10242017 news

MONDAY i’m lovin’ it!

The Tribune Established 1903

24/7 BREAKING NEWS ON TRIBUNE242.COM

HIGH 90ºF LOW 78ºF

Biggest And Best!

VOLUME:114 No.230, OCTOBER 23RD, 2017

HO US E & 16 THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

INSIGHT - THE PLP: A NEW PERSPECTIVE YOU SAY?

PAGES

The crisis in our hospitals PHA boss warned govt patients suffering due to major funding failure

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net A STAGGERING picture of the true state of the crumbling public healthcare system has been revealed by former Public Hospitals Authority boss Herbert Brown.

Shortly before he left office Mr Brown wrote a detailed report to Health Minister Dr Duane Sands in which he itemised areas of massive underfunding and inefficiencies which he

warned were having a direct affect on patients.

The crisis goes back years and, while not naming them, Mr Brown appears to point the finger of blame at the ousted PLP. “Government”, he wrote, had approved a whole list of projects to improve the health care system but without giving the tens of millions of dollars needed to actually carry out the work.

In this “unacceptable” state of public health services, Mr Brown said access to service is compromised on a daily basis,

MINNIS SEEKS TO CALM HAITIANS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

NEARLY two weeks after taking a hard line on immigration, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis struck a softer tone at The Haitian Metropolitan Church of the Nazarene Sunday, stressing this country’s ties to

Haitians and pledging to expeditiously grant residency permits and citizenship to those eligible for it.

Where his previous announcement ordering illegal immigrants to leave the country drew praise from Bahamians concerned about the issue, his SEE PAGE THREE

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net WHILE urging Progressive Liberal Party members to unite during this week’s national convention, PLP interim Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said he is “confident” he’ll retain the party’s top post when the three-day event comes to a close.

Mr Davis is expected to face off against Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin during the 53rd convention where all posts will be vacant.

Should she emerge victorious, the MP would be SEE PAGE SIX

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

SEE PAGE FIVE

FORMER Public Hospitals Authority boss Herbert Brown.

HFM OUTBREAK ‘WILL GET WORSE’

AN outbreak of Hand, Foot and Mouth disease is affecting young children in the country, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands confirmed yesterday.

“The public could expect to see a significant amount of cases before things get better,” he said.

An outbreak of the disease is not common in the

DAVIS: I’LL WIN FIGHT FOR LEADER

SMITH AIMS TO BLOCK POWER SALE

physical infrastructure is deteriorating, and there is a more worrying unnecessary patient risk factor, blamed on poorly functioning medical equipment.

His eight-page letter sent to Dr Sands was sent roughly two weeks before he went into retirement, Mr Brown further highlighted a catalogue of capital works projects, just a few of which have started, but generally no funding has ever been provided.

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

HOME

country but health professionals have seen it before.

It is unclear how many schools have had students affected.

The disease is caused by a virus, and generally lasts between five and seven days.

Symptoms include ulcers, or sores inside or around the mouth and a rash or blisters on the hands, feet, legs or buttocks.

“Millions get it,” Dr Sands said. “It’s a nuisance; aggravating, uncomfortable, but the overwhelming majority of people that it get are primary children.

“There are no long term consequences and there are rarely serious consequences.

“If your child is ill, don’t take them to school. It’s a herd problem. If you expose people to the virus it will spread.”

A PROMINENT QC yesterday “guaranteed” he will launch a Supreme Court action to block the $35 million ‘buy-out’ of Grand Bahama Power Company’s minority Bahamian shareholders.

Fred Smith QC, the Callenders & Co attorney and partner, told Tribune Business he would be issuing Judicial Review and constitutional proceedings “very shortly” in a bid to overturn the Government approvals already granted to Emera for the transaction.

Mr Smith, who said he holds $300,000 worth of shares in ICD Utilities, the BISX-listed holding vehicle for a 50 per cent equity interest in GB Power, said he was “most vexed” by the failure of both the Canadian utility and Minnis administration to consult with the 19.63 per cent Bahamian investors prior to announcing/approving the transaction.

SEE BUSINESS SECTION

SWIMMING PIGS PERK UP TOURISM

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

EXUMA’s famed swimming pigs was named as a major factor behind the back-to-back record year success of one of the country’s most exclusive resorts.

Real estate agents are suddenly concerned about a lack of beachfront inventory to meet demand, according to officials at the Grand Isle, a 78-villa luxury retreat on Emerald Bay. “It has been amazing,” said Sandra Grisham-Clothier, General Manager.

ONE of the famous swimming pigs in Exuma.

“Four years ago, as the resort was trying to get back on its feet after financial challenges locally and globally, we were averaging 15 percent occupancy and operating on optimism

SPICY SHRIMP & CHICKEN COMBO

IS BACK! Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

about the future. Each year since, we have seen improvement.

“In the last three years, that improvement has been dramatic and we have just experienced two consecutive record years with a yearround occupancy in the 70 percent range. It has truly been a great turnaround, thanks to a number of factors, including partnership with an awardwinning premier hotel operator with more than 25 years of experience and the fascination with pigs that swim.”

SEE PAGE TWO

PAGE 2, Monday, October 23, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

SWIMMING PIGS PERK UP TOURISM

FROM PAGE ONE

October 26 & 27, 2017

MENU -APPETIZER-

MAPLE SAUSAGE APPLE STRUDEL WITH MAPLE MUSTARD SAUCE OR CREAMY POTATO SOUP TOPPED WITH CRISPY KALE, BACON AND CHEDDAR CHEESE

BEER SELECTION

SANDS LIGHT SNAKEBITE

-ENTRÉE-

PAN ROASTED PORK CHOP STUFFED WITH HERBED BREADCRUMBS AND DRIED FIGS WITH BEER CARAMELIZED ONIONS, PAN JUS AND CRISPY POTATO CAKE WITH ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH PROSCIUTTO OR CHICKEN JAEGAR SCHNITZEL TOPPED WITH CRIMINI MUSHROOM THYME SAUCE, SOUR CREAM AND CHIVE MASHED POTATOES AND SAUTÉED BROCCOLI AND CARROTS OR JUNIPER BERRY AND PEPPERCORN RUBBED SEARED SALMON TOPPED WITH PARSLEY AND SPRING ONIONS WITH HERBED SPÄTZLE AND ROASTED ASPARAGUS

BEER SELECTION

FLIGHT OF YOUR CHOICE OF FOUR (4) SANDS BEERS (5 OZ SERVINGS)

-DESSERT-

BLACK FOREST CAKE

BEER SELECTION

STRONG BACK BLACK VELVET

50 Per Person / $60 (WITH BEER SELECTION) +7.5% VAT and 15% gratuity

$

Reservations Required T: 323-7770 | www.lucianosnassau.com

Grand Isle is a linchpin in the island’s economy, the resort claims, boasting a local workforce of more than 130 Bahamians as the second largest tourist offering on Exuma.

