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GOVT PARADE MOVE

‘TO COST JCNP $1M’

Decision to strip control over this year’s events called ‘deeply unfair’

By RASHAD ROLLE

Editor

Tribune News

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP) says the government’s decision to strip it of control over this year’s Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parades will cost it nearly $1m in losses and damages, a move it calls deeply unfair after decades of partnership.

In a sharply worded letter to Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg, dated October 6, JCNP Chairman Dion Miller said the ministry’s action jeopardises major sponsorship deals with ALIV and Commonwealth Brewery and leaves the organisation no choice but to plan its own private parades.

PINTARD DEFLECTS ON WHETHER FNM WILL CONTEST BY-ELECTION

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Leader Michael Pintard has avoided saying whether the Free National Movement would participate in a Golden Isles by-election.

Davis pledges pay ‘before Christmas’ after public servants marched on House of Assembly

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

MORE than a hundred public servants marched on the House of Assembly yesterday over delayed or

omitted salary increases, pressing up to police barricades before Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis emerged and told them: “You will be paid before Christmas.”

Chanting “we want our

money right now,” members of the Bahamas Public Services Union and the Bahamas Union of Teachers moved through Bay Street, with some teachers reporting late to work in solidarity.

An audio clip circulating beforehand alleged the union acted over widening disparities between senior administrative ofﬁcers, such as permanent secretaries,

Sarkis ﬁght for proof of British Colonial wind-up UNIONS ALLEGING BTC CELLULAR network ‘migrated’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

BAHA Mar’s contractor is ﬁghting Sarkis Izmirlian’s attempt to use a report ﬁled with the New Jersey bankruptcy court in his Bahamian legal bid to wind-up its two Nassau-based resorts.

China State Construction and Engineering (CSCEC)

Holding Company, the parent entity for CCA Inc, is arguing that the report compiled by the latter’s “special” Chapter 11 bankruptcy committee contains “conﬁdential commercial information” that Baha Mar’s original developer must be prohibited from using in his ongoing Supreme Court ﬁght.

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) two trade unions yesterday accused the carrier of “migrating” its cell phone network to “foreign jurisdictions” with recent firings “the final straw”. The BCPMU and

overseas

BCPOU, in a joint statement, alleged that foreign engineers were coming in without the necessary work permits to effect the network switch while also asserting that contract workers were increasingly replacing full-time staff as part of “union-busting” tactics.

FNM leader Michael Pintard.

PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis stands between union leaders Belinda Wilson (left) and Kimsley Ferguson (right) after public servants marched on Bay Street yesterday demanding delayed or omitted pay increases among other issues.

Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

Joint programme introduces AgTech Pilot Cohort in Grand Bahama

THE Bahamas has launched a groundbreaking AgTech Pilot Cohort in Grand Bahama, joining global nations like Brazil and Nigeria in prioritizing food security through technology.

The initiative, housed at the Harold DeGregory Complex, is a collaboration between the Ministry for Grand Bahama, BTVI, BAMSI, Dimitra Incorporated, and Innovate 242. Its goal is to equip young Bahamians with

cutting-edge tech skills to modernize the agricultural sector.

Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey, stated the programme, which has Cabinet approval, will offer techfocused classes and serve as the home for the Young Innovators Club. Targeting youth aged 17 to 25, the 52-week programme will provide training, computers, and employment opportunities in farming, according to

Orthyneil Pinder, General Manager of the Bahamian Corporation. John Trask, CEO of Dimitra Incorporated, highlighted that the company’s platform uses blockchain, machine learning, and satellite imagery to support farmers worldwide.

The programme aims to attract a new generation to view agriculture as a sustainable and innovative career path. Registration for the pilot cohort is now open.

MINISTER for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey, exchanged pleasantries and shared a laugh while discussing cacao, coffee, and farming during the launch of the AgTech initiative alongside partners - John Trask, CEO of Dimitra; Orthyneil Pinder, general manager of the Bahamian Corporation of AgTech; undersecretary Carol Roach; and Gayla Wallace, assistant manager for BTVI’s Grand Bahama Campus - at the Ministry for Grand Bahama’s Collab Unit on September 18, 2025. Photos: Jamika Culmer/BIS

JCNP head gives govt seven days to reverse its decision

The JCNP estimates losses of about $747,000, including $355,000 in unpaid sponsorship fees from ALIV, $335,000 from Commonwealth Brewery, and $57,000 it recently spent upgrading its scoring system. It said the change nulliﬁes its contracts and undermines years of collaboration.

Mr Miller gave the ministry seven days to reverse course. Failing this, he said the JCNP will move ahead with its own parades on Boxing Day 2025 and New Year’s Day 2026 — setting up a showdown that could see four Junkanoo parades instead of the usual two, with major groups like the Saxons, One Family and Roots marching under the JCNP’s banner. The fractured Valley Boys have divided their support: the World Famous Valley Boys supports the JCNP and the Way Forward Valley Boys supports the government.

Mr Miller said corporate sponsors have warned that

private parades are the only way to avoid breaching existing contracts if the ministry persists with its decision. He noted that the government provides no funding to the JCNP itself, only to member groups participating in the parades, leaving the corporation ﬁnancially cornered.

“It is important to emphasise that this decision was not arrived at lightly,”

Mr Miller said, adding that the JCNP intends to work with the ministry on seating, security and logistics for its proposed events.

The JCNP accused the ministry of abandoning an agreement in principle reached during a September 9 meeting at the Ofﬁce of the Prime Minister — attended by Mr Bowleg, Attorney General Ryan Pinder and former Court of Appeal President Dame Anita Allen — in which both sides agreed the JCNP would continue managing and administering the parades.

“Remarkably, between 9 September 2025 and 1 October 2025, the ministry

has somehow conducted an about-face from its previous, mutually agreed position with the JCNP, without any consultation with or notice to us,” the letter said.

The corporation also dismissed as “manifestly unfair and unrepresentative” a poll cited by the ministry claiming that most Junkanoo groups supported transferring control to the National Junkanoo Committee, saying long-standing groups like One Family and Roots were never invited to take part.

“It is the JCNP’s position that the poll conducted was manifestly unfair and unrepresentative of the will and intent of all Junkanoo groups on the island of New Providence,” Mr Miller said, adding that it remains a mystery who conducted the poll and how it was called.

Beyond the ﬁnancial blow, the JCNP said the ministry’s actions violated its duty to act in good faith and went against “any generally accepted practice of decency and respect.”

Despite the tension,

Mr Miller said the JCNP remains committed to ensuring Junkanoo — “the heartbeat of Bahamian culture” — is celebrated “with fairness, excellence and in a

manner beﬁtting the Bahamian people.” He closed by expressing hope that the ministry would not oppose its efforts to host private parades, reminding Mr Bowleg of

his

parade.”

Pintard urges govt to allow JCNP to manage this year’s parades

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION Leader

Michael Pintard has urged the government to let the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP) manage this year’s Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parades, warning that it is too late in the season to make major changes.

He said a national Junkanoo conclave should be held in January to address deeper issues dividing the community, including parade management, land grants for groups, multipurpose shacks, and manufacturing hubs for instruments and materials.

He criticised the government’s decision to transfer control of the

national parades from the JCNP to the National Junkanoo Committee (NJC), calling the move politically heavy-handed and unrepresentative of the wider Junkanoo community. He said the government should “step back and listen” to Junkanooers instead of dictating the future of the tradition.

“Junkanoo is one of the greatest expressions of Bahamian identity,” he said. “It belongs to no government, no politician, no political party. It belongs to the Bahamian people, especially those who have built, sustained and protected it for generations.”

Mr Pintard noted that the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s decision was based on a poll that several major Junkanoo leaders

have disputed, describing it as selective and ﬂawed. He said the government’s approach risks deepening mistrust among practitioners.

He pointed to a previous national Junkanoo conclave held nearly a decade ago under his leadership as Minister of Culture, which produced recommendations for a public-private commission led primarily by practitioners.

Mr Pintard said he supports improving the government’s proposed National

Junkanoo Authority Bill, which has sparked controversy for proposing a statutory body to regulate funding and parade management.

“We are prepared to go through it and share our views to make sure that the authority or commission that emerges is Junkanoo practitioner-centred and not dominated by government,” he said. “That was the original intent. Let’s get back to that.”

His remarks followed Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg’s

announcement that a new 15-member Parade Management Committee, chaired by veteran Junkanooer Douglas Hanna, will oversee this year’s national parades.

