his cell phone at a deserted party headquarters.

And not even after we got a concession speech of sorts sent over from a stupefied Perry Christie. The election was effectively over yet anchors Darold Miller and Jerome Sawyer et al were too afraid to say so.

Most of their guests provided predictable commentary and the obligatory niceties about the PLP looking inward and rebuilding, or about the great victory for Dr Hubert Minnis and the FNM. Darold Miller provided the biggest bark of the night when he correctly wondered why Perry Christie had sent over a prepared statement of concession, instead of doing what the vanquished have done for decades.

They summon their inner courage to face the cameras and the microphones and give a concession speech.

Some such speeches have been given through tears.

Others have been brilliant displays of class and statesmanship. But there was no graceful exit for our for-

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net mer fearless leader, Perry Christie, who had no trouble flashing his vulgar middle finger for the cameras, who was never shy about tapping his 73-year-old feet in a Junkanoo shuffle. On election night we were not important enough for him to look us in the eye and concede.

He weaseled out and sent over a statement instead.

No matter how much it might have pained him to do so, a true gladiator always leaves the arena with his head held high.

Darold Miller grasped this. But not Patty Roker, an invited panelist brought on presumably to add background and perspective to the evening’s goings-on.

She was shell-shocked by the grenades that were exploding all around her. She became defensive and shuffled paper. She wouldn’t support the custom of an in-person concession.

Ms Roker was either stunned by the results or she was simply following the PLP party line. Instead of providing the kind of thoughtful, reflective analysis befitting her role as historian, culturist and radio chat show host, she instead gave us PLP spin.

By the end of the night, Ms Roker’s performance was nauseating. She was the apologist in chief for the very habits of the PLP old guard and its commandants Christie and Roberts that were being repudiated in front of her eyes.

After the Bahamian people had spoken with their votes, instead of listening and taking notes, Roker took a different tack. Like an old school marm she appeared to chastise voters for spanking the PLP and essentially implied the voters across the land were making a mistake. To Roker, the PLP didn’t deserve the licks that were being inflicted on them by a bunch of ingrates.

She was pained to salute the FNM on their stunning victory. Instead, she could only muster that the voters must go out and get a copy of the FNM manifesto, read it and then hold the new government to it.

There was nothing wrong

with that, of course, save for the fact that she was not prepared to give Jack his jacket by acknowledging that the people had just dropped serious licks on her beloved PLP. The first time a sitting Bahamian Prime Minister lost his seat in a general election. The young David (aka Reece Chipman) whose grandfather had danced in a Junkanoo rush out with Goliath from Centreville had felled the biggest giant on the battlefield.

Mr Miller also couldn’t immediately grasp the gravity of the victory or was restrained from doing so by who we don’t know. He proved himself oblivious to the digital currency of the 21st century. We witnessed the first election where social media had played an outsized role and Darold couldn’t talk the talk or walk the walk.

Young people were fully engaged in the entire election night process and they sent memes and digital parodies of politicians interspersed with some actual news around the Internet at breathtaking speed. But the data Neanderthal Darold wanted to know what a Twitter hash-tag was after it was announced that his name was trending online, ie plenty, plenty people were talking about him.

Then he launched into his trademark fake righteous indignation to chastise the parties for only offering their manifestos in digital format. In a country where defeated PLP Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald and his policies led us to a D- national reading average, Darold wanted the campaigns to shell out for booklets that probably would never be read.

Ms Roker did not acquit herself well on election night. She was on a panel that was supposed to provide analysis. She should have come on later in the programme alongside like Philip Galanis, a high priest of the PLP who was more measured in his commentary than was she.

Stick with asking the questions Ms Roker, because the ones you tried to answer fell flat.

THE GRADUATE Nassau, May 14, 2017.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, May 15, 2017, PAGE 5

REECE CHIPMAN, centre, and supporters celebrating after defeating former prime minister Perry Christie in the Centreville constituency after a recount. The margin of victory was four votes.

Christie loses Centreville by just four votes after recount

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@trbunemedia.net

DESPITE eight consecutive terms as Centreville’s member of Parliament, former Prime Minister Perry Christie’s loss of the seat became official on Friday after an all-night recount confirmed that he lost to Free National Movement newcomer Reece Chipman by a very slim margin.

After the count was completed Friday morning, after 24 hours of re-checking the votes, Mr Chipman re-

ceived 1,909 to Mr Christie’s 1,905 and others receiving 197.

However, Progressive Liberal Party trustee Valentine Grimes told The Tribune that with the one protest ballot factored into the count, Mr Christie’s net loss was by three votes.

Asked whether the matter was likely to be questioned in Election Court, Mr Grimes said it was a personal decision to be made by the former prime minister.

“I have advised (Mr Christie) of my thinking

with respect to the matter, but at the end of the day it is really up to him,” Mr Grimes told The Tribune.

He was one of many officials involved in the overnight recount.

“We are satisfied that there are additional votes that ought to be counted for him. But in saying that I commend the work of the returning officer and all the presiding officers.

“But, at the end of the day, he only lost by three votes net and there are additional votes that we think ought to be counted in his

favour. At the end of the day he has to make his personal decision over what he intends to do.

“At the end of the day the people have spoken.”

Mr Grimes said the stunning loss for the Progressive Liberal Party was devastating and took its toll on not only Mr Christie, but thousands of supporters throughout the country.

Meanwhile, new Centreville MP Mr Chipman questioned the purpose of a possible Election Court process after the gruelling overnight count.

He said: “Anything is possible. Both sides had four attorneys so I don’t know how much more of a court that we would need.”

Speaking on the recount process, Mr Chipman said: “I think it was a good show of maturity in the room (and) a good show of democracy. It was just over 24 hours.

“We started at about 9.30am (Thursday) morning and so the process is what it is.”

He continued: “We can’t rule anything out if Elec-

tion Court is where the other side believes they need to go to exercise their democratic right. The people have made a choice and chose the FNM and myself to represent the area. In the last election Mr Christie won by 1,000 votes, so it speaks volumes to what the community wants.”

Mr Christie had represented Centreville for 40 years, but was swept out of power with his government in the general election on Wednesday as the FNM won 35 seats to the PLP’s four.

CHRISTIE EXPECTED TO REVEAL HIS FUTURE PLANS TONIGHT from page one

Mr Roberts’ statements come just days after Mr Christie suffered a surprising and humiliating defeat at the polls, losing by just four votes to Mr Chipman.

In view of the shocking defeat, some observers said the loss not only represented the electorate’s disdain for Mr Christie’s leadership, but also the Bahamian people’s desire to permanently remove Mr Christie from the halls of Parliament and force him into retirement.

From mid-July of last year to now, Mr Christie had maintained that he would continue to serve as the party’s leader and serve

as prime minister had the PLP won the general election, with no indication of a possible retirement.

Mr Christie had cited support from younger members of his administration as well as concerns over the party’s stability as the two main reasons behind his decision to stay on as leader.

On nomination day last month, however, Mr Christie told reporters that it would be his last time running as a candidate for Centreville.

Last week, Alfred Sears, the PLP’s candidate for Fort Charlotte who challenged Mr Christie for the leadership of the PLP at the party’s convention in January, urged Mr Christie to resign, suggesting that the

PLP might have won the general election had he not been the leader.

Similarly, former PLP Cabinet minister Loftus Roker who has spent the last three years speaking out against the flaws of the Christie administration, said while he respects Mr Christie’s work during his time in public office - which exceeds 40 years - the alleged corruption that happened on his watch brought The Bahamas to a “new low”.

To that end, Mr Roker said the people of The Bahamas took to the polls and repaid Mr Christie in kind.

Mr Roker also told The Tribune last week that he voted against the PLP in his constituency of MICAL.

PAGE 6, Monday, May 15, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

DNA suffers 39% drop in support in general election

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net THE Democratic National Alliance secured nearly 4,500 fewer votes in the 2017 general election than it did in the 2012 election, according to The Tribune’s analysis of the official 2017 election results.

An analysis of the official results released by the Parliamentary Registration Department yesterday

FORMER DNA HOPEFUL CALLS FOR AN END TO CRONYISM

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER political candidate has urged the country’s new leader to end the culture of cronyism.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis led the Free National Movement to a stunning landslide victory.

During his speech at the party’s victory rally, Dr Minnis declared that those who have abused positions of trust “have something to fear”.

Farrell Goff, who ran on the Democratic National Alliance ticket in the 2012 general election in the Golden Isles constituency, urged the new prime minister, in a post on social media on Friday, to stop the cycle of corruption.

“Mr New Prime Minister ... no more cronyism,” Mr Goff said on Facebook.

“Appointing incapable inept vile persons to high and important positions due to political favour must end along with so many other things Wednesday night.

Cronyism has stagnated the progression of this country and snatched the spirit out of so many good people.

“Mr Prime Minister you have an incredible opportunity to truly be a transformative government. Start with appointing the right/best persons in key positions to push this country forward and correcting the failures of successive governments.

“Yes it may mean pissing some people off who feel entitled or deserving of a ‘good government position’ as a result of their loyalty to you or the FNM ... But be reminded, sir ... This is now about country over party. Do the right thing,” Mr Goff stressed.

At Thursday’s swearingin ceremony at Government House, Dr Minnis thanked “the Bahamian people for reposing their trust” in the FNM. “We will honour this trust with an unwavering commitment to good governance, the rule of law, transparency and accountability. We will respect the Constitution and we will abide by the longstanding and testing conventions of our parliamentary democracy,” he said.

shows that the DNA secured some 8,749 votes, 39 per cent less than the 13,225 votes it got five years ago.