Now for the first time, Grand Isle Resort is finding itself exceeding 100 per cent occupancy on occasion even in summer, traditionally the slower period.

Peter Nicholson purchased 31 villas in May 2014, pulling the development out of receivership, credits a number of factors for the dramatic turnaround.

“Increased airlift with Delta coming in from Atlanta, direct flights from Toronto, a new weekly direct flight from Charlotte and, of course, American and Silver serving the Florida market has been a big part of the picture.

The economy has also experienced an upturn and we have engaged a respected management company, Trust Hospitality, which has overseen resort upgrades, food and beverage and booking,” said Mr Nicholson. “But the single largest contributor to the explosion of interest in Exuma is the fascination with the swimming pigs.”

Nicholson said the resort recently completed a survey of visitors asking, among other questions, what brought them to Exuma.

“More than 50 percent said the swimming pigs,” he added. “Now because of that attraction, the number of other excursions is growing and there is so much more to do in Exuma. Today when you come to swim with the pigs, you can also take in the world-class water, the beaches, historic harbour tour or enjoy more snorkeling or diving options.

So the pigs have actually spun off economic activity and the best part is without knowing it, of course, they have kick-started improvements, including much-needed promised expansion of the international airport. With a loan from Inter-American Development Bank, the government of The Bahamas has announced that the Exuma airport is number one on its priority list of airport repairs and improvements and that is welcome news.”

The swimming pigs’ rise to stardom has affected every corner of the island’s

GRAND Isle resort in Exuma. economy from cab drivers to tour operators, from restaurants to resorts of all sizes. New offerings have sprung up nearby, including Lumina, a resort on Stocking Island and Sandals Emerald Bay just down the beach from Grand Isle Villas continues to draw a loyal market. Peace & Plenty, one of the oldest hotels in the heart of George Town, is now under contract after years languishing on the market.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, October 23, 2017, PAGE 3

POLICE ‘FOLLOWING LEADS’, BUT NO ONE IN CUSTODY OVER TEENAGER’S MURDER

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

MISSING: Alex Saintre, 65, and his wife, Aliseda, 45.

BIMINI HUSBAND AND WIFE MISSING AT SEA

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN and US authorities are searching for a Bimini husband and wife who are believed to be missing at sea since Saturday, police reported.

The US Coast Guard and the Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association (BASRA) have been called in to assist police in locating Alex Saintre, 65, and his wife, Aliseda, 45, of Alice Town.

According to police, the couple went on a fishing trip on Saturday, October 20, and have not been seen since.

After the husband and wife did not return from their fishing trip, police, BASRA and

US Coast Guard officials launched a search, but have not been able to locate them.

Investigations are continuing into the matter.

• MURDER Meanwhile, Grand Bahama Police are investigating a murder that occurred in the Hawksbill area where a man was found dead in an abandoned house on Friday.

According to police, the victim’s body was discovered shortly after 2pm in an unoccupied residence on Bimini Place, Hawksbill.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Investigations are continuing into the matter.

POLICE have not yet taken anyone into custody for the murder of Anthony Smith, 15, who was gunned down on Prison Lane last week.

“We are following leads, but we don’t have anyone in custody at this time,” Chief Superintendent Solomon Cash told The Tribune on Friday.

Anthony was shot in front of a house in Greenwich Street shortly after 8pm on Tuesday by a man in a dark coloured Honda. He was taken to hospital where he later died.

Wellington Smith, the boy’s father, tearfully recalled kneeling over his son’s bullet-riddled body for almost 30 minutes before the ambulance “finally arrived’, despite their home being less than five minutes away from the Princess Margaret Hospital.

Mr Smith said he believes “Tony” was targeted because of the many fights he got into at school, stemming from a “gang war” between boys from Mason’s Addition and Kemp Road.

He admitted Anthony was “not perfect”, but said “the system” set his son up to fail, when the Ministry of Education sent him to a school in a neighbourhood with rivals.

The distraught father said he knew the minute his son enrolled in C I Gibson Senior High School he would most likely die.

Because of this, Mr Smith said Anthony was intentionally pulled out of school

MINNIS SEEKS TO CALM HAITIANS FROM PAGE ONE statements yesterday were a clear appeal to the Haitian community, members of whom had reacted harshly to his ultimatum.

He cautioned reporters that his address did not signify he was “opening the floodgates”.

“We all share a common dignity and there is no room in our hearts and minds for prejudice or discrimination,” he said at the East Street church, attracting applause as Transport and Local Government Minister Frankie Campbell translated his words in Haitian creole.

“We see in countries around the world the results of prejudice. We sometimes see this prejudice in our own hearts and in our own country. After Hurricane Maria recently destroyed much of our Caribbean neighbour Dominica, my government reached out to help the people of Dominica. This was the right thing to do. And we must continue to help each other in times of need. “

Ultimatum Dr Minnis stressed his ultimatum was aimed at illegal immigrants of all nationalities, even as he emphasized the ties between Bahamians and Haitians in particular.

“The Bahamas is made up of people who have their roots throughout the Caribbean and the world,” he said. “We are made up of people of Africa, Europe and Americas. We are made up of people of Dominica, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and from throughout the Caribbean. We are also made up of people from Haiti.

The ties between the Bahamas and Haiti go back for much more than a century.

Haiti and the Bahamas are bound together by history, by geography and by family ties.

“So many Bahamians like Minister Campbell enjoy such family ties. This is something we should celebrate. But no matter where we hail from, we also celebrate unity in our diversity. We celebrate being one Bahamas. We must be one people in love and unity.

We celebrate those who have contributed so much to building our Bahamas, no matter which land we originally came from.”

Dr Minnis said: “To the press, no, I am not opening the floodgates.”

He said: “We must be fair and just towards those

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. who have contributed in so justice to grant residency many ways to our Bahamas. and citizenship for eligible This means that we must individuals who qualify for be fairer in terms of our such status. No, I am not immigration practices and opening the floodgates. Too policies. It is not fair, nor is many people have been it just that so many who are waiting a long time to be born in the Bahamas and granted permanent resiare entitled to citizenship dency. Some people have have been marginalized. It to go year-after-year for is not fair, nor just, for so a work permit when they many of our young people should’ve been granted to be marginalized, iso- permanent residency some lated or placed in no man’s years ago. land––stateless.

“We must more vigor“Many cannot open bank ously address this issue,” he accounts, attend universi- said. ties,” Dr Minnis continued, “There are also questions “or travel in spite of finish- about the grant of citizening our high schools and in ship. My government will some instances performing make an independent board at the top of the class. My to approve applications of government will act in citizenship in accordance accordance with our con- with the Constitution and stitution and the demands our laws. There will not be of human dignity and social

political interference in our Constitution.”