Mr Bowleg said the decision reﬂected the will of the majority, insisting the government had no contractual obligation to the JCNP. “In a democratic society, the majority rules,” he said. “The groups went in and in a democratic process and made a decision on their own.”

Mr Pintard said the focus

should be on ensuring the parades run smoothly and that any major changes should be made after the season through broad consultation.

“We are in a war of words a few months from the parade itself,” he said. “We don’t need the uncertainty. People plan schedules around the end of the year, and more importantly, the government and all stakeholders need to sit down and determine a strategic plan for Junkanoo. What is happening now is not advancing that.”

JUNKANOO CORPORATION OF NEW PROVIDENCE CHAIMAN DION MILLER

PM promises to meet with unions on Monday

and lower-level staff, including janitors, messengers, and clerks, and pointed to unresolved promotions, transfers, reclassiﬁcations, unpaid overtime and hazard pay, and workers still paid weekly after decades in service.

At Rawson Square, union leaders urged members to sit calmly as they pushed for entry to Parliament. After initially being barred, they were later allowed into the gallery, where Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis joined them outside, assuring that payments would be made before Christmas and promising to meet with them by Monday.

The confrontation followed the government’s announcement that workers excluded from earlier adjustments would receive at least two increments in December, retroactive to September 1, 2025, with exact amounts varying by category. Ofﬁcials said the move is intended to narrow gaps between public service pay and the wider public sector and noted base-pay gains of 8 to 31 percent over four years, with a 19 percent rise for college graduates, including graduate nurses and teachers. Phase one focused on middle management at the end of June; phase two covers the remainder of the service.

Privately, government ofﬁcials note that the salary increases were not a part of any industrial agreement

and workers were never entitled to them.

The administration previously set aside $10m in the Ministry of Finance for the salary review exercise ﬂagged during budget debates, framing it as part of a broader effort to keep public sector wages competitive.

Union leaders said none of that justiﬁes the lack of clarity now. Mrs Wilson said teachers “need clarity as to whether the teachers are being paid the salary increase,” adding she has not received the salary review report, Cabinet conclusions, or lists of which members will be paid, how much, and in which category, despite instructions “from September 3rd.”

Mr Ferguson said aviation staff have not seen raises since 2019 and accused ofﬁcials of moving goalposts on overtime, hazard pay, and long-outstanding promotions.

Yesterday, Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle said payment mechanics lie with the Ministry of Finance, while her ministry processes pay and has made “signiﬁcant progress” on legacy issues. She said there were no acrossthe-board public service pay increases between 2016 and the Davis administration’s steps, and noted that the December timeline was set due to the complexity of the review. She also said Mr Ferguson has missed recent scheduled meetings. In the crowd, frustration was personal and immediate. Ministry of Education worker Angela

Dames, who pays for private schooling for her child with ADHD, said she had counted on the increase: “I was depending on the little change, and it’s only little pocket change, and it’s unfair that y’all would have to pay the middle management, who already have money, and then want pay us chicken feed.”

BPSU vice-president Debra Foulke called the Prime Minister’s address “weak,” saying June payments to some middle managers only deepened confusion about who gets what and why.

Others described longrunning limbo. Jessie Vincent, an employee with the Department of Environmental Health since 2008, said he is still paid

weekly and was only “verbally” promoted without the salary to match.

Patrice Johnson, a janitor at H O Nash High School, said a 2021 promotion to

clerk was later rescinded without explanation and that delaying the promised September increase “four days before payday” was “a slap in the face.”

Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

‘Ministry should not have been caught off guard over 40 teachers’ resignations’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

ABOUT 40 teach-

ers resigned ahead of the new school year, a higher than usual ﬁgure according to Bahamas Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson.

Education Director Dominique McCartney Russell conﬁrmed the ﬁgure recently.

Mrs Wilson said the resignations should not have caught ofﬁcials off guard since teachers typically submit their letters months in advance.

“The effective date may have been August or September, but their letters would be in months ahead of time,” she said. “It was really disingenuous, actually, if the director gave the impression like, oops, we woke up this morning

and these persons would have resigned, because they would have been given ample notice.”

She said the ministry’s repeated stafﬁng shortfalls show “the lack of planning, or the dysfunction or the ineffectiveness of their recruitment and their retraining of teachers.”

Mrs Wilson said the roughly 40 resignations included teachers who had served as little as four years and others with more than 25 years of experience. Some non-Bahamian teachers left because their contracts expired, while Bahamian teachers cited low morale, frustration, and feeling disrespected. Others, she said, moved into new careers, joined family businesses, or took time off for family reasons.

She said education ofﬁcials have not even asked departing teachers why

they left or tried to convince them to stay. “What is also sad too, it seems as though education did not take the time to even ask these individuals, why are you leaving? What is it that we can improve upon and try to convince some of them to stay?” she said.

She said the shortage could affect hundreds of students. “If you only have eight teachers when you need ten, that means that you have two timetables,” she said. “That would be 40 teaching periods between Monday and Friday of each week, which would impact up to 500 students, because that would mean that we do not have a teacher to teach that discipline. Hence, the students are not getting the instruction that they need in that particular subject, which then again impacts BJC, BGCSE and their overall performance.”

BAHAMAS Union of Teachers president Belinda Wilson speaks to the press outside the House of Assembly after a protest march on Bay Street yesterday. Photos: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

The Tribune Limited

NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI

“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972

Contributing Editor 1972-1991

RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.

Publisher/Editor 1972-

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No need to rush a change

FNM leader Michael Pintard is right. Here we are, in October, with the nation’s Junkanoo groups long into their planning and preparation work for this year’s parades.

At this late stage, the government is taking control of the parades from the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP) and handing it to the National Junkanoo Committee (NJC). Junkanoo is a national treasure, a passion for the people who rush, who dance, who play, who build, who design, who dare.

Yet this past year it seems as if Junkanoo has been a constant battle.

For the many of us who have attended the Boxing Day or New Year parades – as audience or participant – or those who have watched eagerly from home while cheering on one group or another, it is an important part of our culture.

Organising the parades at the best of times is a challenge. Yes, there have been complaints over the years. Some of those complaints have been about that organisation – making sure for example that the gaps between groups are kept to a minimum, without onlookers wondering where the next group is and why they are taking so long.

Other complaints have sometimes been based more in the rivalries that take place out on the street – why this group got so many points while that one got so few.

But I think we can all agree that organising the parade is hard work.

To take the responsibility at this stage away from the organisation that has done that hard work, that has the experience to make sure things run as smoothly as possible, and to hand it to new organisers is, we would suggest, an invitation to chaos.

Will the new organisers get enough judges? Will those judges have the proper knowledge? Will they be adept at managing large crowds? There are so many questions.

So Mr Pintard is right when he says the JCNP should be allowed to manage this year’s parades – and that it is too late in the season to make major changes. If there is a reason for wholesale change, it should be for next year’s parade. That in itself is a debate that has not concluded yet – with each side claiming support for its own position.

The lack of control could be costly for the JCNP itself, with the organisation

PICTURE OF THE DAY

suggesting the move could cost it $1m.

That is a lot of money at risk for one of our premier expressions of our culture.

And for many of us looking on, it does not need to be done. This is a ﬁght that does not need to raise to this level of brinkmanship. Junkanoo itself does not need to be put at risk – but that is where it feels we are.

For the government, it is a risk too. If it hands the event to new organisers and it falls ﬂat, what will that do for support for this administration. It does not want to become known as the government that killed Junkanoo.

So let those who have organised the event for years do so again. Let the groups rush. Let the points be awarded. Let us have worthy champions. And if change must come, don’t let it kill this year’s parades for a lack of time.

A familiar photo

managing editor pinged. It was a message sent by a member of the Ofﬁce of the Prime Minister. It was a political message sent out talking about yesterday’s union protest – how when other leaders ran, Brave Davis walked towards the people. It was political spin on the situation – but there was a picture sent with the message.

That picture was taken by Tribune photographer Dante Carrer – but no one asked The Tribune or our photographer for permission to use it. The Tribune alerted OPM to the photograph’s usage without approval – and requested that those sharing it stop doing so and delete the messages already shared.

OPM, in turn, said steps were already being taken to address the issue. However, as we write, the messages appear to remain undeleted.

The Tribune does not lend its photographs for use in political messages. These photographs were stolen for that use. For ofﬁcials in ofﬁce to share them and not take action once the matter is drawn to their attention is shameful –and shows a lack of respect for honest, hard-working Bahamian professionals. Those steps should be taken now – and no party should presume to use the work of any members of the media that does not belong to them. We hope this will not occur again.