The highest number of votes secured by any DNA candidate was the 1,379 for Karen Davis, the party’s candidate for the Free Town constituency. That seat was ultimately won by the FNM’s Dionisio D’Aguilar, who received 2,389 votes.

DNA leader Branville McCartney secured the second highest number of

votes, with 604 votes for the Bamboo Town constituency. That contrasts with the 1,022 Mr McCartney secured in 2012, representing a decrease of 40 per cent.

The Bamboo Town seat was ultimately won by FNM MP Renward Wells, who received 2,561 votes with Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) candidate Gregory Burrows taking 1,512 votes.

Independent candidate Anastasia Bethell received 28 votes.

Stephen Greenslade, the DNA’s candidate for Golden Isles, secured the third highest number of votes for the party with 541. He and all others contesting the seat ultimately lost to FNM MP-elect Vaughn Miller.

The DNA entered the political fray in 2010, following the departure of Mr McCartney from the FNM. The party contested all 38 seats in the 2012 general election, capturing around eight and a half per cent of

the national vote. The DNA contested just 35 seats this year, however.

Last week, Mr McCartney said despite the DNA failing to win any seats in the general election or capture a significant portion of the votes, the party “will go on,” although his future at the helm will be determined by party executives.

“There will be a meeting in the week that will determine how we as a party

move forward,” Mr McCartney said on Wednesday night, after he unsuccessfully led the DNA into a second consecutive election.

“As it relates to me returning, that is something that the DNA will have to make a determination on,” he told The Tribune.

“But we will have a meeting within the coming days to determine how we move forward in the DNA and in Bamboo Town.”

FRED Mitchell at a pre-election PLP rally. ers should not believe their reversed in five years. Emown propaganda. phasis on ‘can.’ We have got The objective reality is to move quickly though and that they simply have a man- put this past behind us. date to govern for five years.

“The problems are glarThere is nothing revolution- ing and obvious but we will ary about their victory or need professionals to guide far-reaching.

They were us through the process. able to manipulate a popuThe road will be difficult lation suffering from the because these people in the ill effects of the economic FNM are especially vicious recession which was never and vindictive. They have overcome and the turn of no moral or ethical underclever phrases plus the mon- pinnings which will prevent ey of foreign interests to ac- them from doing anything complish what they have and that they can get away with. the failure of the PLP to cor- That is the reality. rect the problem.” “. . . Politics is not a crying He added: “Let us not game. It is a competition for get caught up in silly senti- power. Power is the only fact. mentality, and believe the They have it, we want it and FNM’s propaganda about need it to govern and protect ourselves. It is simply rub- the poor in this country. The bish. This is not the second rich are now in charge. Eicoming but a simple elec- leen Carron, Louis Bacon. tion victory which can be Fred Smith, Sarkis Izmirlian.

That is the fight now against rich and powerful monied interests,” Mr Mitchell noted, also thanking those who voted for him in Fox Hill.

In response, however, Mr Turnquest said: “It is incredibly hypocritical of Mr Mitchell to speak about the recession and the Free National Movement benefitting from the effects of the recession, when in 2012 they ran a campaign that exploited the fact that we were in the greatest recession since the Great Depression.

The period from 2010 to 2017 was seen as a period of recovery globally, so for him to reference the recession is incredibly disingenuous of Mr Mitchell. “Mr Mitchell is in no position to talk about the rich being in charge,” Mr Turnquest continued. “When we look at the families that have been in control of the Progressive Liberal Party for time immemorial. Very wealthy individuals. When you look at the foreign interests that have backed them and have benefited, and have been proven to have benefited, from their administration, he’s in no position to speak. “...And so again, his entire statements smacks of sour grapes. The reality is the Bahamian people were

tired, they had enough of the arrogance, the same kind of arrogance displayed in this statement, tired of that arrogance and disrespect, tired of the appearance of conflicts and misuse of the treasury and all these special interests.

“The Bahamian people would have voted in favour of a government that will respect them, a government that has their best interests (at heart), a government that will seek to empower a broad base of Bahamians outside the traditional scope of the elite families that the PLP has been supporting (and) sustaining for many years.

“It is the people’s time, and the Bahamian electorate, after evaluating all that has been done and presented in this election, voted for a change, voted for a new direction, they voted for themselves. So no sour grapes statement can take away from the victory of the Bahamian people.”

Mr Mitchell was one of many senior PLP politicians, some considered powerhouses in party strongholds, to lose his seat to an FNM candidate in last Wednesday’s election. Mr Mitchell had represented the Fox Hill constituency since 2002.

MITCHELL LASHES OUT AT FNM WIN from page one

The FNM won 35 out of 39 seats in the House of Assembly while the PLP won four, only one of which was in New Providence. The election wiped out a number of senior PLP members and saw former Prime Minister Perry Christie lose his long held Centreville seat.

On Sunday, Mr Mitchell sent out a rallying cry of sorts to PLP supporters feeling dismayed in the wake of the Christie administration’s defeat, charging that there is no time to “get caught up in silly sentimentality and believe the FNM’s propaganda about ourselves.”

In his statement, Mr Mitchell mentioned attorney Fred Smith, QC, Lyford Cay billionaire Louis Bacon, Baha Mar original developer Sarkis Izmirlian and Tribune Publisher and CEO Eileen Carron as the “rich and powerful monied interests” that the PLP is up against.

“I have read a lot of rubbish over the past few days since the election from the FNM leadership and its supporters,” Mr Mitchell’s statement noted.

“My take on it is this.

The FNM and its support-

COLLIE SAYS CHRISTIE WAS WEAKNESS IN PLP CAMPAIGN from page one

Using its data and aided by the work of an American firm called KAP Strategies, the FNM tweaked its message when necessary to drive home its points.

Its campaign songs addressed the aforementioned themes and its audio interjections into rally speeches, like the popular “Fire Dem—Roll Them Out” refrain, were chosen because they reflected what Bahamians wanted.

The FNM, which began polling in January, noticed a rise in Mr Christie’s negatives after he defeated Alfred Sears at the PLP convention, Mr Collie claimed.

“When Alfred Sears was defeated, people realised they were stuck with him,” he said. “FNMs and PLPs were hopeful of a different outcome. When they realised he won so easily, the Bahamian people had a peak of dissatisfaction with him.”

Mr Christie’s negatives later “rose through the roof” amid questions earlier this year about how VAT was being used.

“That’s why he started giving those explanations,” Mr Collie said, “because they must’ve saw what we saw.”

And finally, Mr Collie claimed, the former prime minister’s negatives skyrocketed when he refused to

respond to revelations that former Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald solicited contracts from Baha Mar. “Politically we were happy (Mr Christie) didn’t say anything,” Mr Collie said.

The questions asked of Bahamians were scientifically researched and were designed by a “famous university,” Mr Collie said.

The party’s polling firm typically polled hundreds of people, but the final poll had the largest sample size with a margin of error of +/4, he claimed.

“That’s why we were so confident of victory,” he said.

Underlying Mr Christie’s unpopularity was the perception that he was nearly

74 and “out of fresh ideas”.

The Tribune was told that 4,200 frontline workers buttressed the FNM’s campaign; the consultants, advisors and vendors who worked for the party brought the total number of workers up to 6,000.

Still, party officials were concerned about the high percentage of undecided voters weeks before the election, Mr Collie said.

“Three or four weeks out from the election, the undecided voters were as high as 27 per cent,” he said.

But the party’s final poll conducted a week before May 10 showed undecided voters turning their way.

This meant that by last week Tuesday, a day before the election, Mr Collie was able to predict in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that the FNM would win two-to-one over the PLP, a prediction that proved close to reality.

“A political campaign in 2017 is a world of difference from the way you run a political campaign in 1968 or 1969,” Mr Collie told The Tribune on Friday.

“Where the PLP made its mistake and where the FNM was on its game is our message was researched and polled. Our ads came out of what the people told us were the top priorities in our message. The structure of our political organisation, our manifesto and the selection of our team all came from polling and research.

“By the time the prime minister formed the (Constituencies) Commission, dissolved Parliament and called the election, we were already in full bloom. By the second week after he called the election we had peaked and all we had to do was keep what we were doing.”

The FNM found that above anything else, Mr Christie’s “negatives were very, very high,” Mr Collie said.

“The bumbling of the

VAT also resonated. We polled it and we found out that Bahamians were incensed about it because the prime minister promised that the VAT money would be used to bring down the debt. Now, we knew that they didn’t steal the VAT money but they did not live up to their promises.”

In the final several weeks of the campaign, the PLP’s candidates began reminding voters of scandals involving FNM candidates, including past contract controversies surrounding newly elected Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and St Anne’s MP Brent Symonette.

The PLP also tried to paint other FNM candidates - namely Howard “Rickey” Mackey and Dionisio D’Aguilar - as tax dodgers.

“They tried to deflect and tried to gloss over the scandal with (Jerome) Fitzgerald and Shane Gibson and some of the things at BAMSI and some of the money that went missing by digging up so-called scandals on FNM candidates,” Mr Collie said.

“But (PLP chairman Bradley Roberts) did it too late even though he had documents on the thing with Ricky and brought up some obscure thing from 30 years ago with Michael Foulkes.