On October 11th, Dr Minnis had announced that migrants here illegally must leave by December 31, 2017.

“After which period they will be aggressively pursued and deported,” he said at the time. “This applies to all nationalities.”

after only attending for three days since September.

Meanwhile, friends of the victim have told The Tribune they will retaliate against the murder of the teenager.

The threats came amid an ongoing gang and turf war that is affecting some junior and senior high school campuses in New Providence.

“I’ll slaughter them, see what I saying,” one boy aged 15 said yesterday as he stood outside the gates of C I Gibson Senior High School on Marathon Road.

“We (are) retaliating for our boy.

“Some riding mad a, and some riding (one) orda (gang),” another boy, 16, chimed in as he demonstrated various gang hand signs.

Another said: “That’s our boy man.

That’s sad man. Yeah, man, I drop tears.

I think it wasn’t called for. I mean that’s a lil’n.

“Dis ain’t going down like that,” someone else in the group of about 10 boys, shouted.

Asked whether fighting was common at their school, the boys agreed, one of them saying: “We just had two fights today.”

As the victim’s friends gave this newspaper a glimpse into the violence plaguing the country’s educational system, scores of students ran toward a rock fight, which erupted several feet from a nearby tyre shop.

The Tribune canvassed students, whose identities have been withheld because they are minors, at C I Gibson and D W Davis yesterday, following Anthony Smith’s death on Tuesday night.

Anthony attended both schools before his death.

PAGE 4, Monday, October 23, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

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

EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

Published daily Monday to Friday

Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES

News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax

(242) 322-1986 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348

WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com

@tribune242

tribune news network

Now time to open all Baha Mar files DR HUBERT Minnis should not have to be reminded that one of the main tenets of his party’s political platform was to open wide government’s doors and expose the PLP’s fiveyear management or mismanagement of the people’s government and the spending or misspending of its finances. In some areas they have carried out their mission with great vigour, in others there is too much foot-dragging.

And the area that could have the greatest impact on the future of this country if the wrong decisions are - or have been made — is the Baha Mar project. Bahama Mar was launched as the enterprise that would put the Bahamas’ footprint on the world map as a leader in tourism. And yet, it is the one area - the most important in our opinion — that is still shrouded in secrecy.

Maybe if the full truth were known, no investor would trust the Bahamas again as a safe investment haven. And yet, failure to expose the truth and try to rectify the wrongs as far as legally possible would completely destroy the Bahamas — remember under another PLP government our islands were cast adrift as a “nation for sale.”

Thanks, to an FNM government, under prime minister Hubert Ingraham, this country was pulled out of the mire.

One investor turned, took a second look at the Bahamas, saw it was on a new course and decided to take the plunge with the Ingraham government. Sir Sol and his son, the late Butch Kerzner, created the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island. Other hotels and investments followed and the Bahamas regained its place in the world.

The FNM is on the cusp of success or failure. It is time to make a decision.

The full truth has to be told about Baha Mar. Bahamians don’t even know how many acres of land are involved in this investment, nor any of the plans going forward. Much of this information is locked down by the courts at the request of the Chinese bank with no objection by the PLP government when the decision was made. The FNM is now the government. Attorney General Carl Bethel has said that he has reviewed all documents and sees nothing wrong with the agreements. Although, he is the Attorney General whose word is to be respected, so much that is wrong has swirled around this contract - made worse by secrecy— that one man’s opinion is not going to sway public opinion.

About 15 years ago, Perry Christie, talked Sarkis Izmirlian into purchasing the Wyndham Crystal Palace from US investor Phil Ruffin. Not interested, Mr Izmirlian twice turned the offer down.

On Mr Christie’s third attempt, Mr Izmirlian took the bait and not only purchased the Ruffin hotel but also relieved government of its failed Radisson Hotel.

The Baha Mar dream was born. We won’t go into further details other than to say that other than signing government’s heads of agreement with Baha Mar, there was so much foot dragging on the part of the Christie government that the party was voted from power with the final Baha Mar agreement still not signed.

At the time the world was on the edge of a recession, and when, thanks to missed deadlines with his Las Vegas partners, because of the yet unsigned heads of agreement by the Christie

government, the Vegas partners pulled out, leaving Mr Izmirlian to search for new investors. At the time the Chinese were the only ones cashing in on the world’s financial crash. China Export-Import Bank was willing to provide the necessary funds and become part of the Izmirlian dream.

However, as opening date was nearing EX-IM Bank’s construction partner, CCA kept failing on all the opening dates that it had set for Baha Mar, thus running up company expenses.

Mr Izmirlian went to Mr Christie with his problem. However, Mr Christie seemed not to grasp the gravity of the situation. China Construction America (CCA) kept failing on completion dates.

The financial problem became desperate, and, so without consulting anyone Mr Izmirlian quite sensibly applied for bankruptcy protection under Delaware court’s chapter 11. Miffed that he was not taken into Mr Izmirlian’s plans, Prime Minister Christie took to his corner and sulked. He was supported by his sidekick Fred Mitchell, then Immigration Minister, who petulantly declared that if Mr Izmirlian did not conform with “the values of the Bahamas he should take the necessary steps to find some other country to live in.”

The matter went to the Delaware court with Mr Christie objecting that the Bahamas would not support it because it disrespected the Bahamas’ “sovereignty” - thus making a mockery of the meaning of “sovereignty”. As a result the investment went into Bahamian liquidation, and — thanks to “sovereignty” – has since been a bundle of confusion and secrecy. Mr Izmirlian has been blocked from bidding on his own investment, and Mr Christie, who had talked him into making the $800-$900 billion investment, refused to intervene on Mr Izmirlian’s behalf with China Export-Import Bank. Mr Izmirlian was cut off from all attempts to repurchase his investment. Mr Christie went ahead with his “sovereignty” nonsense despite several pleas from former prime minister Hubert Ingraham not to do so as he would regret making such a grave error.

However, it is still not known whether the Cheng group from Hong Kong, which is supposed to purchase Baha Mar on its completion, has as yet done so. Why? Because the jinx in this whole sad tragedy of errors — CCA — has again missed its “substantial completion” deadline — October 15, 2017. The completion of this enterprise was the condition of sale. If this is true and the Chow Tai Fook Enterprises are not yet the owners of Baha Mar, how could the Bahamas Gaming Board under the Christie government have granted Sky Warrior Bahamas Ltd a casino licence on April 5 – a month before this year’s My 10 election?

If this resort has not been sold then we urge that the bidding process be opened and Mr Izmirlian be allowed to bid.

Mr Prime Minister under your open government, the public is entitled to this information. Remember the politicians are the servants of the people. This is one tenet of democracy that the Pindling and Christie government’s forgot to their party’s destruction. We hope Dr Minnis does not make the same mistake.

All files now have to be opened and the whole truth be told.