Valley Boy battle a disgrace

EDITOR, The Tribune.

WE have converted Junkanoo to Dunganoo. I think we all know what dung is, do we?

Now we have Dunganoo

A La Carte…

I say that because, with all the experience and knowledge in the world of Business and Junkanoo, between the two feuding groups, all of this stupid, idiotic back and forth about an item as simple as a name is ludicrous.

A sixth former could probably solve the apparent riddle if given the task…

This foolish situation just shows that some individuals are more and more every day showing the world how smart we are. OMG.

This exercise shows that political polarisation is so embedded in the very fabric of our psyche, we can no longer deﬁne right from wrong...What a shameful and pitiful disgrace?

The bias has reached such an incredible level, it is now a fraternal organisation that is impenetrable.

This dunganoo behaviour is a replica of the type behaviour you see the characters portray in parliament. They conduct themselves like wayward children most times and the behavior of some is worse than others, inclusive of those with time that belong to someone new.

Now look at what the imbecilic behavior has done to and for the culture. It is truly embarrassing , unnecessary, and simply put, petty, primitive and foolish.

It is unbelievably reprehensible that with all the brain power between the two groups, and yes, even the court does not have the tenacity or initiative to resolve this ﬁasco. How far does this inexplicable

drama have to go before it is resolved? Please let logic and maturity enter the fray so reality, honesty and discipline could shine and selﬁshness could be banned and buried forever.

Do we need a consultant?

We really need to move away from the feather parade now, that’s enough, thank you and bye forever.

Let me see the real creativity which is the Hallmark of the Real junkanoo industry in The Bahamas…

By now, it should be very clear that those heavy lead costume pieces take a toll on one’s body, so, have a few persons lined up to be on a rotational shift system, so the burden could be shared... between a few, rather than just by one. The theme, style and creativity could still be displayed on a smaller sized costume which will enable the dancers to now perform with more vim and vigor, considering that their costumes are smaller. This will also enable them to perform longer and with much less stress, more space to perform in and be able to display more rhythm.

There is an area which has been neglected for a long time, and that is the proﬁtability of Junkanoo.

Sponsors donate thousands of dollars, to provide and promote entertainment for all of these different groups, and yet still there are no funds set aside to ﬁnance the next parade’s, essentials, or incidentals such as health issues etc.

If every member of every group was mandated to pay only one dollar per week it would be a start in the

right direction. Could each group establish their own credit union?

Governments could do whatever they want, why the taxes collected from the web-shops be earmarked for Culture, Including Junkanoo, Education, Social Services, Health.

To level the playing ﬁeld, every government or quasi government department/ministry should have their own separate bank account. Stop putting the revenues in (the bottomless ocean hole) the consolidated fund…that is the only way you will know what you have.

How many years will it take for the various financial gurus, finance ministers and consultants to recognise some basics of good, rules of business, which are beneficial to the one you serve and not yourself ? Wake up you all.

In fact, the time is long past, the country’s ﬁnancial status should be reported to the public every six months. A law needs to be made in that regard..

Right now, with this idiotic behavior between two groups, sponsors may take a different view of sponsoring.

I do not know, but I put forward the question, are we displaying our prime cultural event through our various tourist ofﬁces and embassies worldwide electronically? If not, could we do so please? The same way barabbas and the tribes have his set up; every group should have their own and each should be a must for our touristic tours.

Think and be creative and deﬁnitive. The critical independent speaks...

INDEPENDENT SPEA KS Nassau, October 3, 2025.

Allow justice to prevail

EDITOR, The Tribune.

LOOKING back at the junkanoo festival, my ﬁrst parade spectating, I was mesmerised by the performance of the groups partaking, especially the music makers, and oh how my heart throb from the rhythms of the goatskin base-drums, and one drummer in particular had written on the face of his drum, ‘Lord Frog, his drum (size) was a perfect replica of himself, he was quite easily a 400 pounder and he showed agility, skill, dexterity, ability, prowess, coordination, just saying and surely many of the other participants were able to say the same. I suppose that the point to which I draw was the costuming were cray paper infused, evidence (small fragments of the cray papers), of this were being shed all along Bay Street, where I stood and as for the fees to observe our national craft, $5.00 was the highest sum for the tickets, fetching a seat in Rawson Square. Nowadays, the parade attracts fees beyond $50 just to watch our national parade. And the costumes, much of it is unrecognisable, like something out of the Caribbean region (carnivale, but how come it is being tolerated on all levels, why)?

Surveying the mood of the crowd, it was ﬁlled with merriment, the competition was decent, respectful, and a joy to watch. But now that the parade attracts millions of dollars opportunities, with the larger groups receiving ﬁnancial support from many of the biggest companies in The Bahamas, have caused many hairline fractures, even a split in the oldest junkanoo group the valley boys, two factions opting to use the same trade name, resulting in legal wrangling, still in process. Also emanating out of the controversies, was a creation of an authority shift, to manage the parade, seeking to oust the originator JCNP, and with a case still pending this new organisation has already proclaimed that they will be the authority, only authority managing the parade going forward, deciding that the original JCNP is now considered defunct, when it has support from 90 percent of the junkanoo groups under its management. There is also the belief that they claim to want to take junkanoo international, how so, and with all of the suspected similarities of costuming features that were akin to Caribbean Carnival, why? The majority of the Bahamian people

don’t care about their junkanoo festival going international, they want it on Bay Street, period. In light of the levels of discontentment among the junkanoo community, and the heated extent that some have expressed that Mario Bowleg believes that he is the majority of Bahamians the way he comes across, it is this, or that, nothing else, why?

And to pull my former boss in the fray to lead the disputed NJC, is quite risky Mr Douglas Hanna, please Sir, I humbly beg of you to not let them use you as a scapegoat, your safety has no numbers of dollars can compare, tell them no, thank you. And let Mario Bowleg ﬁght his own battle, because the last time I checked it was the Bahamian people that installed him in the Parliament Of The Bahamas, and to do their bidding, not this personal concoction, apparently, does mean everything.

Legally, the JCNP is the one that has the right to manage the parade, until the Honorable Court brings its verdict, so stand down Mr Bowleg and allow justice to prevail.

FRANK GILBERT Nassau, October 8, 2025.

Pintard calls for early general election instead of by-election

from page one

Asked directly about it yesterday, he deﬂected and renewed calls for Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis to call an early general election instead.

The Tribune understands that the FNM has not ofﬁcially determined whether it will run a candidate in a by-election, with one source saying some do not want one. The debate echoes one that unfolded before the West Grand Bahama and Bimini by-election in 2023, when former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham reportedly told Mr Pintard not to run, warning that byelections tend to favour the Progressive Liberal Party. The party ignored that

advice, entered the race, and lost. The PLP also won the only two other by-elections held this century, in 2010 and 2012.

Some in the FNM warn against draining campaign funds ahead of the general election, while others acknowledge that a win in Golden Isles could energise the base and potentially attract fresh ﬁnancial backing.

The decision would likely be more complicated in a tougher constituency. However, Golden Isles residents have long complained about the quality of their representation under Vaughn Miller, who died on September 28. FNM insiders

believe the seat offers the party a far better chance than West Grand Bahama and Bimini.

Yesterday, Mr Pintard reiterated that the government should “go to a general election” rather than “allocate scarce resources that can buy ambulances, medication” to a single-seat race, arguing the country’s worsening ﬁnances make a by-election wasteful.

“We believe there are series of reasons that the Prime Minister should go and get a new mandate from the Bahamian people,” he said, accusing the Davis administration of being “cash-strapped”

and struggling to pay public servants and contractors on time.

Mr Pintard said Brian Brown, the party’s leader in Golden Isles, is ready to go. “He’s been in that constituency for over nine years. He’s never left the constituency,” he said. “So if [the Prime Minister] is considering a general election, he says he’s ready, they’re well prepared, ring the bell.” Within the PLP, several hopefuls are vying to succeed Mr Miller, including Senator Darren Pickstock, Joe Johnson, and D’Asante Smalls — all said to be waiting for Mr Davis to decide whether to ring the bell for one seat or all.

Pintard met with North Abaco generals due to unrest over Terrece Bootle’s selection

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter

WEEKS after ratifying

Terrece Bootle as the Free National Movement’s candidate for North Abaco, party leader Michael Pintard travelled to the island on Tuesday to address unrest among FNM generals who say they were sidelined and ignored during the selection process.