It came too late. We were hammering the scandals and the corruption for eight months and when you think people are not listening because they are not commenting, that doesn’t mean they didn’t hear you and if you constantly remind them of the five key issues I told you about, the momentum would keep building.”

The FNM’s research, Mr Collie said, shows that his party must, after five years in office, have a strong record of performance to reference.

“We must stick to our manifesto like a laser beam so at the end of the five years we could go to the Bahamian people and say see here, examine us,” he said.

MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017

the stories behind the news

After the victory comes the call to action

The rejection of the PLP was all about Perry Christie’s leadership, Malcolm J Strachan says

T

Richard Coulson looks at the tasks facing the new Prime Minister as he takes office

A

merican presidents are expected to make their mark in their first 100 days - particularly if they have won a landslide first-term victory that ejected the previous party.

That is exactly Dr Hubert Minnis’ position as our new Prime Minister, leading an unprecedented 35 out of 39 members of the House of Assembly.

With a thousand-andone things on his plate, he may have two trays on his desk. One could be labelled “Action This Day”, as Winston Churchill stamped his most immediate war-time directives; and the other “Action Soonest”, for those equally crucial issues that will take longer to resolve.

Top of the pile in the first tray must be the designation of ministerial functions and the choice of Cabinet members to fill them. Peter Turnquest has already been named Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and Carl Bethel Attorney General to replace the devious Allyson Maynard-Gibson, heiress to a Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) family and master of wily politicolegal manoeuvering.

Second will be Baha Mar, given highly visible urgency by the doctor’s own choice. By inviting Sarkis Izmirlian and his wife to stand next to him and Mrs Minnis for photographs at his swearing-in ceremony on Thursday, he clearly showed his distaste for the sale of the vast resort to Chinese owners.

But what will be his solution? I have consistently favoured Mr Izmirlian in his early struggles against the Government-led conspiracy that favoured the megabucks orientals; however, I now question how the decision can be reversed, even if Mr Izmirlian has the funds to do so.

Dr Minnis does not want to be called a scoundrel by international investors for bluntly revoking a done deal. But is it a done deal?

An agreement has been signed, but any agreement of this size is wrapped in detailed conditions before it closes. The previous Government never disclosed these details. Is there perhaps a legallydefensible escape clause?

Aside from legalisms, what about the hundreds of proudly-dressed Bahamians I have seen happily at work under the new ownership? Surely no politician wants to cause another mass lay-off.

A compromise formula may be feasible, giving the Izmirlians a stake in the project. It will take all Dr Minnis’ ingenuity to find

Dr Hubert A Minnis is sworn in as Prime Minister by the Governor General, Dame Marguerite Pindling, on Thursday.

It will take all of Dr Minnis’ ingenuity to find a compromise over Baha Mar, whose former owner Sarkis Izmirilian attended the official swearing in of the new Prime Minister on Thursday. Photos/Shawn Hanna the acceptable exit route from this conundrum.

Third will be the landfill, before it again starts a Vesuvius-like eruption of smoke that blights surrounding neighbourhoods and smothers tourists staying in Baha Mar’s towers or playing its golf course. n the dying days of the PLP administration, a desperation move was launched requesting bids to be tendered in the absurd timeframe of 10 days. Apparently bids were received but we have heard no announcement of their opening. Dr Minnis and his advisors must promptly examine these hasty presentations to see if any make sense, or else scrap the whole process and initiate a request for new bids with all deliberate speed but with rational parameters - and, of course, open to public scrutiny to prevent a ‘Brave’ Davis-like award to the foreign pal who created Renew Bahamas.

Fourth must be rationalisation of the muddled electric power system.

Although we have had no recent major outages and rates have held steady, we are sitting on a time-bomb that could any day explode as our antiquated oil-fired generation facilities collapse past their shelf-life.

I

It’s clear that the appointment of PowerSecure as manager/advisor (under a still secret contract) was nothing but a Band-Aid instead of the hospital surgery needed to inject massive amounts of new equity or loan capital.

The previous Government reluctantly revealed that it made zero progress towards issuing the needed $600 million of ratereduction bonds or similar long-term financing. Investors were understandably

(BoB). Every day it remains alive opens a haemorrhage of Treasury (that is, citizens’) funds. After two years of promising a true reorganisation plan, neither its Board of Directors nor its effective owner the Ministry of Finance has produced one - probably a hopeless task while still Government controlled.

BoB even wages war against the newly-invigorated Central Bank and its impartial inspectors. Dr Minnis must bite the bullet

“A compromise formula may be feasible, giving the Izmirlians a stake in the Baha Mar project. It will take all Dr Minnis’ ingenuity to find the acceptable exit route from this conundrum.” wary as long as electricity remains under do-nothing state control. Fortunately, a solution may be at hand.

The American powersupply giant AES Corporation, with widespread international operations, has come forward to offer LNG (liquefied natural gas) as our principal fuel, with capital to re-structure our entire generating plant.

Fifth, the lamentable Bank of The Bahamas

and close it down; taking an immediate loss that will be painful but less so than the continued cash drain.

Doubtless, many competent staffers remain on board; they could be hired by any sound commercial bank that takes over its operations and viable assets, provided that it would not be asked to pay a penny for BoB’s questionable equity.

Of the many crucial issues requiring long-term

attention, Dr Minnis has emphasised crime and education. To attack gang wars and crimes of violence, I can only suggest that he consult Raymond Kelly, the former Police Commissioner of New York City, under whose 12-year tenure the per-capita homicide rate dropped dramatically, giving ‘The Big Apple’ an enviable new image of safety.

To improve our schooling, the probable appointment of Jeff Lloyd as Minister of Education seems a positive step, choosing a lawyer and articulate broadcaster long involved in public service, with vocational experience including the training of Baha Mar staff.

Raising employment and economic growth present almost limitless challenges stretching across all branches of governance. Dr Minnis and his fellow Cabinet members will spend many hours considering how to put a cap on public employment, empower the private sector to undertake new ventures, restructure the business licence fee (presently more inequitable than income tax), streamline the granting of all manner of permits and licences, protect unfunded pension rights and develop a more imaginative immiSee pg8

his past week may have given way to a paradigm shift in the country.

The long-suffering people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, in a resounding fashion, voted the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) out of office.

While disdain grew for a few members of the former Prime Minister’s cabinet, the manner in which the PLP were obliterated at the polls perhaps was a referendum on Perry Christie’s leadership.

The Bahamian people are said ‘not to vote for you’ but to ‘vote against you’, and this election certainly proved that sentiment to be plausible.

During Mr Christie’s terms in office, his reputation to allow scandals, corruption and all manner of impropriety to take place in his cabinet may have been what delivered the final crushing blow to the outgoing Prime Minister.

People have dubbed this his ‘retirement party’, as we expect that the coming days will be met with him offering his resignation. While the Bahamian people have spoken and fired the vast majority of the PLP, the new government, led by Dr Hubert A Minnis, will have pressing matters to attend to.

In his victory speech, the nation’s fourth Prime Minister said that those that are discovered abusing their former positions “have something to fear”.

The dust has settled on the campaign, and people are now expecting to see the fruits of election promises - perhaps none can ripen faster than the promise to prosecute those who abused their power to promote their own selfish gain.

For the promise of change by our new Prime Minister to be viable, the ‘old way’ must swiftly and completely be eradicated.

Many people don’t expect Prime Minister Minnis to hold up his end of the bargain, but by doing so, he will stun the nation and send a very clear message that things have, in fact, changed.

The Bahamian people need the evidence of that change after having been abused by the system for such a long time. We saw it as our Bahamian brothers and sisters, forced to live under the same and - in many cases - the absolute worst conditions in the country, blindly supported the former government. We became creatures of habit in an abusive, corrupted system.

The Bahamas has never lived up to its potential and has been steadily declining as a consequence of that system. Prime Minister Minnis told us it was the people’s time. At the top of the list of the people’s demands of the new government is a call to tell us exactly how every penny of the VAT money has been spent.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, K Peter Turnquest, confirmed that this would be his first See pg10

PAGE 8 MONDAY, May 15, 2017

After the victory comes the call to action Fr om pg7

gration policy to encourage foreign investment Dr Minnis is rightly not wasting valuable time and effort in creating usually toothless “commissions of enquiry”, but simply granting more funds to the Auditor General and letting legal processes take their natural course.

One owner of a profitable major company, when recently asked why they did not launch a public offering to raise capital for new investments, responded to me, “What new venture would you even consider under the PLP?” His answer may soon be different. A new spirit of optimism is emerging, a seismic shift from faith in the public sector to the private one as our engine of prosperity. Whatever his flaws, Dr Minnis flaunts a different style of leadership, vigorous and decisive, trained under a physician’s demanding schedule of prompt minute-by-minute decisions - a harsh contrast to Perry Christie’s amiable, slumberous, preference to procrastinate and shoveunder-the rug.

Watching election night on ZNS TV, I pitied the four announcers struggling to find enough to say, equipped with the truly primitive broadcast technology provided by their employer, with not a single laptop computer or digital display screen in sight. Perhaps Dr Minnis will make an early decision to privatise Bahamas Broadcasting Corporation, bringing modern expertise as an eye-catching gift to improve the evenings and other spare hours of all his citizens.