Fuel surcharge cannot be allowed to continue as is EDITOR, The Tribune.

THOSE WITHOUT IMMIGRATION STATUS ON DECEMBER 31ST EDITOR, The Tribune.

FOR those residing in The Bahamas without Immigration status before December 31st, you better be out or immigration coming looking.

Remember if you do not have status you cannot apply whilst in the Bahamas - PLP Minister Mitchell made that law.

Useless big shot at Lyford - Old Fort - Albany - Treasure Cove - PI trying to get their Johnny straight if he or she is in The Bahamas...they gotta go, leave and then apply.

This is not for the non-Haitians if it is then it shows just how inadequate Immigration is construction workers that’s easy hit the few construction sites and weed them out. West Bay every day

you see the pick-up trucks loaded. The jewellery sales people on Bay Street that takes about 30-minutes the public knows what they do and if we know surely Mr Immigration should know also? Wear dark shades and you can see.

Is the programme going to be promoted with Spanish - Creole - French - English announcements on all stations and on all TV stations?

If the programme does not address those born of illegal mothers or parents then what is this all about? Mother illegal by no miracle does a child born here become legal.

It Is appreciated that no one has ever looked at the ever growing population and now It has more than overcome us

LETTERS

I REMEMBER in the past, light bills were issued letters@tribunemedia.net every three months.

As time progressed it while the changed to every month. increases, But what came to mind authorities say not a mumimmediately was that the bling word.

Recently the price of oil bills for one month were far more than what it was fell to an all time low for many years, yet the price for three months.

Bahamians are a people of gasoline in the Bahawho, by their very nature mas did not move.

Again the authoriendure much.

We are a “long suffering ties did nothing and said nothing. people”.

Today, with the price We normally do not protest and people from still at a reasonably low other lands come here, level, the fuel surcharge take advantage of us in on our light bills have many ways, but we believe steadily increased and the that we should “Leave it insatiable greed by the oil suppliers is through the to the Lord”.

We are usually a people roof.

There is absolutely no who talk much and do little to express our explanation by BPL as to why they have allowed the displeasure.

The light bills have been surcharge to reach such suffocating us for decades. unbearable and alarming We struggle to pay it, even levels, especially if they though we all complain want to pretend to be under our breath that it is acting in the best interest next to impossible to keep of the people with their “half baked” public relaup.

But the greed by the oil tion exercises.

Ray Charles can see supplies increases.

Over the many years, that BPL are in full agreethe price of oil per barrel ment with the strain that is fluctuates, but the price being placed on the backs of oil here in the Baha- of the retiree who has to mas not only stays the choose between paying same, but in many cases the light bill or buying “life saving” medication.

This raping of the Bahamian people by the oil companies through BPL - 4,000+ students leave school annually must stop.

It is unconscionable how and there might be on average say 600 jobs openings (with Government not they have been allowed to hiring how many?) systematically drain all of What is the current application posi- the money from our pention at Immigration? How many ‘000’s sioners and single families have files awaiting a decision? How many applications for Permanent Resi- with little income. God cannot be happy with this dence are there waiting?

You hear the charge check those “highway robbery”.

I call on The Right Hon. spousal permits If the marriage is real or fake? That isn’t difficult... presume you Dr. Hubert A. Minnis in have a list call the people in, together if his quest to bring relief they still are. to the Bahamian people and to cause an immeMONICA SMITH diate investigation as Nassau, to why BPL has been October 13, 2017. allowed to slowly “bring

this country to its knees” with extremely high fuel surcharges.

The country is depending on someone with a heart to buck the status quo and derail the train of “business as usual”.

It doesn’t matter who the company is, someone in it must be humane.

Money cannot be the only thing that drives them.

For God’s sake, stop humiliating the people, our people. It is simply nauseating to see the level many of us have come from the burden of high power bills.

The fuel surcharge cannot be allowed to continue as is.

On another note, why is there any long talk about the direction we should go for power.

Sensible, civilised, developing countries and progressive governments are going, or have gone green.

We boast of sun, sea and sand, but what we did not elaborate on is that we have hot blazing sun about twelve hours per day.

There can be no explanation by anyone for not using solar as an alternate source of energy unless we allow the oil suppliers to interfere in the process from a position of greed.

So, Dr. Minnis, I strongly believe that you would put the people above the oil companies and move with haste to make sure that solar be implemented regardless, no matter what and in spite of.

Then and only then, would the Bahamian people believe that it is “The people’s time!”

I VOINE W. INGRAHAM Nassau, October 22, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, October 23, 2017, PAGE 5

THE CRISIS IN OUR HOSPITALS “unacceptable, inappropriate and uncharitable” decisions.

He said the government is working on responses to the health service’s crisis.

Dr Sands said the government now has to prioritise the ills of healthcare.

He said much of the problems were created because money was spent carelessly on things of less importance by the former Progressive Liberal Party government.

FROM PAGE ONE

To complete these projects, said Mr Brown, the PHA would need $43,181,178.

Health systems strengthening also carries a hefty price tag of $27,050,616.63, Mr Brown said in his letter dated September 25, 2017.

“Collapsing infrastructure, broken equipment, inadequate provision of staff; particularly nurses, doctors and allied health personnel has led to a situation in which access to healthcare services and patient dignity – particularly in Accident and Emergency (A&E) and the Maternity ward, are compromised on a daily basis,” wrote Mr Brown.

“Indeed our inability to properly budget and allocate sufficient finances for medicine, medical and surgical supplies, equipment, staff and infrastructure upgrades and maintenance has directly impacted the delivery and quality of our services and the ongoing deterioration of our physical infrastructure.”

On maintenance of equipment he warned Dr Sands: “Without these essential equipment and instruments, patient care can and will be compromised.

“Further, failure to maintain existing or purchase new equipment, has meant that healthcare professionals are hampered in their ability to correctly diagnose and treat patients.”

The PHA, he said, had not had an equipment budget for “many years”.

“This unfortunate situation is and will continue to have significant implications on the delivery of care,” he wrote.

Radiology “For example, a lack of sufficient working radiology devices (which is currently a major problem at PMH in particular) prevents diagnosis of many diseases. In addition delays in patient diagnosis can often impact timely treatment of diseases, leading to poor health outcomes. “... Poor functioning anaesthetic equipment failure, places patients at unnecessary risks.

Equipment and manpower challenges One of the key system failures is the purchasing and maintenance of essential equipment, Mr Brown wrote.

Referring to a wide range of equipment from surgical scissors to more complex equipment like MRI and X-ray machines, the former managing director said without these “patient care can and will be compromised.”

“Further failure to maintain existing or purchase new equipment has meant that healthcare professionals are hampered in their ability to correctly diagnose and treat patients.”

“It would be helpful to note that the PHA has not had an equipment budget for many years. This unfortunate situation is and will continue to have significant implications on the delivery of care. In fact, presently two rooms in the radiology at PMH (three and five) have been out of service for some time now, due to the need to replace equipment that cannot be repaired,” he said.