The visit underscored ongoing disunity in the party’s Abaco base, where some long-time campaign organisers have vowed not to support Ms Bootle,

claiming her selection was driven by former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham’s inﬂuence rather than the will of local supporters. They say Mr Ingraham, who represented North Abaco for more than 35 years, personally backed Ms Bootle’s candidacy and urged party members to unite behind her. But several generals told Mr Pintard during a meeting this week that they felt disrespected and overlooked. In a video leaked to The Tribune, Mr Pintard is seen meeting with FNM generals as the name Gary Smith — a former party hopeful — is

Residents acRoss

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

RESIDENTS across Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, and Long Cay want the MICAL constituency to be returned to its former division, saying the ﬁveisland seat has left their communities especially forgotten, underdeveloped, and impossible to represent effectively.

From crumbling clinics to neglected airports, residents say decades of decay and dwindling opportunities have made life in the southeastern Bahamas feel like an afterthought. They argue that restoring the old boundaries, which once split the islands into separate constituencies before they were merged, could give their communities better representation.

The call comes after Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper recently discussed the government examining the constituency’s makeup, noting that ofﬁcials are studying geography and population sizes across the country.

From Acklins to Mayaguana, residents told The Tribune that MICAL’s vast geography alone makes it nearly impossible for one

repeatedly mentioned. One supporter says: “Once Gary be here we straight.” Mr Pintard acknowledged he had worked with Mr Smith before and recognised his strength as a spokesperson.

Boynell Williams, a Meritorious Council Member in North Abaco who organised the meeting, said the backlash was not against Ms Bootle personally but against how her candidacy was decided.

“The people is sour because of the way the former prime minister Mr Hubert Alexander Ingraham blew into the leader of the ofﬁcial opposition Mr

Pintard to push something,” he said. “Nobody mad with her. Nobody feel like she can’t handle the job.”

Mr Williams, who worked on Mr Smith’s earlier campaign, said FNM generals believe Mr Smith has stronger ties to constituents and would have been the better choice. He said several of those present told Mr Pintard they would not support Ms Bootle and would encourage others to withhold their votes.

The meeting included generals from key North Abaco settlements — the party’s grassroots organisers — but not Mr Smith

himself, who later conﬁrmed he was aware of the gathering and accepted that Ms Bootle is now the ratiﬁed candidate.

“It got to be a different shake-up, or whatever it is to be because, you know, the people are angry,” Mr Williams said. “They wanted Gary Smith to represent them because they already know the type of person he is.”

Another FNM supporter who attended the meeting said about 15 participants openly told Mr Pintard they would not back the party’s choice, warning that their voices carry inﬂuence

Mica L want oL d bounda Ries back but feeL it

Member of Parliament to stay visible or effective.

“It’s extremely hard work for one person to represent ﬁve islands,” said Acklins Chief Counsellor Marvin Campbell.

“Sometimes if you want to go from Acklins to Mayaguana, you have to ﬂy through Nassau and that’s supposed to be the same constituency.”

Others echoed that view, saying the strain on resources and travel budgets makes meaningful representation impossible.

The MP’s allowance “is hardly anything at all to share between ﬁve islands,”

Mr Campbell said, adding that even small upgrades like a park or bus shelter “eat up the funds”.

Long-time Crooked Island resident Timothy Thompson, 69, said the existing boundaries ignore the natural geography of the southern Bahamas.

“When God created the geography of this place, it was Acklins, Crooked Island and Long Cay and that was a good ﬁt,” he said.

Residents say that lack of funding is visible everywhere. Government buildings leak when it rains, docks are in disrepair, and some airports are so rundown that locals say

they are embarrassed when tourists visit.

Mayaguana chief councillor Vincent Murphy said his community depends heavily on local government funding, which often runs out before the end of a ﬁnancial cycle. “Sometimes the money run out and we have to wait two or three months to get funds,” he said. “It’s one of the only islands where, on a Friday, there’s not a payday.”

For many, the frustrations are not just about geography but about the sense of being left behind by successive governments. Inagua resident Ken Rolle said the island’s government offices have been operating out of rented space since a hurricane destroyed the old complex years ago. “The administrative building was destroyed in a hurricane years ago and never repaired,” he said. “The government rents space from the salt company for offices and the courthouse. He said “the government now rents space from the salt company for offices and the courthouse,” calling this a “disgrace.”

Despite being home to Morton Salt — one of the country’s oldest industrial operations — residents say Inagua has become a

one-company town. “Nothing has changed under any government,” Mr Rolle said. “The same promises, the same neglect — we just want someone to pay attention.”

On Mayaguana, resident Iris Charlton described her island as “one of the most neglected out of the ﬁve”. She supports a split, saying a smaller constituency would make it easier for MPs to focus resources. “Our roads are full of potholes, the clinic and police station are run down, and the mosquitoes are eating us alive,” she said. “The island has not grown in terms of economics in over 20 years.”

Ms Charlton noted that while Mayaguana’s population has remained relatively stable, opportunities for young people have not, forcing many to leave.

Businessman Henry Rolle, also from Acklins, said splitting the constituency could spur development by making budgets more manageable. “If a candidate wants to catch a plane and come to Acklins, he can’t serve Crooked Island off that one plane,” he said. “When you have $100,000 or $250,000 to split between ﬁve islands, how far can

across the constituency.

“They’re the generals for the FNM in the town. They’re the ones who could inﬂuence people,” he said. He and others warned that without reconciliation, the FNM has “no chance” of reclaiming the North Abaco seat in the next general election. The Tribune understands that Mr Pintard listened to the complaints but reminded them that Ms Bootle remains the party’s candidate. He declined to comment when contacted by The Tribune, characterising the matter as “family business.”

won’t change negL ect

that go? If you change the boundary, each could focus on their own area — it would beneﬁt us.”

Not everyone believes dividing the seat will make a big difference. Former Crooked Island chief councillor Kirkwood McKinney said the population across all five islands has declined so sharply that two constituencies may no longer be viable. “Since the change was made, the population in Crooked Island has declined drastically,” he said. “There’s only four or five persons living in Long Cay, and the populations in Inagua and Mayaguana have gone down. So my question is, what’s the justification? If we’re talking about numbers, we definitely don’t have them.”

He recalled that the islands were ﬁrst joined in the late 1990s because each lacked enough voters to meet the minimum threshold for representation. He noted that at one point the total population of the islands was under 3000, but has since dropped nearly below 2000.

Mr McKinney, who has served more than 15 years in local government, believes the greater problem is economic stagnation and migration. “Job opportunity is scarce,” he said.

“That’s the major factor for the young people leaving school. What we need is investment and privatesector support, not more boundary lines.” Inagua resident Scott Nixon shared that view, warning that splitting the constituency would not ﬁx the region’s long neglect. “Right now, we are MICAL and we can’t get the attention of the government to do anything for us,” he said. “You can imagine how bad it’ll be if it’s two constituencies.” Still, others believe change — any change — could bring a new sense of urgency. “Every MP will have a budget and would only have to share between two islands,” said Mr Rolle of Acklins.

For those on Long Cay, where just a handful of elderly residents remain, the concern is more basic.

“Sometimes you don’t see anyone come here at all,” said Kenneth Farquharson. “If the weather bad or the plane don’t come, we might as well don’t exist.”

The old government buildings on Long Cay are shuttered, the clinic closed, and the post ofﬁce silent.

“We ain’t leaving,” Mr Farquharson said. “But we just wish people would remember Long Cay still here.”

FNM leader Michael Pintard speaks to the press yesterday.

Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

Why is NIB headquarters in dilapidated condition?

A GOOD number of Bahamians have been pleased with the service received at the National Insurance Board (NIB) headquarters on Baillou Hill Road. This includes services such as renewing NIB cards, paying contributions, and receiving certain beneﬁts.

There are other services, such as new disability beneﬁts, which can take an inordinate amount of time to sort out. Still, a variety of basic services are handled proﬁciently by helpful and professional staff.

The good service at the headquarters stands in marked contrast to the dilapidated state of the building’s interior. The reception area is drab, rundown, and unsightly. It is not what the entrance of any public or private headquarters should look like.

brainchild of Edmund Moxey, a cultural creative, musician, and politician, who had an extraordinary vision for the preservation and promotion of various forms of cultural expression.