• Richard Coulson is a retired lawyer and investment banker born in Nassau and from a long line of Bahamians. He is a financial consultant and author of A Corkscrew Life - adventures of a travelling financier. Comments and responses to insight@ tribunemedia.net

Email: insight@tribunemedia.net

Council results boost government’s UK general election prospects

By PETER YOU NG

T

he received wisdom about local council elections in the United Kingdom is that they are normally an opportunity, between general elections, for voters to give the national governing party a good kicking with the result that it usually loses seats at this level.

Inevitably, these elections tend to be seen as less interesting or even dull, affecting parochial matters which are of significance only to those directly concerned, and the turnout is usually low.

But voters can deliver a protest in the form of a warning to their party leaders about national issues which are bothering them, and they can do so in the safe knowledge that there is no danger of the governing party losing overall power.

The result is that such elections do not usually provide

a basis for predicting the outcome of a coming general election.

However, the recent local elections in England, Scotland and Wales did not fit the normal pattern and have therefore been the most interesting for many years because it is rare for such elections to be held so close to a general election (due on June 8), and, as in this case, in the middle of national campaigning. Furthermore, Britain’s future relationship with the European Union (EU) is top of the political agenda and the risk of uncertainty and instability during the ‘Brexit’ negotiations, which are now under way, will have been uppermost in voters’ minds as well as local issues.

These mid-term elections covered 34 English councils, all 32 councils in Scotland and 22 in Wales. The Conservatives made huge gains, picking up more than 450 councillors and securing control of 10 local au-

thorities, which amounted to the largest advance by any government in more than 40 years. This was at the expense of the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats, which suffered heavy losses, while the UK Independence Party (UKIP) lost 100 councillors and was left with a single seat so that it has collapsed as a political force.

The Tories also made major strides in Scotland though the Scottish National Party won overall.

No one can say with certainty how this strong performance by Mrs May’s party will affect the general election next month. But, given the clear connection between the two, most commentators predict that last week’s results will translate into the Tories gaining substantially more seats which could well turn into a landslide victory for them. The latest opinion polls show that they have opened up a 22-point lead over Labour

and analysts now say that these figures put them on course to increase their majority by as many as 100 in a 650-seat House of Commons.

As well as relying on their existing voters, the main factors for the Conservatives are likely to be UKIP supporters flocking to them because of Mrs May’s tough stance on ‘Brexit’ and because she has made inroads into traditional Labour strongholds. The Labour Party is weak and disunited and has moved well to the left with the result that it has become so much out of touch with the electorate that it is struggling to attract meaningful support.

If Labour’s tribulations continue, this could harm democracy in Britain in the longer term because a strong opposition is needed to control the excesses of the governing party. But a decisive victory next month will strengthen Mrs May’s hand in the negotiations

with Brussels and give her a mandate to implement a socalled hard ‘Brexit’ by leaving the single market and, in her words, regaining control over ‘our own money, our own laws and our own borders’.

As in any general election, there is a range of other issues, both domestic and international, of widespread concern. In particular, immigration from the EU and the rest of the world remains controversial since the Tories are committed to bringing it down to sustainable levels to stop undue strain on public services. But there is much more as well, so the Tory manifesto is awaited with keen interest.

• Peter Young is a retired British diplomat living in Nassau. From 1996 to 2000 he was British High Commissioner to The Bahamas.

The perfect consort ends his tour of duty

By PETER YOUNG The news that the Duke of Edinburgh would no longer be attending Royal public events came as a shock to many who feared that at the age of nearly 96 it was for sudden serious medical reasons.

However, according to the official announcement, the reason was not healthrelated but simply a matter of a partial withdrawal, on his own terms, from public life.

In his inimitable way, Prince Philip made light of what was clearly a major decision when, in response to a well-wisher who expressed regret that he was ‘standing down’, told him ‘well, I can’t stand up any

more’. In similar style, he was also quoted as saying that it was ‘better to get out before you reach the sell-by date and are called doddery as a nonagenarian’, even though he had become, as he called it, the most experienced ‘plaque unveiler’ in history.

It has been suggested that, for a man who has been exceptionally active all his life, he thought that this was the time to go for fear of becoming a burden on, rather than an asset to, the nearly 800 charities, bodies and organisations of which he is patron, president or a member. However, apparently he will continue to be associated with a good number of these though with no active role.

The figures for his activity over so many years are staggering - 22,191 solo engagements and 637 overseas visits, and even last year he carried out 110 days of pub-

The Duke of Edinburgh accepted his role as consort to The Queen and has played the role perfectly. AP Photo lic engagements.

Having been married in 1947, Prince Philip has become the longest-serving royal consort in British history. By common consent, the Queen, who for her part is the longest-reigning monarch, could not have been so effective as head of state without him at her side - an example of constancy for others to emulate in their own different ways. Handsome and distinguished looking, he was ambitious, talented and an alpha male who, reportedly, had the ability to rise to the top in the Royal Navy, in which

he served with distinction, if he had not married the Queen.

He accepted that the traditional rules of marriage would be inverted so that not only would he always be walking two paces behind his wife but he would have to concentrate on so-called domestic duties while being free to pursue his own myriad interests and causes.

These included establishment of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme (known in the Bahamas as the Governor General’s Youth Award) which was considered to be one of his most significant achievements both nationally and internationally. He last visited Nassau in this connection 20 years ago and I found it a delight to accompany him on his appointments at that time.

Overall, Prince Philip has been judged to have played his role perfectly from the start and he has attracted over the years an almost tidal wave of enthusiasm.

Some people consider that his legendary off-the-cuff remarks, gaffes and quips, some of which have landed him temporarily in hot water, have contributed to his popularity; and many have chuckled at these numerous jokes and indiscretions

which have been well documented both in book and video form. But they have never overshadowed the seriousness of his role.

Following the announcement of his standing down from official Royal duties, Prime Minister Theresa May said that the whole country recognised his steadfast support for the Queen over the last 70 years of a royal marriage and offered deepest gratitude and good wishes.

The Queen continues to provide the stability and continuity which underpins the nation’s democracy. Without the Duke of Edinburgh accompanying her at the helm, this will be a new era for the Royal family. Her Majesty has already called for other family members to place more emphasis on state matters from now on and to become more closely involved at that level.

Most people will surely hope for their continued success in this unique role of representing Britain and wish them all well.

• Peter Young is a retired British diplomat living in Nassau. From 1996 to 2000 he was British High Commissioner to The Bahamas.

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017 PAGE 9

Inglorious Empire: Parallels of Indian and West Indian exploitation World View

By SIR RONALD SANDERS

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HE yearnings ing positions in the colonial for power and civil service. The structure, wealth of the which was left in place at the stone-cold dead independence of the West British Empire echoed Indian countries, was illamongst the older genera- prepared for the demands tion throughout the shires of global competition. of Britain during the ‘BrexThe British acted in the it’ campaign. countries it controlled in Those yearnings reflected Britain’s interest with no rethemselves in the support of gard for the long-term conthe older voters to leave the sequences of their actions.

European Union (EU) as Thus, Tharoor relates, the an assertion of their sover- destruction of Indian foreignty and the exceptional- ests and wildlife occurred ism of Britain. at a galloping pace for three Britain was main reasons: “to indeed once ‘The British convert the land the ruler of the into commercial world; a place it acted in the plantations, esachieved by slav- countries it pecially to grow A LOOK back at the British Empire in 1920 - but who did the empire benefit most? ery, exploitation, controlled tea; to make railmilitary coercion way sleepers: and established in 1600 as the such as the Royal Bank of ers that continue to plague and by ruthless in Britain’s to export timber instrument through which Scotland and Barclays and those countries. Without application of the interest with to England for Britain plundered India. At in the wealth and positions the instrument of divide dictum of Julius no regard for the construction the Company’s establish- of the elite and even cultur- and rule, how else could a Cesar, divide et of English houses ment, Britain accounted for al institutions such as the handful of British civil servants, police and soldiers impera (divide the long-term and furniture”. 1.8 per cent of global gross Tate Gallery.

Tharoor also takes apart control the significantly domestic product and India and conquer).

The consequence consequences Fortunately for of their was deprivation for 23 per cent. India was the British claim of uniting larger numbers of people Britain, this anof native tribes one of the richest and most India from warring princi- they exploited?

Few sensible persons cient and archaic actions.’ of their land; industrialised economies, palities and statelets. It is belief in fundaelimination of but it “was transformed the British, he asserts, who would hold today’s generamental British superiority animals; and the ecological by the process of imperial through their deliberate tion of British people acrule into one of the poor- policy of divide and rule, countable for the atrocities has not poisoned the minds devastation of vast areas. of a more open and realistic Similarly, in the West In- est, most backward, illiter- promoted and entrenched of previous generations; younger generation. dies, on the island of An- ate and diseased societies distinctions between Hin- certainly, not the young Despite the fact that the tigua - originally thickly- on earth by the time of our dus and Muslims, as well as generation. But the hisbetween Hindu castes, and tory of Britain is stained British history they learn wooded - forests were cut independence in 1947”.

By then, India’s share of set the stage for the parti- by the excesses of their in the official school curric- down to facilitate sugar ula is sanitised of the evils production. The result in world GDP was just three tion of India, into India and Empire. Tharoor is not an perpetrated in the name of Antigua is the absence of per cent, while Britain’s was Pakistan with the legacy of advocate of reparations as Britain’s glory and its ac- sufficient trees to attract three times as high. Simi- hostility that characterises is demanded in the former West Indian territories; he cumulation of wealth, the rainfall, long periods of larly, sugar production from their relationship today.