“Regrettably for many years now due to the lack of funding we were unable to fund the cost of preventative maintenance contracts.

Indeed in 2017/2018 the overall estimate to fund the cost of preventative maintenance contracts for our Public Hospitals was estimated at over $3m and of that amount the Critical Care Block alone needed $460,000 to fund the maintenance of equipment.”

Mr Brown said there were serious shortages at hospitals, which were having a rippling effect. Of note is the shortfall in A&E nurses and trained A&E doctors. Overall 440 nurses are needed.

This, he said, is impacting the quality of care provided to patients suffering from serious traumas and other life threatening illnesses.

“While the number of graduates vary on an annual basis, we are not producing the numbers required to meet the needs of our public service. This is compounded as we must now compete with North America, where salaries and benefits are substantially higher than what we can offer in the Bahamas and as a result we are experiencing an exodus of many of our highly trained nurses.”

Mr Brown said the healthcare budget has not changed

Election

MINISTER of Health Dr Duane Sands. in line with changing costs of healthcare.

As an example, he said the expansion of service at PMH coupled with the construction of the Critical Care Block carries with it a cost to operate in excess of $10m or 18 per cent of PHA’s total budget. However, he said, it should be noted that 75 per cent of the total PHA budget is allocated to personal emoluments.

He said it is therefore obvious the Critical care Block

“We took our eyes off the ball and made some dumb decisions. We awarded contracts to the party faithful in an attempt to win an election as opposed to investing in our healthcare infrastructure,” Dr Sands said.

“Some of the decisions were unconscionable and the Bahamian people have been paying for it. Their loved ones have been paying for it.

It’s an unacceptable experience when they interact with the healthcare system the medical staff have to endure unbelievable scorn and anger and at the same time you’re waving this pie in the sky, unachievable dream called NHI in front of people.

“What these guys have done in the last five years is nothing short of unacceptable, inappropriate (and)

PRINCESS Margaret Hospital can extend their operating hours beyond what exists today so that persons in need of routine care can be seen in a timely manner and as a result significantly reducing the load on an already crowded A&E Department at the Princess Margaret Hospital.

“Indeed we have proven that by extending clinic hours in Grand Bahama, visits to the A&E Department at Rand Memorial dropped by 8.7 per cent in 2015 and an additional 1.5 per cent in 2016 and as a result waiting

time and patient satisfaction were all positively impacted.

“It is essential if we are to improve the quality of care, accountability and improved outcomes, managers and department heads at all levels must be held accountable, but be empowered to take the initiatives in revamping operations, reallocating resources and steering their department in new directions to ensure that those who will use public health services will not just see but feel the difference.

“I have admonished employees of PHA to stop

the blame game and work together in the best interest of the people we are privileged to serve. However,. without enhanced accountability and improved management, our service and ultimately our patients will not see any difference.”

All this will require buy-in and unconditional support from leaders across the board, innovation, financial discipline and communication with employees on important initiatives and actions on recommendations from them, Mr Brown said.

PROJECT COST

BALANCE ON CONTRACT

CURRENT STATUS

$14,933,442.94

$2,902,137.47 $5,668,798.31 $13,370,917.96 $2,374,736.68

$1,620,996.53

$3,143,062.63

$14,742,921.28

$2,902,137.47 $5,668,798.31 $13,370,917.96 $1,620,402.26

$1,164,525.39

$3,143,062.63

Cabinet approval, mobilization payment but no further funding provided Cabinet approval, no funding Cabinet approval, no funding Cabinet approval, no funding Cabinet approval, contracts awarded but no reimbursement or funding provided Cabinet approval, contracts awarded but no reimbursement or funding provided No contract awarded, no funding provided

$568,412.70

$568,412.70

No capital funding

CAPITAL WORKS PMH Maternity Renovation

PMH Radiology Renovation PMH Infrastructural Works PMH A&E Renovation RMH Kitchen & Cafeteria Relocation

RMH Mall & Doctors On Call Suite

RMH Radiology PMH Hurricane Matthew Capital Repair & Restoration

HEALTH SYSTEMS STRENGTHENING Integrated Health Information System (iHIMS) - Electronic Medical Record, Clinical Systems

iHIMS - Supply Chain and Accounting Modules iHIMS Implementation Costs for Hardware, Travel, Training Data Center Upgrade Radiology Equipment PACS System

is absorbing four per cent of the budget, having significant impact on the overall level of service provided.

“The situation is further compounded by the fact that while we now spend in excess of $200m every year on the services provided by the PHA alone, we collect less than $10m every year.

Regrettably the gazette fees are not in line with the cost of the services provided and there is the widely held belief that healthcare is free.”

He went on: “The result has been that on a yearly basis, the public healthcare system has been accruing debt by exhausting the other charges budget for goods and services fund prior to the financial year-end and paying invoices out of the budget for the following year. This in effect means that pressure is placed on the following year’s budget, which is spent prior to the year end.”

Last night Dr Sands confirmed he was in receipt of the letter and insisted the grim state of the system was at the feet of the former Christie administration whom he said made

$16,323,112.00

$1,243,127.85

Implementation progressing, no funding provided Cabinet approval, no funding

$6,041,194.00 $2,429,400.00 $7,576,062.50 $1,087,560.00

$6,041,194.00 $2,429,400.00 $5,354,037.50 $870,048.00

Cabinet approval, no funding Cabinet approval, no funding Cabinet approval, 20% deposit paid Cabinet approval, 20% deposit paid

$1,832,079.50

uncharitable.

“We are in the process of completing a nurses attention plan that we are going to implement. We acknowledge the problem. The first part of solving the problem is to acknowledge that it exists.

“Imagine if you took the money that you spent on carnival and invested it on nursing attention. Think about it. Imagine if you took some of the money that you spent on some of your contract awardees for so-called hurricane clean up and you fixed the roof on PMH and sorted out the land. That you fixed up some of these clinics and you paid for vaccines and medication as opposed to causing some of the vendors to almost go into bankruptcy.

“There were some unchristian things that went on.”

In his letter Mr Brown said to fix these chronic challenges there must be a maximisation of scarce resources and a better integration of services “Our position on this matter is longstanding. We must find the resources to ensure that our four poly clinics in New Providence

$11,112,809.28

PAGE 6, Monday, October 23, 2017

PLP STALWART COUNCILLOR ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO RUN FOR CHAIRMAN

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Dep tyu Chief Reporter krussell@tribumedia.net

AS THE Progressive Liberal Party gears up for its threeday convention today, another candidate has announced his intention to contest the chairmanship of the PLP. Keith Albury told The Tribune yesterday that while he has no finances, campaign team or paraphernalia to boost his attempt, he is confident in his ability to clench the needed support among PLPs to win the post.