Moxey’s Jumbey Village and other community projects were part of his dream for the economic, social and cultural self-empowerment of Bahamians. Tragically, Jumbey Village was brutally destroyed out of political spite and indifference.

NIB headquarters is named the Clifford Darling Complex after the former Governor General. Born in Acklins, Sir Clifford trained as a barber and electrician. He moved to Nassau, later working on the Contract overseas.

When the headquarters was erected, it was a modern building that improved and beautiﬁed the urban landscape in which it was built. It featured modern architecture and art. Of historic signiﬁcance it was built on the site of Jumbey Village, a cultural venue that was the

Further into the interior, the public areas are decayed, ramshackle and broken-down, with doors needing to be replaced and grimy floors. A number of the office spaces on the ground floor are a disservice to employees who work in these conditions.

As a taxi driver, he eventually became a union leader and general secretary and president of the Bahamas Taxicab Union. He played a leading role in the general strike of 1958. He helped broker an agreement between hotels and taxi operators and tour drivers.

He went into elected

politics and was a ﬁerce champion of labour and majority rule. He served in the Senate and House of Assembly, where he became speaker.

The Member of Parliament for Englerston for many years, Sir Clifford

served as Minister of Labour and National Insurance. He helped to introduce the National Insurance programme. Because of his tremendous contributions to national development, labor, and social security and equality, it was ﬁtting that the NIB headquarters was named after Sir Clifford, a decent and likeable man well-regarded by many.

The board’s website notes:

“Its primary mission was and is to provide incomereplacement in respect of sickness, invalidity, maternity, retirement, death, industrial injury/disease, and involuntary loss of income.

“NIB’s added mission in the administration of the country’s social security programme, is to provide assistance for needy citizens and to assist with the social and infrastructural development of the country.”

Every Bahamian comes into contact frequently with NIB during their lifetime. This includes having to regularly visit one of its ofﬁces across the country. The board also has a large footprint, owning a large number of properties.

Why are the thousands of workers ﬂowing through the headquarters every year treated to such a rundown space that successive governments have allowed to deteriorate? It shows a certain contempt and disrespect for the clients and employees of the board.

The broader mindset of course is the disregard for the maintenance of public buildings and public landscapes that has dogged us for decades. We have become used to squalid spaces.

This column has bemoaned the mindset of the owners of the largest grocery chain in the country, whose stores are in desperate need of remodelling and modernisation.

Many in the country believe that once a building is functional that there is no need to improve the aesthetics of a business place or public ofﬁce. facility. It betrays a poverty of the imagination and a lack of regard for building and maintaining quality facilities including by those who are wealthy.

The Main Post Office downtown, which became structurally unsound and an eyesore, was eventually torn down. Reportedly, one of the civil servants involved in its construction said at the time that they were mostly looking to erect a functional structure. They grey building, which resembled a Soviet Union-era drab and barren megastructure, had little aesthetic quality. The romanticised notion that the building should have been saved because it was finished after majority rule, is unconvincing nostalgia. After failing to properly maintain the building, it was necessary to demolish it. This has given the country an opportunity to replace it was a structure and environs that are beautiful and imaginative, befitting a modern nation.

The now open site is atop an elevation. We should not erect another building that will be an eyesore. We should build for the future. Manty believe that a new Parliament should be built on that site.

A new Central Bank building was slated to be built on the site where the Royal Victoria Hotel stood. The new complex, with an impressive modern design, would have done wonders for downtown. Curiously, the current government cancelled the project with little explanation.

The last government ﬁnally tore down the ramshackle Churchill Building, which became another disgraceful eyesore. A new cabinet ofﬁce is to be constructed in its place.

What is so missing in us that beauty and aesthetic qualities seem an adornment instead of a necessity? Why can’t rich grocery store owners ﬁll the potholes in the parking lots of their chain? Why can’t governments keep green areas, verges and roundabouts maintained?

Why haven’t we been able to build a new Supreme Court complex, a new Parliament, a proper residence for the prime minister, and other structures of state?

In ancient Africa and the Americas, in Asian and European capitals, palaces, temples or cathedrals often dominated the city, reminding souls and subjects of their place in a cosmology that bound the sovereign powers of heaven and earth. Paris’ architectural obsession is French culture and history, from the iconic Eiffel Tower, built to mark the centennial of the French Revolution, to the imposing Arc de Triomphe to the world-renowned Louvre. A former teacher once noted: “Men come together in cities in order to live; they remain together in order to live the good life.” The teacher was Aristotle, who lived in an ancient city-state with a population about the size of the modern Bahamas. He appreciated how the city might help to cultivate the “good life” and beauty and preserve and transmit virtues like civility and hospitality.

Those fountainheads of civilisation which socialise successive generations are rooted in the architecture, public spaces and the possibilities of a city and should inform its redevelopment.

Alas, we are comfortable with dilapidated mindsets and structures. We often do not see or ignore the decrepitude and the ﬁlth. A friend had to get his cesspit pumped recently because of the heavy rain. He went to see what progress the two men pumping the cesspit were making. The stench was too much for him. But the men stood right over the open cesspit. He asked, “How y’all could stand that smell!” The response was telling and a partial answer to why so many public spaces and buildings are shabby.

“We used to it,” they shrugged!

Trump’s executive powers to be scrutinised in US Supreme Court

AS the drama with US president Donald Trump and the American military continues to evolve and is likely to present a huge constitutional crisis at some point during the next year, the potential adjudicators of such a crisis have moved to center stage.

That adjudicator is the American Supreme Court, whose political and ideological impartiality has seemingly been eroded to an all-time low. The high court, as usual, began its new term on the first Monday in October, which was of course this week.

This court term, which runs until the end of June, should prove to be momentous.

“This will be the term in which the court will resolve major clashes between the Trump administration and its critics on core questions of executive authority and perceived executive overreach,” one legal expert told The Washington Post.

“The justices are going to be doing a lot of thinking and writing about the separation of powers (between the American executive, legislative and judicial branches of government).”

One of the most closelywatched cases will come before the Supreme Court in January. That case involves Lisa Cook, an American economist who was nominated by former president Joe Biden to serve on the board of governors of the Federal Reserve Bank. The first black woman to serve on the Fed’s board, Cook was sworn in three years ago.

An economics professor at Michigan State University, Cook previously served on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

Cook’s academic qualifications are beyond reproach. She graduated magna cum laude from Spelman College in Atlanta, and after postgraduate study at Oxford University and In Senegal, she received a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley.

But Trump has tried to fire Cook. In an action similar to others he has taken against AfricanAmerican and female appointees from the Biden

STATESIDE

and earlier Democratic administrations, Trump instigated a Department of Justice criminal investigation of Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud. The basis for this action was apparently errors on a home equity loan form submitted by Cook many years ago. In the administration’s view, Cook’s apparent mortgage fraud would constitute “sufficient cause” to allow the president to fire her.

It’s not clear whether this investigation has any merit. The Post said that Reuters news service published last month an analysis of “loan [and] job-vetting forms” submitted by Cook, as well as property records, which directly contradict the Trump administration’s allegations against her.

The Cook case is frankly more interesting than the rest of the cases involving other Biden-era appointees, because of her current service on the Federal Reserve board. Although he appointed incumbent Fed board chief Jerome Powell during his first term in 2018, Trump has recently railed publicly against the Fed generally and Powell in particular. His most frequent grievance is that Trump believes economic stagnation perhaps induced by his tariff regime could be ameliorated by lower interest rates – the singular responsibility of the Federal Reserve Bank.

The president is doing what he does: He is blaming another individual for the consequences of his policies, and counting on the indifference and ignorance of most Americans to minimise the substantive consequences of such actions. Trump is hoping most voters will assign blame to Powell and other bureaucrats for Trump’s own ill-conceived ideas. Most of the time so far, he has gotten away with this strategy and avoided most

of the blame.

The American high court has essentially temporised in the Cook case, allowing her to remain in her position at the Federal Reserve Bank until the Supreme Court can carefully consider the case at the beginning of the new year.

Three members of the current Supreme Court were appointed by Trump during his first term -Brett Cavanagh, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Comey Barrett. Chief justice John Roberts and Samuel Alito were both appointed by George W Bush, and Clarence Thomas was named by Bush’s father in 1991. The three liberal justices, who are consistently outvoted these days, were appointed by Barack Obama and Biden.

Trump, with the active complicity of then-Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, managed to manipulate the rules of the Senate to ensure confirmation of Barrett and overlooked significant-looking issues to ram through Cavanagh’s candidacy. Now the president wants to use the Supreme Court to ratify his partisan attempts to erode oversight of his administration by the Congress.