The British did the same favours a manifestation of educated younger people drought, and a heavy reli- the West Indies enriched have a greater sense of the ance for water on modern Britain on the backs of slav- in the West Indies, most no- atonement similar to the diminished circumstances and expensive technology ery and indentured labour. tably in Guyana, but also in Kniefall von Warschau of Britain and the need for such as desalinisation and Britain’s parliament was Trinidad and Tobago where when in 1970, Willy Brandt filled with West Indian sug- they created conditions for then Chancellor of Gerits deeper integration in reverse osmosis plants.

Europe. That, too, was eviIn making his compel- ar plantation owners who hostility between descend- many, “sank to his knees dent in the demographics of ling point about how Brit- bought their seats with the ants of African slaves and at the Warsaw Ghetto to the ‘Brexit’ vote. ain became rich at the cost proceeds of exploitation, Indian indentured labour- apologise to Polish Jews The mythology of the of India’s impoverishment, dehumanisation and brutal benefits of British colonial- Tharoor recalls that the slavery. Today, the legacy ism; its fostering of democ- East India Company was is held in Britain by banks racy and its development of the countries and peoples over whom it ruled has been exploded in a gripping new book entitled, “Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India” by Indian parliamentarian and former government minister, Shashi Tharoor. The accounts in the book of “the long and shameless rapacity in India” have compelling of Market Street, Nasparallels with slavery and sau, The Bahamas, indentured servitude in the died peacefully at her West Indies. home, on Tuesday, 9th The cruelties and barMay, 2017 surrounded baric acts, including the by her family. slaughter of women and children at Amritsar under A funeral service will the command of Brigadier be held at the AnGeneral Reginald Dyer, are nunciation Greek Orakin to the killing of slaves thodox Church, West throughout the West Indies, Hill Street, Nassau, on who rose up in defiance of Friday,19th May, 2017 their captivity and their deat 11:00 a.m. humanisation, except that the people at Amritsar had Father Irenaeus Cox will officiate and the family no weapons of any kind and ask that their wishes be respected for a private inhad gathered not in protest terment in the Western Cemetery, Nassau Street, but to celebrate the major Nassau. spring festival of Baisakhi.

As Tharoor records, “Dyer Mrs. Antonas is survived by her two sons, John Anordered his men to keep firtonas and Elias Antonas; three grandsons, Steffan ing till all their ammunition Antonas, Paul Antonas and Byron Antonas; stepwas exhausted”. granddaughter, Kelsey O’Rawe; daughters-in-law, Tharoor is no wild-eyed Pavia Antonas and Lori Antonas; granddaughtersanarchist. He is a seasoned in-law, Julie Antonas, Ashley Antonas and Krysdiplomat who served for tal Antonas; great granddaughter, Olivia Antonas; many years in various brother, Byron Pateras; sister-in-law, Alice Pateras; United Nations agencies numerous nephews and nieces and many other rising to the level of Underrelatives and friends including Susan, Ricardo and Secretary General during Riley Mayberry of Bermuda, Chris, Diana, Sophia, Kofi Annan’s stewardship.

Nicholas and Ally Pateras of the US, John, Fanni He was also a candidate for Pateras and family, Thespina Pateras and family the Secretary-Generalship of Athens, Greece, The Thomas Family of Lonin 2006 losing to Ban Kidon, England. Chryss Hionis & Scott Griswold, Moon. His narrative is unJimmy & Spomenka Hionis and Leo Hionis of derlined by a sense of outPhiladelphia,The Tyrakis and Girakios Families in rage, but at no point does it Kalymnos, Greece, The Antonas Family in Ohio, descend to unsubstantiated U.S.A., The Klonaris Family in Nassau and Ausallegation and accusation. tralia.The Govan Family of Nassau, Bahamas, The It is a careful, meticulously Haines Family of Nassau, Bahamas and the USA. researched study expressed Cally Maillis and Family, Helen Georgiadis and in eloquent use of the EngFamily and all of Mary’s adopted ‘Market Street lish language - perhaps the Family’, Nassau, The Bahamas. one useful legacy left by Britain to the countries of In lieu of flowers the family request that donations its former Empire. At least be sent to either The Annunciation Greek Orthoit facilitates international dox Church, P.O. Box N. 823, Nassau, Bahamas discourse among the majoror The Bahamas Humane Society, P.O. Box N-242, ity of the world’s people.

Nassau, Bahamas in memory of Mrs. Maria ‘Mary’ However, as Tharoor Antonas. points out, in the case of India, educating Indians Special thanks to Dr. Dean Tseretopoulos for his was not done for the sake loving care and support. Thanks to Angels Elite of Indians; it was done to Nursing Service, the staff at Doctor’s Hospital ICU satisfy British needs in Inand The Princess Margaret Hospital Private Medidia. The same can be said cal Ward. of the West Indies, where such education as was esArrangements by Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited. tablished was geared to fill-

Funeral Service

Beloved Maria ‘Mary’ Antonas, 90

for the Holocaust”. It will probably take another generation in Britain before such a thing occurs.

Tharoor’s book is about Britain in India; but its story is equally about British imperialism from whose exploitation West Indian peoples were also sufferers.

• Inglorious Empire: What the British did to India, by Shashi Tharoor, is published by Hurst & Company, London • Sir Ronald Sanders is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organisation of American States. He is also Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto.

The views expressed are his own. Responses and previous commentaries: www. sironaldsanders.com

day, January10 23, MONDAY, 2017 PAGE

A10INSIGHT

MAY 15, 2017

THE TRIBUNE EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

GAIN AN EDGE A NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

GAIN AN EDGE

A NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

hy diversified Take the challenge of ucation is key TVET it’s worth it social equity

Vital lessons can be learned at The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute in pursuing HELLE Failure to have both heducation had ed long and TVET and traditional The Bahamas Technical overwhelming. But, continabout what academics available in and Vocational Institute uous hard work and dedicado with her all school programmes (BTVI) has been the foun- tion allowed me to be very dation of many success sto- successful,” said the Assoe 11th grade is a disservice to ries. ciate’s degree holder. egarding the our children and A few of them include The BTVI alumna, who life needed owner of Sinclair’s Rentpresently studying tocountry, saysisRemiska e would inA-Tool, Sidney Sinclair; English wards a Bachelor’s degree Wildgoose, r tonight.

Colina Insurance Informa- in Marketing at the Univerctantly ap- instructor at BTVI tion Technology Network sity of The Bahamas (UB),

REJECTION OF THE PLP WAS ALL ABOUT CHRISTIE’S LEADERSHIP From pg7

order of business and understands that there should Smith, she be no secret kept from the Administrator, Gerald Des- is grateful toTVET have passed is a first option for exhaustion. school does not work out.

Bahamian people with inor; Baha Retreat’s master through BTVI and lauded ked hard - Unfortunately, as a society, some is an important step regard to our money. stylist, Je’Rome Miller and the institutiontowards for givingprogression. her The d, for they we place white collar jobs Second, in a timely owner of Rolle’s Electri- the foundation for post-secst for their on a pedestal. Our educa- child that is talented with fashion, the Baha Mar deal cal, Bernard Rolle. They ondary education. tional system separates the their hands is just as intelmust be unsealed by Attorare among the thousands of “Regarding the educae made a de- students with “great poten- ligent as the child who asney General Carl Bethel so graduates whose skills have tion, all of the core classes do hair and tial”, and for those students pires to pursue medicine. the Bahamian people can contributed to the work- (100 levels at Social UB andequity some begins with we give our best. be fully aware of what the force. of the 200 levels) are the However, countries such us, for the carpenter and Smith reChristie Administration During the institution’s same and more than half crazy aye! as Finland, whose educa- the doctor both end up connegotiated on our behalf.

2016 graduation exercise, of my credits tributing were transferto the society as a we plunk- tional system rivals most, Nine months removed, we the president, Dr Robert W able,” she said.

“It is basiu in private shows that 45 per cent of whole. Thus, failure to have have little confidence that Robertson emphasised that cally the same concepts ay you wan’ students choose a technical both TVET and traditional this deal had our best inter“BTVI is not a dumping being taught.academics Of course, available in all you better track as opposed to the traest at heart. Former memground for low-achieving further into school your area of programmes is truly e and pray ditional academics*. What ber of Christie’s cabinet students or those who are study, the courses at UB are o with your if Joshua, who can take a a disservice to our children Jerome Fitzgerald’s emails not college material.” He more detailedand andultimately they be- our country. car apart and put it back to Sarkis Izmirlian created underscored that the place come a little more challengAt this pivotal moment, retreated, together, or Gabrielle, who an uproar in the country in of vocational ing,there but because is no simple answer despond- can paint nails like artwork the weeks leading up to the professionals in ‘At times, it got theto solve foundation our social and ecoermined to on a canvass, had the opelection. Christie’s silence society is cru- challenging hasnomic alreadyills. beenNevertheless, her proud. portunity early on to be on that matter was a lethal cial. laidone at of BTVI, it answers lies in as aitsuccess g and hard seenand was for who makes it aour blow to his political legacy.