A member of the party since 1992, the stalwart councillor said he has watched the party lose the trust of Bahamians.

This is something Mr Albury said he believes he can restore among the electorate.

He joins several other PLPs who have announced their intentions to vie for chairmanship of the party.

They include former Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe, former Mortgage Corporation Chairman Alex Storr, former Long Island candidate Glendon Rolle and former Minister of State for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez.

Former Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell was also being drafted, according to sources last week, to compete in this race.

Mr Albury said: “I am guided by the Holy Spirit and I believe that I am the one because I wish to restore the spiritual relationship between the party and the Lord God Almighty.

“By His grace I wish to rebuild in the minds of the people the confidence that the Progressive Liberal Party is the organisation capable of running the affairs of the Bahamas and there are certain mechanics in doing that which I will not reveal at this time, but I will to the delegates.

“I also hope to, in collaboration with the newly elected leader,

seek to amend the party’s constitution thereby giving the party’s constituencies more autonomy through which each constituency can select its own representatives for candidacy to the House of Assembly.

“I can also tell you that one way in which I can do that is by improving the political research and development capabilities of the party. In all these things I hope to be led by the Holy Spirit.”

“Right now there is no confidence that the PLP is the way,” he continued.

“Notwithstanding the fact that the current administration has changed no policy of the PLP and in fact seems to have doubled down on our policies.

Direction “That within itself is an indication that the PLP was headed in the right direction notwithstanding the bad public relations.”

Mr Albury has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Prairie View A & M, Texas, United States.

He has also been a committee member of the PLP’s election campaign platform committee.

The PLP will convene its 53rd National General Convention today.

Under the theme - A New Perspective — the event where all positions will be opened, will come to a close on October 25.

So far Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP Philip “Brave” Davis and Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin are the only two to announce bids to run for leader of the PLP, while Exuma and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper is running for the deputy leader’s position.

Former Prime Minister Perry Christie has said he will not publicly endorse any candidate before the vote during convention.

------------------------ Job Opportunity ------------------------_________________________________ Join the Professional Team

Kelso Medical Laboratory A Dynamic & Progressive Bahamian Company Operating since 1965

INSURANCE BILLING CLERK Skills Required: - Background in Medical Insurance Billing - Literate in Microsoft Office, Excel, Word & Powerpoint - Good Communication Skills - Dedicated to High Standards in the Profession - Energetic & Enthusiastic Team Player - Outstanding Recommendations Dependable Email Resume to: kelsohr@gmail.com or Drop Off to 10 Collins Avenue (Attention Manager)

THE TRIBUNE

SEARS: PLP HAS BEEN COMPROMISED BY ‘CONSTITUTIONAL NON-COMPLIANCE’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER leadership contender Alfred Sears, QC, yesterday said the Progressive Liberal Party’s culture of “constitutional non-compliance” has compromised the party’s “integrity, viability, resilience and nimbleness”.

“The lack of political education within the party and knowledge of the party’s Constitution has resulted in powerlessness of its members and increased dependence and patronage,” he said.

Mr Sears’ comments came on the eve of the party’s convention.

The PLP seeks to chart a new course following its disappointing performance in the May 10th general election.

The areas in which the party has failed to comply with the constitution include its heavy concentration of power in leadership, its failure to hold conventions every year and the inactivity of party branches

FORMER PLP leadership contender Alfred Sears. outside elections and party conventions, Mr Sears said.

“Basic democratic structures to ensure widespread participation by members have never been established within the party or are nonfunctional,” he added.

Mr Sears said the party should use its convention to “reclaim the confidence of its disaffected members and

begin to restore the trust of the wider Bahamian electorate by showing that” it is serious about “empowering the branches, make officers more accountable, institute fiscal and campaign finance reform and ensure fair elections.”

Mr Sears suggested that no less than 50 per cent of the party’s elected

structures feature women in positions of power.

He said the power to increase the admission of stalwart councillors should be given back to the National General Convention, where it belonged prior to January 2017 when the constitution was amended to give this power to the party leader to exercise “as he deems necessary.”

The party should appoint a financial auditor, he said, and it should “submit an annual report of income, expenditure, campaign contributions and expenses and balance sheet to the National General Convention.”

Voting powers should be expanded to include all registered financial members of the party in good standing, not just delegates and stalwart councilors.

And the list of qualified voters should be provided to candidates ten weeks before convention, he said.

“The party should be the sole source of financial assistance of air travel, room and board and per diem for voters,” he added.

PLP leadership candidate Philip ‘Brave’ Davis is greeted by a supporter at a prayer breakest at the weekend.

PHOTO: Shawn Hanna/Tribune staff

DAVIS: I’LL WIN FIGHT FOR LEADER

FROM PAGE ONE

the first woman to lead the PLP. If Mr Davis wins, he would be the Opposition party’s third elected leader. He took over the reins of the PLP when former Prime Minister Perry Christie accepted responsibility for the party’s defeat in the May 10 election and stepped down as leader.

Speaking to reporters following a prayer breakfast to kick off the event, Mr Davis said he hopes Bahamians are able to see the party as being receptive to the message they sent when the party was voted out of office.

Mr Davis said: “I hope that the convention will demonstrate to the Bahamian people that we heard the message that was delivered to us on May 10th and that we are responding to that message. That what they see at the convention,

during the convention and post the convention would be a response to that message.

“I expect us to reflect on where we are, understand the times and the seasons that we are in and to craft a re-imaging of our party going forward.

Vision “I think we need to be able to demonstrate to the Bahamian people that we are reworking our vision to reflect more what the Bahamian people would like to see.

“We have to rework our image and I think we need to ensure that we find the right vehicle that our message is delivered to the Bahamian people.”

He also said: “(Restoring trust and our image) is a work in progress. There are any number of approaches that one can take. But I

think the one thing that has come home to me talking across the length and breadth of the country is that we lost the will to be all the time PLPs and having a continual remit to our people, continual dialogue (and) continuing to address the issues that impact the ordinary Bahamians.

“We need to reconnect and ensure that these things are done on a sustained level and not just periodically.”

Asked how he was feeling as he prepared to go head to head against Mrs Hanna Martin, Mr Davis replied: “Very confident.”

Before his comments to reporters, Mr Davis spoke to party supporters during the early morning event at the Melia Nassau Beach Hotel at Cable Beach.

“This is our season for renewal, for recommitting ourselves to core values (and) for reaching and rebuilding our organisation.

All of these are required to realise the change that we need as a party. Brothers and sisters my primary prayer for us is unity.

Together we stand, united we fall.

“The fellowship in this room represents our entire country.

“It is the ideal time to encourage one another to teach each other to serve each other.

“We need a new perspective. We must return to principles of mutual respect.

“While it may be a harder road to take the high road it is always the best course of action.