To this end, the current administration, as well as its political and legislative opponents, have forced onto the Supreme Court’s “emergency docket” more than 20 cases, mostly involving orders issued by Trump that have appeared to be illegal and certainly contravene respected traditions.

Trump has done really well with these tactics. The high court has handed him temporary victories in 18 out of 22 cases, and only two clear defeats. That’s an astonishingly high batting average, and it’s no wonder Trump is anxious to expedite hearings in so many of his judicially-challenged

cases before such an apparently sympathetic court.

Now during the court’s regular term, most or all of these cases should be heard and hopefully decided. A legal expert told The Post that “it looks to be shaping up as a blockbuster political-law term, with cases impacting voting rights, elections, redistricting of Congressional districts, various regulatory issues and campaign finance”.

The Supreme Court often waits until late June to issue a whole bunch of decisions, no matter when the relevant cases were heard. In many instances, the suspense will now build for nine months until we see if the rulings follow recent provisional decisions.

Meantime, another presidential initiative certain to inspire additional legal challenges was unfolding at the beginning of this week. Trump has dispatched National Guard troops in increasing numbers to Chicago and Portland, Oregon. Like an early deployment of the Guard to Los Angeles, this action directly contravenes the wishes of the respective mayors and governors,

who – hardly coincidentally – are all Democrats.

Trump, as he often has done, is impatient with the inconvenient limitations placed upon his management of the country by legal and normative precedents. The president said on Monday he might invoke centuriesold legislation called the Insurrection Act that gives the president emergency powers to deploy American troops on US soil. Trump then admitted that this would be “a way to get around” some annoying recent federal court rulings that have impeded his efforts to more widely deploy the National Guard in large, Democratically-controlled American cities.

At the beginning of this week, a coalition of such cities filed a legal brief in support of Oregon’s attempt to block Trump’s deployments of National Guard troops. They said they were “gravely concerned that any protest — real or perceived — within their borders will result in another unnecessary deployment of the military”.

A federal judge in Oregon has issued a temporary injunction blocking the president’s plan to send troops to Portland. But federal lawyers have appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which has not yet issued a ruling.

Here we go again. The Ninth Circuit, covering much of the American West, features a majority of judges appointed by Democratic presidents,

though Trump has made some inroads with his own appointments. Another Trump initiative faces what increasingly looks like the only challenge that Democrats can manage to muster against him. And the prospects of ultimate success at the Supreme Court hardly look encouraging in the light of recent decisions.

For background, when Trump deployed the California National Guard to the streets of Los Angeles over the summer in response to protests against his immigration crackdown, it was the first time since the civil rights movement in 1965 that a president had summoned a state’s National Guard troops against the will of that state’s governor.

A federal judge later ruled that the Mr Trump’s use of the troops in Los Angeles was illegal, saying that the president had effectively turned the troops into a “national police force” in violation of a 19th-century law that generally prohibits the use of federal troops for domestic law enforcement.

As we have discussed in earlier columns, Trump doubtless would be happy if his aggressive troop deployments elicited armed and/or violent protests in the local populations. The resulting chaos and vigorous federal response would both reinforce his own image as tough on crime and distract voters from the economic pain his policies will inflict.

with Charlie Harper

PM: Data Protection Bill ‘a turning point’ for Bahamians

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip

“Brave” Davis yesterday

tabled the Data Protection Bill 2025 in the House of Assembly, calling it a “turning point” that will give Bahamians far greater control over their personal information in an increasingly digital world.

The bill, which repeals and replaces the 2003 data protection law, sets out sweeping new rights for residents and new obligations for businesses, government agencies and organisations that collect, store or share personal data.

Mr Davis told Parliament the law was designed around three principles — empowerment, trust and innovation — to ensure privacy protections keep pace with modern technology.

“Every day, our people are online conducting business, banking, shopping, learning, communicating and working,” he said. “All of this involves the collection, sharing and handling of personal information. This new Bill represents a critical step forward in protecting all this data.”

For ordinary citizens, the bill means they will have the right to see what information companies or agencies hold about them, to correct inaccuracies, and to demand deletion when it is no longer needed. They can also object to their data being used for certain purposes, such as targeted advertising or unnecessary sharing with third parties.

Companies and public bodies will no longer be able to quietly sell or share people’s information without clear permission. Consent must now be “freely given,

speciﬁc, informed, and unambiguous,” according to a draft bill previously released. Sensitive data, including medical, ﬁnancial, biometric, and genetic information, will receive the strictest protection, and special rules will cover data belonging to children, the elderly, and other vulnerable people.

The bill also requires stronger safeguards against hacks and leaks. If a data breach occurs, the affected company must report it and notify those whose information was exposed.

People whose data is misused will have the right to complain to a newly strengthened Ofﬁce of the Data Protection Commissioner, which will have powers to investigate, ﬁne violators, and order compensation for damages. The commissioner would be appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the opposition leader.

For businesses, the reforms introduce mandatory registration for all data controllers and processors, as well as rules on data retention, storage, and transfer abroad.

Companies will have to show they handle information lawfully and securely, a move Mr Davis said will build consumer conﬁdence rather than create red tape. Companies that process information without registration could face ﬁnes of up to $10,000 and potential imprisonment.

“When businesses handle information properly, they earn trust,” Mr Davis said. “And trust, Madam Speaker, is good for business.”

Mr Davis said the new framework will be phased in over several years, giving organisations time

to adjust, train staff, and upgrade systems. He added that the bill draws heavily from international models, including the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation

(GDPR), as well as laws in Jamaica, Bermuda, and Kenya. By aligning Bahamian standards with global ones, he said, the country would support growth in digital

industries such as e-commerce, ﬁntech, artiﬁcial intelligence, and health technology.

“This Bill is about building a society that is ready for the opportunities and

challenges of the digital age,” Mr Davis said. “It ensures that as we continue to build a digital economy, we do so on a foundation of trust, fairness, and accountability.”

PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis speaks as he tables the Data Protection Bill 2025 in the House of Assembly yesterday.

Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

Pintard agrees on tabled amendment for Bahamas Protected Areas Fund

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday said the Bahamas Protected Areas Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025 will allow Bahamian professionals to take the lead in managing the country’s protected areas while ensuring millions in environmental funding are effectively used.

Opening debate in the House of Assembly, Mr Davis said the measure corrects a major ﬂaw in the 2014 Act, which prevented the Bahamas Protected Areas Fund (BPAF) from using its money to pay staff or cover administrative costs.

“The Fund could disburse grants. It could ﬁnance projects,” he said. “But it could not hire the marine biologists, the park rangers, the conservation ofﬁcers, the project managers, the data analysts, and the community liaisons needed to actually implement the ambitious conservation agenda we have set. The amendment before us today corrects this problem.”

The bill explicitly empowers the BPAF to employ staff and use conditional donations to fund salaries and related expenses. It also allows the board to accept targeted grants from international partners for speciﬁc projects.

According to the bill’s notes, the change allows funds managed by the

BPAF to be used “for salaries, operating and administrative costs” tied to research, conservation, and management of protected areas.

Mr Davis said the reform is vital to meeting the country’s commitments under the $300 million debt conversion for marine conservation ﬁnalised last year, which reﬁnanced national debt while unlocking $132 million in new funding for environmental projects.

He said the amendment will help create new environmental jobs across the islands and reduce dependence on foreign consultants.

“You cannot protect 6.8 million hectares of marine protected areas with volunteers and good intentions alone,” he said. “Effective conservation requires dedicated professionals. And I can guarantee you that no one will be more dedicated to protecting our environment than the citizens whose lives and the lives of their loved ones are inextricably linked to our nation.”

Mr Davis called the bill part of a broader effort to strengthen environmental protection, noting that The Bahamas has already designated 17 percent of its national waters as marine protected areas and aims to expand that to 30 percent.

Opposition leader Michael Pintard noted that the bill addresses the practical challenge long faced by the Department of Marine Resources and Forestry.

He said one of his

concerns when he served as Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources was that, despite the increase in technical professionals, there were not enough personnel to police and manage the country’s vast environmental zones.

Mr Pintard said the Free National Movement consulted past and present heads of the Bahamas National Trust about the bill. Quoting former BNT Executive Director Eric Carey, he said:

“This amendment is in fact an important one that will allow BPAF — the Bahamas Protected Areas Fund — to build capacity, especially within the Department of Marine Resources and Forestry. These two government agencies have signiﬁcant protected area management responsibilities but limited to zero capacity to do so.