In fact, the little pursue med- they are, as opposed to the placing diversified educaIt also gave the Bahamian quest to remove overwhelming. easier to build expectations that society tion at the forefront. All people insight into how the stigma asso- But, continuous on.” s, we know projects onto them? For countries, especially decommonplace solicitaciated with techMeanwhile, like these, tech- veloping countries, need o well. We students tion and abuse of power nical and voca- hard work and shebalanced said two development en the best nical vocational education may have been during the tional education dedication of through the lessons all of the educause we have and training (TVET) is Christie years. and training learned while at tional sectors in order to choice. me to be will become firstallowed The people demanded (TVET) is gradBTVI were reREMISKA WILDGOOSE While there are still make significant progress wyers. Carchange and showed that we ual, but coming very successful.’ - sponsibility and assage ther- changes needed to be made in terms of national devel- and look to 2027, when our well-diversified educational duce instantaneous were serious at the polls results, along with the Je’liece Darling grabbing oppor(Bennell,1996). educational system pro- system is one small but sig- it is an alternative educational system, opment nly be the in our onthat Maywill 10, 2017. Prime help of intertunities when en medical embracing the fact that We must see beyond 2017 duces more than enough nificant step towards long- make a tremendous differMinister Minnis now must national organisations like presented. qualified, visionary citizens term economic prosperity ence.

J P Morgan. Last year, the “I have learnt to hold who could build a world in our nation.

For many students at the banking giant announced myself accountable and While further investment Bahamas Technical and class resort that would rival its commitment of $75m to never be dependent on any“For the promise most. Implementing TVET into developing our educa- Vocational Institute, TVET career technical education one when it comes to (my) shown here BTVIapresident Robertmay W Robertson, tional Dr system not pro- isis now programmes and with having theirstudying only choice because programmes. studies. I have become a JE’LIECE DARLING, of change by it is what they love. As leadWith career and techni- much more responsible and towards a bachelor’s degree in marketing at the University of The Bahamas. our new Prime ers, teachers, and parents, cal education being a cata- mature adult in terms of Youth Parliament Confer- amazing young people with their lesson plans. brilliant ideas. It honestly it is incumbent we con“The instructors honestly that lyst for Science, Technol- knowing exactly what my ence in The Bahamas.

Minister to be tinue toforembrace TVET as “Never in a million years was the highlight of my year go over and beyond stuogy, Engineering and Math goals are and knowing the viable, alternative levels so the ‘old studentsat all (STEM) education, one sacrifices I have to make would I have thought that along with receiving my As- dents, makingansure all individuals become needed can ought not to consider vo- to achieve them. I’ve also out of the hundreds of sociate’s degree,” she added. have all the resources way’ must swiftly As a BTVI President’s to do well. Don’t valuable memmindcontributing the cational learning as a last learnt to take full advan- students who attend and bers of society. and completely regarding resort for those who have tage of all of my resources.” graduated from BTVI, I List and National Technical noise in the market Stories like Roin- that failed academically. ConThe 23-year-old, who is would have been chosen to Honour Society graduate, BTVI being a second-class beoferadicated.” chelle, whose name has experience versely, it is quite challeng- a graduate of C R Walker represent not only BTVI, she described her experience stitution. Firsthand been is sometimes the bestchanged teacher. for the pruing.

High School, was chosen by but The Bahamas,” said Ms at BTVI as “phenomenal”.

“BTVI wasn’t my first BTVI has laidpose of this article, are the foundation Je’liece Darling, a 2016 BTVI Student Counsellor, Darling, who participated his end of the much too common. in terms of upholdLike Business Office Technology Pamela McCartney, to par- in the debate on globalisa- choice. I initially wanted for what I expect to study abroad, but things education,” sheso Aside from the many others,bargain. medical said. graduate, has experienced ticipate in The Bahamas’ tion. disastrous school didisnot out. In performance by “The whole experience didn’t work out. However, I • “Gain An Edge” a work the rigours of TVET. Youth Parliament 2016. thepursued PLP, the promise of the end, sheof still “The overall educational That same year, she also for me was surreal and I am glad that I chose to com- weekly collaboration is probably what what Foundashe loved change - beauty experience was just as I had participated in the 41st Re- was truly honoured to have mence my studies at BTVI the Lyford Cay trades.

Technical secured this victory for the expected it to be. At times, gional Commonwealth Par- been awarded the opportu- and I am a proud alumna. tions, Bahamas it got challenging and it was liamentary Association’s nity to be a part of so many Most of my lectures were and Vocational Institute Free National Movement. extremely hands on. Some and University Sources There will not be much of The Baof them were very strict, but hamas aimed *Mark of a(2012). honeymoon. The BaPhillips at promotvery much so involved in the ing a nationalWhy hamian people want quick shouldonwe care about dialogue learning process in terms of higher education. results and any delay on Vocational Education?

To share being able to incorporate your thoughts, **Bennell, part of the Prime Minemail gain- Pthe (1996). different learning styles in anedge@tribunemedia.net. may not be received General versus ister vocational well.in Our secondary education de-history of having as Prime Minisveloping country:lawyers A review has loaned itself to a of rates of returnters evidence. of the populace The Journal of storyline DevelopToday Thursday being led by talkers and ment Studies. not doers “Gain An Edge” is a- particularly in Business - The new MinObituaries and Religion, the case of Mr Christie. weekly collaboration ister of Finance is promis- a weekly review Prime Minister Minnis the Lyford Cay Foundaing help and incentives to ‘On da Hook’, a golden opportunity tions,a weekly Bahamas has Technical revive Freeport, Neil Hart- look at fishing in The Bato Institute further set himself apart and Vocational nell reports hamas predecessors by and University offrom Thehis BaSports - Bahamian goldthe campaign talk hamas aimed atputting promoten girl Shaunae MillerFriday into action ing a national dialogue on swiftly, and if Uibo set the world’s fasthigher education.necessary, To share harshly. The est 400m timeand in the worldis important Weekend a 28-page people will not be kind thoughts, email gainTECHNICAL vocational education training to -your this yearWildgoose. in Shanghai this section devoted to the best to the Prime Minister if anedge@tribunemedia.net. help students, says Remiska weekend; plus Fourth in arts, music, fashion, continued inaction occurs Quarter Press. food, books, entertainin his term or if there is Plus the full official elec- ment, gardening, animal only a proverbial ‘slap on tion results and the latest matters, fitness, history the wrist’ given to individuproperties for sale and and interviews als found to be in abuse of rent in the Home Buyers’ A Comic’s View their positions of power.

Guide Naughty’s unique take on Additionally, the fashion the week in The Bahamas in which the PLP was Tuesday Sports - The Finish Line, embarrassed at the polls a look at the local sports should also send a clear Woman and Health scene, by Brent Stubbs message to the new govern- weekly advice on takment that the Bahamian ing care of your mind and Saturday people will not entertain body and women making the same politicking of waves in The Bahamas The Tribune’s Top 5: yesteryear. Prime Minister Plus comment from a special video review of Minnis has to run a tight Nicole Burrows and the week’s top stories by ship, and at all costs, avoid the Press Box sporting Khrisna Virgil on www. making the mistakes that thoughts of Inigo “Naugh- tribune242.com the former holder of the ty” Zenicazelaya Every day in The Tribposition made. If anyone une, news, business, sports, on his ‘change team’ picks Wednesday weather and Classifieds up any old habits, he must Trader - the best guide to not linger, but act quickly Tribune Tech - a weekly cars for sale, real estate, - or else in 2022, he may look at what’s new in the help wanted and more. suffer a similar fate. world of technology The disenfranchised Plus breaking news and • Comments and responses Jeffrey Butler’s voice of updates on your mobileto insight@tribunemedia. the inner city friendly tribune242.com net

THIS WEEK IN THE TRIBUNE

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, May 15, 2017, PAGE 11

INVESTIGATORS at the scene of the fatal shooting of a man in a car at Whitaker Close early on Friday.

Photos: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff

Man shot and killed as he sat inside his car

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was shot and killed while sitting in the driver’s seat of a vehicle in the Carmichael Road area early Friday morning, according to police.

According to Chief Superintendent Solomon Cash, officer in charge of the Central Detective Unit (CDU), the car’s engine was still running when officers arrived at the scene at Whitaker Close off Carmichael Road.

He said sometime around

12.30am police received information of a shooting at the location. Upon arrival, he said officers found a silver coloured vehicle parked on the eastern side of the street.

A preliminary check of the vehicle revealed the lifeless body of a man, who appeared to be in his early 30s, Chief Supt Cash said.

Emergency Medical Services personnel were summoned and officially pronounced the victim dead at the scene.

Chief Supt Cash said police have no motive for the murder. However, it pushes

the country’s murder count to 54 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.

“We don’t have an identification on him yet but we are appealing to members of the public who live in this vicinity or who may have been riding in this vicinity who may have seen something that they can feel free to contact the police at 919 or the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991, 2 or 3,” he said.

On the night of May 8, a man was shot and killed in Englerston while ordering food, hours after another man was shot multiple

ONE MAN DEAD, TWO IN HOSPITAL AFTER SHOOTOUT WITH POLICE from page one

Police also said “during the pursuit the occupants of the vehicle fired several shots” at officers. The chase ended at Montrose Avenue near Tenwich Street, where the vehicle crashed into a wall and became engulfed

YOUR

in flames, police also said.

Four males emerged from the vehicle and were arrested. The male suspects were taken to hospital for injuries received during the crash.

Later that day, one of the males died from his injuries, while another was released, police said.

Two of the males remain in hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Investigations are continuing.

Anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call police at 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 328TIPS.

CHOICE FOR THE FAMILY WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JOYFM1019

times one corner away.