Admiration “I therefore urge each of us to dig deep to invoke our Christ-like fervour and admiration of each other in this great PLP party.”

Apart from the leadership post of the party, the deputy leader position will be up for grabs. So far, Exuma and Ragged Island MP I Chester Cooper is the only candidate to announce in this regard.

The PLP’s convention will officially kick off tomorrow and come to a close on Wednesday, October 25.

This is the party’s second convention for the year.

CAVES VILLAGE Premium Office Space for Lease 1,409 sq.ft. 5 offices, conference room, reception, kitchen, bathroom with shower, IT/filing room.

$5,459.88 pm inc. CAM +VAT Contact Mr. Simon Chappell on 327 1575 or 477-7610

Email: simon@cavesvillage.com

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2017

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

THE PLP: A new perspective you say?

B y MALCOLM STRACHAN

W

ITH PLPs across the spectrum of the archipelago gearing up for its convention, which begins today, the rhetoric coming out of the party suggest there is a “new perspective” emanating from the party. Much of this is what is being purported by the youth movement in the PLP with the hopes that it would resonate with millennials who were mostly responsible for the Progressive Liberal Party’s resounding rejection on May 10.

Somehow though, there seems to be a disconnect. As we are mere moments away from the party’s convention, we still find many faces from the party that was annihilated on election day are still present.

Certainly, there must be a disconnect or miscommunication of some sort between what was delineated by the Bahamian people and what the PLP claims to have understood through its defeat. With the surviving members of the party that make up the Official Opposition doing so by the skin of their teeth, it is clear the voting public was on a mission to rid this country of the entire party.

Any fair-minded person should be able to gather this was evidence of a people not wanting to deal with a group of people any longer.

That being said, the PLP’s messaging is only a feeblekneed attempt to create excitement and galvanize their base – many of whom did not vote for the PLP during the last election.

The question now is: Has the party done enough to show it has truly changed and charted a different path forward? The answer to that question is simply, no.

Leadership Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, the former Deputy Prime Minister under the Christie Administration, inherited interim leadership of the party and is seen as the frontrunner to become the official leader once the convention dust settles.

His challenger, former Minister of Transport and Aviation, Glennys HannaMartin has the tall task of trying to become the first female party leader in a culture that has unfortunately not shown its readiness for female leadership. Aside from creating excitement from some of the more openminded within the party, there is little hope she will be successful in her leadership bid.

LEADERSHIP CONTENDERS: Philip ‘Brave’ Davis and Glenys Hanna Martin will contest the PLP leadership position this week.

Thus far as Opposition Leader, Brave has left us questioning if he is suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s with his conveniently selective memory on the many damning revelations coming out of the Ministry of Works under his tenure as the minister with responsibility of that portfolio. This is strikingly similar to the Christie Administration’s way of answering to the people who voted them in – deniability and lack of recollection.

This certainly seems as if it’s taken from the same playbook the former leader used until his political demise, and not as the party is branding it’s convention, “A New Perspective.”

It simply sounds as if they are just putting together more ‘catchy’ wordplay, spending loads of money on the glitz and glamour and the entertainment side to simply repackage the same empty, self-serving vision and mark up the price in the resale of this dream to the Bahamian people. The Bahamian people simply can’t afford to buy in to the same Progressive Liberal Party vision of yesteryear.

They tried to kill that brand of politics on May 10.

We said we no longer want to see the same faces spewing out the same nonsense. Yet,

the likes of Bradley Roberts, Fred Mitchell, Minky Isaacs, Allyson Maynard-Gibson and Obie Wilchcombe have

“The question now is: Has the party done enough to show it has truly changed and charted a different path forward?

The answer to that question is simply, no.” caught the headlines of the local publications on multiple occasions as if they are still seemingly relevant at a time when they should not be.

Did the PLP not understand what was being communicated to them?

Rather, did they even care to begin with? The latter question would certainly be consistent with the way they governed the country during 2012-2017. Our economy plummeted. Crime skyrocketed, along with the cost of living, and we watched an elitist government live ‘high off the hog’ to our peril.

To regurgitate the same personalities under the brand of ‘a new perspective’ is

insulting, and a clear sign that nothing was learned after the election loss. Fred Mitchell, may have said it best in his statement the day after the election, where, in true ‘Fred-fashion’, he was as condescending as could be in his analysis of why his party lost.

In so many words, he blamed it on the ignorance of an electorate that was tricked into believing social media propaganda promoted by the Free National Movement.

And where was Brave Davis, the party’s leader in waiting, after those statements that set social media on fire?

In absolute silence.

As a matter of fact, one of the only people from within the party who went on the record publicly to challenge those sentiments was Exuma and Ragged Islands MP, Chester Cooper, who is running for Deputy Leader.

Surely you would recall how his statements of acceptance of the party’s failures and what they needed to do going forward were met with disdain among some of the old-guard in the party; among them Philip Davis.

Say what you will of Chester Cooper’s well-received statements among the public, the party will go as its leader goes. His candidacy for Deputy Leader is suggestive

more than anything else. It simply implies to someone gullible enough that the party has changed. However, with Davis most likely affirming his position as leader at the end of the convention, the party will be the same as it was.

Revamp This leaves the question: What do the PLP need to do to truly revamp their party?

For starters, they need to listen to the Bahamian people, and truly see themselves as servant leaders.

This is where they failed in the past. They conducted the country’s business as if they were doing the Bahamian people a favour, while they went about on a crusade of self-enrichment. As we look at the timeline of the country, it is heartbreaking to see where we’ve come to and the fact that we’ve entrusted our hopes and dreams for this country we love to men and women who exploited it is nothing short of an egregious disservice.

Everyone associated with the Christie Administration should have apologized to the Bahamian people and stepped down. The party has essentially set itself back even further by not undertaking a

true rebuild. This patch-work convention is more public relations than it is any indicator of change.

Unless a complete bungling of governance takes place under the Minnis Administration, the chances that the PLP lose again in 2022 are very high. Then the party will again have to go back to the drawing board again with a base more fractured than it was to begin with. These men and women don’t see it, but their own selfishness is what is destroying the party they claim devotion and service to.

The reality is that anytime you place service to a political party above the Bahamian flag, you are on a fool’s errand. Politics is just a microcosm of what we should truly be engaging in, which is promoting the betterment of The Bahamas for all, not just a few.

It is ensuring the country is left in the capable hands of a future that we are grooming today. It’s not a struggle to retain power for personal advancement.

When those things get lost in translation, you have what the PLP have – a misguided party holding on to the residue of a historic foundation, but unraveling at the seams because of the greed of a few.

CHILDREN IN CARIBBEAN, LATIN AMERICA HAVE LESS CHANCE FOR SOCIAL CLIMBING

B y JORGE FAMILIAR, WORLD BANK VICE PRESIDENT FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

IN A promising sign of economic mobility across generations, access to education has grown leaps and bounds in Latin America and the Caribbean in recent decades, more so, in fact, than any other region.