“The amendment relating to the salaries and expenses corrects the debilitating restrictions in the original act which severely restricts the fund’s ability to pay expenses and especially grow staff. Without the amendments to allow the payment of salaries and certain core costs, under the existing and future projects, the fund will continue to be severely restricted in its ability to execute and implement such programmes and projects. This would prevent us, The Bahamas, from achieving both national and international goals.”

“This amendment is in fact an important one that will allow BPAFthe Bahamas Protected Areas Fund - to build capacity, especially within the Department of Marine Resources and Forestry. These two government agencies have signiﬁcant protected area management responsibilities but limited to zero capacity to do so.”

OPPOSITION leader Michael Pintard speaks on the Bahamas Protected Area Funds (Amendment) Bill 2025 in the House of Assembly yesterday. Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

PM attends Grandparents’ Day at Temple

BAMSI gains support to bolster ﬂy ﬁshing guides

THE Bahamas Agricul -

ture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) is bolstering its commitment to the nation’s fly fishing sector, hosting guide training and receiving new financial support from the government.

The push coincided with the third annual Fly Fishing Homecoming Conclave at the Courtyard Marriott, which attracted 150 stakeholders. During his keynote address, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Chester Cooper, pledged that the Tourism Development Corporation would provide full scholarships for all students enrolling in BAMSI’s fly fishing programme.

BAMSI is currently the only institution globally to offer a recognised

certification in flats fishing, preparing the next generation of guides for this multi-million-dollar industry. Cooper noted that the current training cohort includes 28 new recruits, the highest number ever enrolled, with graduation expected in March 2026. In addition to supporting new recruits, BAMSI hosted a three-day seminar for approximately 30 veteran guides. The sessions, held at the National Training Agency, focused on preparing the participants for licensure by reinforcing professional standards and reviewing laws. Presenters covered topics ranging from business licenses and VAT to sustainability regulations from the Department of Fisheries. Dr. Raveenia

Roberts-Hanna, president of BAMSI, highlighted the Institute’s broader mission, stating its work in agriculture and marine science also creates opportunities for ecotourism. Seasoned guide Bonefish Linda praised the seminar, noting it reinforced the importance of being properly licensed.

The government reiterated its commitment to the sector, with Minister Cooper pledging to partner with the Small Business Development Centre to help Bahamians open fly fishing lodges. He also confirmed that a dedicated regulatory unit would be established.

The efforts underscore a growing partnership between national institutions and industry leaders to secure the future of fly fishing in The Bahamas.

PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis and his wife Ann Marie visited their grandson at Temple Christian yesterday for the school’s Grandparents’ Day. “Ann and I were so happy to join our grandson for Grandparents’ Day,” said Davis. “It was a special reminder of how much joy our children and grandchildren bring into our lives.”

Forensic biologist testifies DNA on condom doesn’t match man accused

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A FORENSIC biologist testiﬁed yesterday that DNA found in a used condom linked to the alleged gang rape of a teenage girl in 2018 did not match the man on trial.

Royal Bahamas Police Force forensic biologist Gale Brennen read the results of a DNA analysis during the unlawful sexual intercourse trial of Cleveland McPhee, who is accused along with another man of raping a 14-year-old girl in a half-ﬁnished building on Wulff Road on June 25, 2018.

Ms Brennen told the court that a report from David Aguilar, a forensic analyst at International DNA Labs, showed that a condom recovered from the scene contained both male and female DNA. The female DNA matched the complainant’s, but the male DNA did not match either Cleveland or Trevor McPhee.

Ms Brennen said an

unknown man’s DNA was found. She noted that The Bahamas has no DNA analysis facility and that all such tests are outsourced overseas.

Ms Brennen said she received two tubes of blood from each of the two accused men from Inspector Raquel Francis on July 12, 2018, and a sexual assault kit from Corporal Dorsett on July 20, 2018. The kit contained hairs, oral and vaginal swabs and smears, blood and saliva samples, the complainant’s underwear, a broken condom, and a condom fragment.

Ms Brennen testified that while blood was present on the vaginal swab, there was no evidence of seminal fluid. However, she said seminal fluid was detected near the inner crotch area of the complainant’s underwear.

She explained that only a qualiﬁed DNA analyst could interpret the data in full detail. In his opening statement, defence attorney

Nathan Smith told jurors that the case rested on a “mere allegation” and argued that the prosecution’s evidence supported the defence. He said there were major inconsistencies in witness testimony, claiming that the complainant’s mother contradicted her daughter by saying she never gave permission for her to leave home that night.

Mr Smith also said police and medical witnesses reported that the complainant initially told them she did not know her attackers, contradicting her later claim in court that she recognised one of them.

The attorney further questioned her claim that a struggle took place, noting that crime scene photographs showed no signs of a disturbance.

After calling one witness, the defence closed its case. The defendant elected to remain silent. Justice Jeannine WeechGomez presided over the matter. Desiree Ferguson and Tanisha Forbes represented the prosecution.

CONDITIONAL DIS C HARGE FOR MAN WHO ATTA C KED TOURISTS WHILE HIGH ON C O C AINE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who attacked a tourist at Atlantis while high on cocaine was placed on six months’ probation yesterday.

Prosecutors said Chadwick Russell, 26, punched George Kakidas in the face several times during an altercation at the Royal Towers on Paradise Island around 2pm on October 4. He also reportedly assaulted Christopher and Kristin Kakidas during the same incident.

When arrested, Russell told police he had taken cocaine before the attack. He pleaded guilty to causing harm and two counts of assault before Senior Magistrate Shaka Serville.

After expressing remorse, Russell was granted a conditional discharge and placed on probation for six months, during which he must attend anger management classes. Failure to comply will result in a three-month prison sentence. Russell, represented by Tonique Lewis, was advised of his right to appeal within seven days. He is to return to court on April 10, 2026, for a progress report.

T WO CHARGED WITH GRIEVOUS HARM IN PHYSIC AL ALTERC ATION

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

ONE of two men accused of seriously injuring another man during a ﬁght on Lumumba Lane last month was yesterday denied bail.

Prosecutors allege Kamarly Strachan, 20, and Ronaldo Wilson, 20, wounded Rashard Hanna and injured Justin Feaster during a physical altercation on September 4. Both men pleaded not

guilty to charges of grievous harm and causing harm before Senior Magistrate Anishka Isaacs. Prosecutor Inspector Shadrach Coakley objected to Strachan’s bail, which was denied. He was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Wilson was granted $5,000 bail with one or two sureties and must report to the East Street South Police Station every Monday by 7pm. Their trial begins on December 2.

Man pleads not guilty to car theft

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 29-YEAR-OLD man was granted $5,000 bail yesterday after being accused of stealing a car.

As part of his bail conditions, Butler must report to the Fox Hill Police Station every Friday by 6pm and will be ﬁtted with an electronic monitoring device. He is scheduled to return to court for trial on December 3.

Sergeant Vernon Pyfrom served as the prosecutor.

Prosecutors allege Antonio Butler stole a white 2012 Nissan March belonging to Samuel Saintil on February 13 in New Providence. Butler pleaded not guilty to charges of stealing and receiving when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Kendra Kelly-Burrows.

It’s testimony time

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net

SOMETIMES the hardest moments in life become the very places where faith takes root. It’s in the tears, the uncertainty, and the long nights of asking “why me?” that many people ﬁnd themselves learning to trust God all over again.

For one Bahamian woman, that truth became real the day her husband passed away suddenly. “It felt like my whole world collapsed. It’s been some years now so I can speak on it freely. But I just couldn’t understand why God would take him away from us. We had plans, we have kids, but everything changed literally overnight.”

In the months that followed, she struggled to even pray. “I went through a season where I didn’t want to hear about faith. I was angry. But little by little, I started to feel God pulling me back. I’d hear a song or read a verse that reminded me He was still with me. My sister was also a constant reminder to let me know that God is always in control,” she said. Now, she says her faith is stronger than ever. The lady continued: “It doesn’t mean I don’t miss my husband. I do, every day. But I’ve learned that God’s strength really does show up in our weakness. I’m raising my children with that same faith now. We have healed so much, and we are still healing.”