At the time, Chief Supt Cash said the first victim was walking on Cordeaux Avenue when he was approached by two men and shot multiple times. He was rushed to hospital, where he was last listed in critical condition.

Hours later, around 10pm, another man was ordering food, one corner away on Minnie Street, when he was approached by two men and fatally shot.

However, Chief Supt Cash could not confirm at the time if the shootings were related.

INVESTIGATORS at the scene of the shooting.

PAGE 12, Monday, May 15, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Observers note lack of ZNS balance and campaigning at advanced polls

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net THE Commonwealth Observer Group on Friday called for the establishment of an independent election management body with modern voting and counting systems to “safeguard” the country’s “democratic history.”

In its initial assessment of the 2017 general election, the international group of observers said the creation of such a unit could address several issues that dog the country’s election process.

Of those issues of concern put forward by the group, the balance in airtime allotted to political organisations by the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas was highlighted as “disproportionate”.

Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group Hannah Tetteh, facilitated the report.

The five-page document noted that while social media platforms provided a level playing field for national dialogue, the staterun broadcast corporation did not offer equal airtime to all the political parties and candidates.

She added that there was an obvious slant to the slate of incumbent candidates.

“Notwithstanding these views that were expressed to the group, it is our impression that the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) did a commendable job in developing a Code of Practice for Content Regulation.

We encourage URCA in its ongoing efforts to enable a more robust regulatory framework for public media institutions which also assures the freedoms and rights of citizens.

“Similarly, a forwardthinking election management body undertakes extensive voter education, encouraging responsible use of social media, while protecting the rights of citizens to vigorously debate social and political issues online.”

The Commonwealth report also called into question the electoral framework managed by the

CROWDS at the advanced polling at Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, which saw long lines and long wait times, raising concerns.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff Parliamentary Registration inside the polling station appropriately to manage of the electoral process your active participation was generally well con- the crowd.” that could be supported by in Commonwealth forums Department.

The observer group also the police. It is a model of and spaces.”

The observer group ducted and concluded in raised the issue of how the a peaceful manner, it was insisted that the “loose in- best practice that ought to The Commonwealth tenure of former Parlia- the management of the terpretation” of the law be recommended across the group was one of four obmentary Commissioner operational and logistical with respect to party agents Commonwealth. This ob- servation groups invited Sherlyn Hall was handled aspects of the process that being allowed to vote on server group intends to do to the country by the Bawas of significant concern. the advanced polling day just that.” during the election cycle. hamian government - the The observer group also US Embassy deployed 30 Mr Hall’s contract ex- We were alarmed by the overwhelmed the system.

The report added: “It noted and commended the observers to more than pired a day after the ad- open campaigning and vanced poll and six days loud music prevailing in was evident the Parliamen- number of women candi- 100 polling stations in New before general polling. and around the advanced tary Registration Depart- dates involved in the elec- Providence, Grand BahaCharles Albury was named polling station at the Ken- ment used the experience toral process. ma and Eleuthera on May of advanced polling day to “The overwhelming 10 and the CARICOM acting parliamentary com- dal Isaacs Gymnasium.”

It continued: “When the ensure some of these issues representation of women team visited 223 polling missioner on May 5.

The Commonwealth former prime minister ar- did not resurface on May working as electoral offic- stations across 20 constitugroup said the circum- rived to vote, the rush of 10. We commend the acting ers and party agents was encies. stances surrounding this the chanting crowd from parliamentary commission- obvious. We commend the The Organisation of spirit of youth which we American States (OAS) development were “highly supporters of the two main er in this regard.”

Of law enforcement, the observed in the campaign deployed a team of 11 interunusual,” adding that the political parties on the baroverall process introduced riers placed before the actu- observation group noted: and number of youth can- national observers, which “anxiety into a charged al polling station was unfor- “We were impressed with didates. We heartily con- included specialists in electunate. Such occurrences the high level of techno- gratulate young persons toral organisation, electoral electoral environment”.

The report continued have no place in a neutral logical preparedness of the who successfully contested technology, campaign fiwith regard to the early and safe voting environ- police force and the man- seats in the elections. You nance, constituency boundpoll: “The team noted that ment. The police must be ner in which they had con- are Commonwealth role aries, gender and political although the actual voting commended for responding sidered every single aspect models and we commend analysis.

ACTIVIST group Out Da Box called on the new governing party, the Free National Movement, to fulfil its campaign pledges of strengthening anti-corruption mechanisms and increasing the fairness of elections.

The group also expressed alarm at “abnormalities” reported to have taken place on Election Day and “at the blatant disenfranchisement of voters in the Family Islands” during the advanced poll.

In a statement, the group also thanked those persons who “as act of conscience” chose not to endorse a candidate in the 2017 general election, but instead chose to “protest”

with a spoiled ballot.

“The FNM achieved its largest margin of victory ever in terms of seats won,” a statement from the group said. “We call on Prime Minister Hubert Minnis to act early in his term to initiate the kinds of constitutional reforms that already enjoy almost universal public support, including term limits for the prime minister, a set election date, an independent (Constituencies) Commission or fixed boundaries and a recall system.

“Finally, we call on the FNM administration to reform the registration process, which in itself is an instrument of disenfranchisement. The requirement

ACTIVISTS CALL FOR CLAMPDOWN ON CORRUPTION that every citizen of voting age must first initiate his or her own registration is a barrier to full universal suffrage, discriminating against those who are elderly, ill, disabled, or reside far away from the capital. Our nation has the tools to identify and register eligible voters automatically as they come of age, and we urge the Minnis administration to move swiftly to legislate their use.

“We call on the prime minister to follow the OAS’ recommendation and the recommendation of successive Constitutional Commissions to further strengthen the independence of the attorney general or give true autonomy to the director of prosecutions.

“In terms of legal reforms that will increase accountability, we call on the prime minister to gazette the Freedom of Information Act and introduce legislation to regulate political parties as the OAS has recommended. We believe a UK-style Electoral Commission is sorely needed in our country. In our view, the Public Disclosure Act of 1976 is clearly ineffective and we call for more stringent rules regarding the financial reporting of public officials, including independent auditing of all representatives, judges and senior officials.”

The group also said this is an opportunity for the Progressive Liberal Party

to reform itself in the wake a resounding defeat at the polls.

“The Progressive Liberal Party’s defeat in this election was resounding. It is clear that rank and file PLP voters wanted new leadership, but the party ignored their wishes. If the party had not avoided a convention for (eight) years and had held an open and fair leadership race with wide citizen participation, it would not have suffered such a major defeat.

“If it had been able to discipline MPs within its ranks whose public conduct harmed the country, and not just discipline MPs whose public conduct harmed the leader, they may have won

the 2017 election. Nonetheless, this defeat is a once in a lifetime opportunity for PLPs to fashion a more democratic and trustworthy organisation, one that returns the party to its 1953 core principles.”

Ahead of the election, Out Da Box called on voters to “participate in civil disobedience” and spoil their ballots instead of choosing a particular candidate.

The Parliamentary Registration Department has not indicated how many persons took this route.

Yesterday, the group encouraged Bahamians to remain vigilant in the wake of the recent election and engaged in the democratic process.

CALL TO SCRAP PRE-ELECTION POLICE PROMOTIONS BECAUSE OF HIGH CRIME

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FAMILIES for Justice, a local civic group in Grand Bahama, is calling for the

cancellation of the recent promotions to all senior police officers given the high

crime rate in The Bahamas.

On May 1, two days before the advanced poll, 851 officers with the Royal Bahamas Police Force were promoted under the former Progressive Liberal Party administration: two to the rank of chief superintendent, 76 to superintendent, 90 to assistant superintendent, 107 to inspector, and 323 to the rank of corporal.

The promotions took effect January 1.

Over the past five years, more than 620 murders were recorded in the Bahamas during the PLP’s tenure in office.

Rev Glenroy Bethel, president of FFJ, said the organisation does not support or endorse the promotions of senior officers at this time.

“The Families For Justice organisation is calling for an investigation immediately after the country’s general elections of all senior police officers who were promoted

and into the allegations of corruption in the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

“Our mission is to stop, review and cancel all senior police officers’ promotions until we can put a handle on the unprecedented crime crisis in The Bahamas,” he said in a statement on Friday.

“While we support our police department for promotions, salaries and benefits, it is our view as members of the public that our police department be accountable to the Bahamian people as to why there should be promotions for the senior branches of the Royal Bahamas Police Force at this crucial time in Bahamian history.”

Rev Bethel said the country is experiencing a “high level of crime” and the Royal Bahamas Police Force and its commanders have a responsibility under the Constitution to protect citizens and reduce crime

to levels where Bahamians and visitors can feel safe.

He expressed concerns about the alleged involvement of some high-ranking senior officers in business interests, unsolved murders and police involved fatal shootings in the country.

Rev Bethel also alleged that there is corruption in the high ranks of the force that his organisation intends to address.

“Crime has affected the capital tremendously, and it has now affected Grand Bahama greatly, and has spread throughout The Bahamas,” he said.

Rev Bethel said that the politicians alone cannot address the crime situation.

“If the police force cannot give us a plan of action to deal with crime, then we as taxes payers should not and will not endorse what we call self-recommendations and promotions for the Royal Bahamas Police Force.”