For another woman, the test came in a different form;

job loss during the COVID19 global pandemic. “When the world shut down, I thought I’d only be out of work for a few weeks. Well at least that is what we were told. But weeks turned into months and for the first time in my life, depression came. I started to question everything. I didn’t know the direction the world was headed and I definitely didn’t know how I’d fit in,” she said. What pulled her out was a conscious choice to rebuild her relationship with God. “You ever heard the saying that sometimes all you have is God? Well let me tell you, that’s nothing to be slept on. That sounds small right? I’m living testimony that it is one of the greatest facts you can ever lean on. People, places and things may leave you, but God loves and carries us through it all. He is not ‘sometimey’ with us. He is always there with no attitude or malice, just ears to hear, a heart to feel and mercy. I love Him so much,” she said. The young lady said she had to separate herself from certain people, change her environment, and spend time praying and reading the Word.

“I told God, If You open a door for me, I’ll walk through it with faith this time. Not long after that, I got a call for a position that ended up being one of the highest paying jobs I’ve ever had. And that’s not luck, a higher power or the universe like some youngsters like to call it, that’s God’s timing. He showed

me that even when it looks like everything’s falling apart, He’s setting something up,” she said.

Another young woman shared her own testimony of heartbreak, the kind that shakes your conﬁdence and your faith. “I called off my engagement about four months before the wedding. Everything was planned; venue, dress and invitations. Then I got the big news. I found out he cheated,” she said.

She said the breakup sent her into a dark place. “It felt like I lost myself. I cried every day, I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. But it was in that same season that I found Jesus for real. I realised I had been putting all my trust in someone who could fail me, instead of in the One who never would.

I know people say persons only fall on God when going through hard times, but I promise you God doesn’t hold that judgement. That is what’s so amazing about Him. You can turn to Him over and over and He doesn’t judge you. Turning to God is what we should do. Because it’s also just as easy to turn to darkness,” said the woman.

Now, she’s thankful for what happened because the heartbreak pushed her into purpose.

From grief and disappointment to heartbreak and hardship, each story shared is a quiet example of resilience, hope, and the unshakable truth that God still meets His people right in the middle of their storms.

EPIPHANY HOSTS HEALING CONFERENCE

THE Church of the Epiphany, on October 17 and 18, will host the ﬁfth annual Healing Conference.

Over the years, Canon Basil Tynes travelled with a contingent to the conference in Jamaica.

The event will take place at The Church of The Epiphany Parish Hall under the theme “Healing in the midst of chaos: Through the power of the Holy Spirit”. Visitors are expected from our Family Islands, the US, and Jamaica.

The conference is open to all of the Christian faith and not simply for Anglicans. Speakers include Dr Claudette Cooke, from the Jamaican Evangelicals Alliance – an ordained Minister of the Gospel in the Covenant Community Church, a trained Christian coach, Speciﬁc Minister of Inner Healing to Women, Dr Cooke is the director of The Jamaican Broilers Group Ltd. Another speaker is Fr Scott Jupp from The Diocese of The Bahamas and TCI, along with two young

men from Holy Trinity, Renatus Thompson and Zavier Clarke.

The event runs from Youth Night on Friday to the closing Healing Service on Saturday. The cost of registration is $100, and T-shirts cost $20 -$25. The deadline for registration is October 13.

For more details, you can contact members of the Diocesan Pastoral Care and Counseling Ministry in the persons of Audrey Major–Rolle 5580652 or Marie Cooper at 359-7030.

Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to the ‘first phase’ of his peace plan

Associated Press

US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners.

“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace,” Trump wrote.

The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people, many of them civilians. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead, devastated Gaza and upended global politics. Negotiators have been meeting in Egypt for days to hash out a Trumpbacked peace plan.

Netanyahu will convene Israeli government tomorrow Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said he would convene the government tomorrow in order to approve the deal.

“I thank President Trump and his team from the bottom of my heart for their commitment to this sacred mission of freeing our hostages,” Netanyahu said.

Trump pleased with Kushner, Witkoff for getting deal closed

Trump was pleased with Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff for their work to get the first phase of the agreement closed after arriving in Egypt on earlier on Wednesday, according to a person who has briefed on the negotiations and spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the delicate negotiations.

In the leadup to Wednesday’s announcement, Israeli officials were pushing back on inclusion of Marwan Barghouti, the most prominent Palestinian prisoner who is serving five life sentences in an Israeli jail, the person added.

Israeli officials made clear to the US that the release of Barghouti would set off the far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition.

It was not immediately clear which Palestinian prisoners, including Barghouti, will be included in the first phase of the deal.

Hamas says deal reached to end war in Gaza

Hamas says a deal has been reached to end the war in Gaza that will ensure the withdrawal of Israeli troops as well as the entry of aid and the exchange of hostages and prisoners.

The group said in a statement the deal came after “responsible and serious negotiations” over the proposal by President Donald Trump. Hamas called on Trump and the mediators to ensure that Israel implements all the provisions agreed upon without delay or changes.

Qatar says Israel, Hamas agree on first phase of Gaza ceasefire deal.

Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesman says Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

The agreement “will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid,” said Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman, speaking on behalf of the mediators of the deal. He said the details will be announced later.

Group representing hostage families receive ceasefire news with ‘excitement’

The Hostages Families Forum, a grassroots organization representing many of the hostage families, said it received the news of a ceasefire with “excitement, anticipation, and apprehension.”

The Forum called on the Israeli government to immediately convene to approve the deal, and praised Trump for his “commitment and determination that led to this historic breakthrough.”

Trump says Israel, Hamas have agreed to ‘first phase’ of his peace plan

US President Donald Trump has announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners.

Bob Ross paintings to be auctioned to fund public TV stations amid cuts

THIRTY paintings created by the bushy-haired, soft-spoken Bob Ross will soon be up for auction to defray the costs of programming for public television stations suffering from cuts in federal funding.

Ross, a public television stalwart in the 1980s and ‘90s, “dedicated his life to making art accessible to everyone,” said Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc. “This auction ensures his legacy continues to support the very medium that brought his joy and creativity into American homes for decades.”

Bonhams in Los Angeles will auction three of Ross’ paintings on Nov. 11. Other auctions will follow in London, New York, Boston and online. All proﬁts are pledged to stations that use content from distributor American Public Television.

The idea is to help stations in need with licensing fees that allow them to show popular programs that include “The Best of Joy of Painting,” based on Ross’ show, “America’s Test Kitchen,” “Julia Child’s French Chef Classics” and “This Old House.” Small and rural stations are particularly challenged. As desired by President Donald Trump, Congress has eliminated $1.1 billion

allocated to public broadcasting, leaving about 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations to ﬁnd alternative funding sources. Many launched emergency fund drives. Some have been forced to lay off staff and make programming cuts.

The beloved Ross died in 1995 of complications from cancer after 11 years in production with “The Joy of Painting.” His how-to program was shown on stations around the US and around the world. The former Air Force drill sergeant known for his calm demeanour and encouraging words enjoyed a resurgence in popularity during the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ross spoke often as he worked on air about painting happy little clouds and trees, and making no mistakes, only “happy accidents.”

The thirty paintings to be auctioned span Ross’ career and include landscapes depicting serene mountain vistas and lake scenes, his signature aesthetic. He created most of the 30 on-air, each in under 30 minutes, which was the span of a single episode. Bonhams sold two early 1990s mountain-and-lake scenes of Ross in August for $114,800 and $95,750. The auctions of the 30 paintings soon to be sold have an estimated total value of $850,000 to $1.4 million, Bonhams said.

A VEHICLE passes in front of the International Conference Center where Israeli and Hamas officials are set to hold indirect talks.

Photo: AP

LOS ANGELES

Associated Press

It’s testimony time

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net

For another woman, the test came in a different form;

me that even when it looks like everything’s falling apart, He’s setting something up,” she said.

Now, she’s thankful for what happened because the heartbreak pushed her into purpose.

EPIPHANY HOSTS HEALING CONFERENCE

THE Church of the Epiphany, on October 17 and 18, will host the ﬁfth annual Healing Conference.

Over the years, Canon Basil Tynes travelled with a contingent to the conference in Jamaica.

men from Holy Trinity, Renatus Thompson and Zavier Clarke.

The event runs from Youth Night on Friday to the closing Healing Service on Saturday. The cost of registration is $100, and T-shirts cost $20 -$25. The deadline for registration is October 13.

For more details, you can contact members of the Diocesan Pastoral Care and Counseling Ministry in the persons of Audrey Major–Rolle 5580652 or Marie Cooper at 359-7030.