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, May 15, 2017, PAGE 13

PETER TURNQUEST, left, Deputy Prime Minister of The Bahamas alongside Hubert Ingraham, former Prime Minister; Patricia Minnis, wife of the Prime Minister; Dr Hubert Minnis, Prime Minister, and Dame Marguerite Pindling, Governor General.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Turnquest aims to cut back on overspending from page one He acknowledged that there would likely be a need for borrowing to meet the government’s financial obligations in the short term.

First on the agenda will be the national budget, at which time efforts will be focused on making adjustments that will reflect the government’s priorities, he said, like Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ campaign pledge of tax breaks for the inner-city.

Next will come a review of government initiatives that were hastily launched ahead of the election, like National Health Insurance (NHI).

“I think that we’re going to see that this is not going to be a free for all anymore,” Mr Turnquest said, “there is going to be control. We’re going to have to justify our pennies because for too long we’ve had these fluff things, programmes and contracts that are awarded, special interest contracts, we just can’t afford that right now.

“Our goal is to produce a balanced budget and we want to do that as quickly as possible so that we can start to significantly affect the national debt.”

Noting that the matter was ultimately under the remit of the incoming minister of health, Mr Turnquest

confirmed that the NHI programme would come under scrutiny to determine how it will be funded.

“It’s safe to say that we will have to take a very serious look at NHI to ensure that it is sustainable,” he said.

“It has to be looked at so we can determine how we’re going to fund it. I don’t know that it’s acceptable for an additional tax put on the Bahamian people but again we have to look at the programme and see whether that is something the public wants and are prepared to carry the cost of.”

Mr Turnquest said his mandate for the finance portfolio will be to direct

realistic fiscal measures, as opposed to the idealism espoused by the former government.

“And very practical,” he said, “and I understand the politics of things but I’m very practical. We have a dollar to spend, we have to figure out how we’re going to divide that dollar.”

“Once we can get past this (budget) period it’s a matter of having a review of what is outstanding in terms of financial obligations to see whether we’re getting value for money and to ensure that the Bahamian people benefit, particularly with respect to those contracts that were issued in the last couple of days

before the election.”

Mr Turnquest said: “There were a lot of people that were hired or promoted before the last election, you want to make sure everything was above board and we’re not being saddled with a situation that is untenable or unsustainable.”

Speaking to the party’s platform promises, Mr Turnquest said while he was hopeful the government will be able to implement empowerment initiatives, his primary goal was to maintain the country’s credit rating and stability.

“We cannot afford any further negative reviews and so we’re going to have to do whatever is necessary

to ensure that we achieve a positive outlook in the next year,” he said.

“It means that we have to be very fiscally conservative and we have to be prudent.

With every action comes a reaction, so we have to be sensitive to all of the factors that go into running a government; however, we have to cut back on the excess. We have to do as much as we can to ensure again that we’re getting value for money, that we are focusing on programmes that will generate a return for the government as well as the Bahamian people.”

“We have a tremendous opportunity,” he added, “we got to seize it.”

VOTER TURNOUT DOWN BY 2% OVER 2012 POLL from page one

registration in the months before the May 10 date was announced.

According to official figures released by the Parliamentary Registration Department, 159,150 Bahamians had their vote counted at the polls - 3,062 less than in 2012.

However, this figure does not include the MICAL seat, for which there were 1,348 registered voters, as official figures were still unavailable up to press time.

This is the first time voter turnout has dipped under 90 per cent since the 1987 election, which saw 87.90 per cent of registered voters cast their ballot. That year, the Progressive Liberal Party won the government taking 31 of 49 seats.

This year Long Island boasted the highest voter turnout with 93.2 per cent of registered voters, while Englerston had the lowest turnout at 82.3 per cent.

As of November 4, roughly 57,000 people had registered throughout the country, a number that was

dwarfed by comparison to the same period before the 2012 general election.

At the same point in 2011, 134,000 persons were reported to have been registered across the country.

The following month in December, former Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall said the register had expanded to some 67,000 registrants.

Voter apathy was a worrisome concern for some, like political analyst and professor of English at the University of The Bahamas Dr Ian Strachan who speculated that the country could experience its lowest voter turnout in history.

Dr Strachan attributed this to the lack of faith in the current political system and “weak” alternatives to the current administration.

At the time, voter apathy was also said to be one of the reasons that prompted seven parliamentarians to seek Dr Hubert Minnis’ removal as leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Assembly.

According to then Long Island MP Loretta Butler-

HAITIAN MIGRANT FOUND DEAD, 50 MORE DETAINED A SUSPECTED Haitian migrant was found dead on an Eleuthera shoreline on Saturday. Police believe the man was part of a larger group of migrants who landed on a sloop.

According to police, shortly after 3am Saturday, police received a report that several Haitians had landed from a sloop off Cape South Eleuthera.

Responding officers ar-

rived on the scene and were able to detain about 50 of the migrants.

When officers checked the immediate area, they found the lifeless body of a man on the shoreline. He is suspected to have been a part of the group. The migrants have all been handed over to immigration officials.

Investigations are continuing.

Turner, who became the Official Opposition leader, that move was also inspired by the Free National Movement’s failure to capitalise on the Progressive Liberal

Party’s mistakes.

However the FNM later dealt a devastating blow to the PLP in a landslide victory that saw the incumbent party uprooted from all but

one seat in New Providence.

The Progressive Liberal Party held on to Englerston; Cat Island and San Salvador; South Andros and Exuma and Ragged Island.

The FNM captured 35 seats in the House of Assembly.

Just over 181,000 people registered to vote for the 2017 election.

PAGE 14, Monday, May 15, 2017

TRAVEL GROUP AND SANDALS TEAM VISIT PRIMARY SCHOOL

THE TRIBUNE

MARLIN Travel donates $6000 to Gambier Primary through Sandals Foundation.

THE younger students of Gambier Primary School received a treat when Canadian travel group Marlin Travel and team members from Sandals Royal Bahamian representing the Sandals Foundation paid a visit to the campus in the historic New Providence community.

Plugging into the Reading Road Trip programme, an initiative of the Sandals Foundation, members of the travel group sat with children from the preschool and grade 1 class and engaged them in colouring and reading exercises.

Sheniqua Curry, the school’s principal, said: “The kids always get so excited when we have visitors from Sandals and it brightens their day to participate in learning activities that is fun filled. We at the school are happy to continue to foster a relationship with

Sandals and its Foundation to assist the kids in their learning.”

Marlene Kirton, vicepresident of marketing at Marlin Travel, said the company had been keen to approach the foundation and get involved in one of their youth programmes.

“We did a bit of research on the school and in addition to engaging the kids, we wanted to donate $6,000 to the institution and assist them in checking off any items the administration had on their wish list and improve the common areas around the school.”

Heidi Clarke, director of programs at the Sandals Foundation, said that the Reading Road Trip has been successful across the Caribbean. “We are happy to say we’ve built a great relationship with the (Gambier) school that we hope will last for years to come.”

MARLIN Travel donates $6,000 to Gambier Primary through Sandals Foundation.

May 20th, 2017

COLOMBIA GIVES HURRICANE RELIEF THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration has confirmed receipt from the Republic of Colombia of a donation of nearly $55,000 for hurricane relief in relation to Hurricane Matthew.

Captain Stephen Russell, director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said that the donation of $54,700.85 was appreciated and would bolster the agency’s continued work regarding hurricane relief.

“We are currently rebuilding significantly more than 100 homes between

the islands of Grand Bahama and Andros alone, so these funds will most certainly come in well in assisting NEMA’s process of accomplishing hurricane recovery,” Capt Russell said, according to a press release.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the government of the Bahamas has formally expressed the nation’s gratitude for the expression of solidarity from the Republic of Colombia, which is a fellow member with the Bahamas in the Association of Caribbean States (ACS).

MAKING the presentation to NEMA Director Captain Stephen Russell, on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, is Director General Sharon Brennen-Haylock (right), while Chanelle Brown, head of the Ministry’s Economic and Sustainable Development Division is also pictured (left).

May 20th, 2017

TO ADVERTISE IN THE TRIBUNE, CONTACT 502-2394

PAGE 16, Monday, May 15, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

SPELLING BEE CHAMP TO HEAD TO WASHINGTON DC BAHAMAS National Spelling Bee Champion Jee’von Pratt heads to

Washington DC later this month to compete in the 90th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center hotel.

The 12-year-old seventh grade Student at St Augustine’s College will be speller No 271 out of 291 competitors in the prestigious international contest from May 28 to June 3.

Although most of the participants are from the United States, in addition to The Bahamas, other champion spellers in this

year’s competition are from American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and Department of Defence Schools in Europe, Canada, China, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

Among the participants from across the United States is five-year-old Edith Fuller, who became the youngest competitor to advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee when she beat more than 50 children aged five to 14 to win the 2017 Scripps Green

Country Regional Spelling Bee in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

According to information on Scripps National Spelling Bee website, “Spelling was one of Jee’von’s favourite subjects in primary school, and he has been participating in spelling bees since second grade. Jee’von has many interests, including literature, science, French and music. He enjoys watching his favorite television program, Steven Universe.

Jee’von loves to build things and is very interested in robotic engineering. He loves

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music and plays the piano for the children’s choir at his church. One day he would like to go to France and see the Eiffel Tower.”

Jee’von became The Bahamas’ 2017 spelling champion after 17 rounds and four hours of competition in the finals of the Bahamas National Spelling Bee on March 19 in the Crown Ballroom at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort.

The Bahamas Ministry of Education and The Nassau Guardian newspaper are the principal sponsors.

3

JEE’VON PRATT

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