Today more children are going to school for a longer time — and are therefore more educated and prone to have better incomes than their parents before them.

Yet this apparent progress falls flat within the context of society and the generation within which they live. Children born to the least educated parents in Latin America remain significantly more likely to become the least educated among their peers.

What is the key reason for this unique situation? In short: inequality.

In recent decades, more students, regardless of their socioeconomic

background, have gained access to an education. But the quality of that education remains poor, particularly for those at the bottom of the social ladder and thus their chances to move up are also poor.

In an ideal world, where all children have the same opportunities, they should all have a chance to improve their socioeconomic situation, regardless of their initial status.

Research But in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to new World Bank research released to mark End Poverty Day, their chance to climb in most countries in the region is significantly lower than for children in other regions.

The one exception is Costa Rica.

Per the new data, Costa Rica is the only Latin American and Caribbean country among the top performers in the so-called “relative mobility,” which measures the extent to

which someone’s educational level is independent of her parents’. That means that Costa Rican children are not only better educated than their parents but also have a similar chance to their richer peers to improve their quality of life.

Here it is important to put our new findings in perspective. Latin America and the Caribbean saw a tremendous social transformation since the turn of the century. In fact, during the commodity boom of 2003-2013, the region was able to cut extreme poverty by half and to increase the ranks of the middle class to the point of becoming, for the first time, a larger segment than the poor.

Our concern now, however, is that such gains have stalled since 2015. Poverty and inequality are no longer decreasing. And while it is testament to the efforts of policy makers in the region that these gains have not been reverted, it is crucial to understand what is needed to consolidate them.

Our new database sheds some important light on that front. Two important factors emerge as key reasons behind the lack of more social mobility among poor students: their income and ethnic backgrounds.

School While primary school attendance is nearly universal across the region, salient differences remain in early and later years. Among threeyear-old children, only half of those in the poorest households attend school. In the richest households, that share is 90 percent. Meanwhile, 20 percent of 21-year-olds in the poorest households attend school, while the corresponding share in rich households is three times larger.

Another barrier to consolidating our region’s social transformation is the situation faced by marginalized groups, including indigenous communities. According to our

research, higher poverty rates translate into lower access to schooling for indigenous children.

Nevertheless, there are some positive news in the region’s educational attainment.

Socioeconomic status may be making less of a difference when it comes to learning. In the latest results from the international test of educational quality, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), the effect of the socioeconomic characteristics of a student on her PISA test scores, while still higher than the average, it fell more for Latin American countries than for others.

When it comes to social mobility, Latin America and the Caribbean has made significant gains in recent years. At the same time, we have to focus our efforts in helping those less fortunate.

Only then will our region be able to consolidate the social gains we have achieved and make more progress in reducing poverty and inequality.

PAGE 8 MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2017

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

ACTIVISTS AND PUNDITS HAVE THEIR SAY ON THE PLP

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

TEN rights activist groups have denounced reports of trash talk against Progressive Liberal Party leadership candidate and Englerston MP Glenys Hanna-Martin.

According to tabloid reports, a Progressive Liberal Party stalwart councillor at a recent leadership candidacy event said Mrs HannaMartin needed to know her place was in the kitchen, suggesting limitations on women’s political participation.

The group statement underscored the political organisation had yet to deny the claim or denounce the alleged statement, adding the party needed to act in accordance with the values they espouse.

Rise Bahamas Founder Terneille Burrows said, “We are not going to stand for anyone demeaning another person on the basis of them being a woman, or man for that matter. Until we have prominent people that are willing to denounce such behaviour, the dehumanisation will continue.”

“The interests of our wider society are undermined when we allow prominent people and institutions to remain silent in the face of discrimination.

“Bahamians are no longer going to tolerate being manipulated by political machinery,” Ms Burrows added.

Marion Bethel, Committee Member on the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), called for a shift in Bahamian culture.

“Misogyny, the hatred of women, runs deep

“We are not going to stand for anyone demeaning another person on the basis of them being a woman, or man for that matter. Until we have prominent people that are willing to denounce such behaviour, the dehumanisation will continue.”

Rise Bahamas Founder Terneille Burrows within our Bahamian culture,” she said.

“Until we, both women and men, begin to understand and resist this hatred, we will all continue to live crippled and diminished lives, and so will our children, their children and their children’s children.”

Equality Bahamas Director Alicia Wallace noted the link between dismissive comments about individual women and prevailing attitudes toward the work and value of women.

“The casual manner with which people demean and diminish the work, contributions, and lives of women is a symptom of a patriarchal, misogynistic ideology that pervades family life, workplace culture, political strata, and national affairs,” she said.

Ms Wallace noted that while statements need to be rebuked and withdrawn, corrective action also needs to be taken.

“Systemic issues must be understood and addressed so we are able to identify problematic statements like this one as more than words, but as rampant, entrenched misogyny in practice.

“This is indicative of the need for gender mainstreaming to happen in tandem with public dialogue.”

Society “The persistent and intentional undervaluing of women’s contributions to society — including household management, commitments to religious institutions, economic participation, and the exercise of civic responsibility — continues to affect views of gender and serves as a barrier to entry in male-dominated industries and spaces.

Donna Nicolls, deputy director of the Bahamas Crisis Centre and director of Bahamas Women’s Watch, along with women’s rights activist Noelle Nicolls, agreed that consideration of our own biases and how they affect the daily lives of others is an important step towards shifting the thinking and practices that disadvantage women, stunting national growth.

Corporate entities, political parties, educational institutions and civic organizations must act.

The PLP’s convention continues today to Wednesday.

So far interim leader Philip “Brave” Davis and Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin are the only two candidates to officially announce intentions to contest the party’s top post.

“The most dangerous way of thinking about the future of the PLP, dangerous for our country, is to draw the conclusion that in five years whoever the PLP leadership may be, they will be accepted by the voting public and rewarded with power simply because Christie is gone.”

Dr Ian Strachan, Vice President of the University of the Bahamas’ northern campus Exuma and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper will run for deputy leader and the chairmanship race now has four candidates.

These include former Elizabeth candidate Alex Storr, former Long Island candidate Glendon Rolle, former Minister of State for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez, and former Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe.

Yesterday, pundits gave their opinions on the path forward for the historic, embattled organization.

Dr Ian Strachan, Vice President of the

University of the Bahamas’ northern campus, said: “The most dangerous way of thinking about the future of the PLP, dangerous for our country, is to draw the conclusion that in five years whoever the PLP leadership may be, they will be accepted by the voting public and rewarded with power simply because Christie is gone.

“This is dangerous not because it may be untrue; it is dangerous because it might be true. The same old players, with the same old agendas, values, methods and networks, are—predictably – trying to regroup and rebrand themselves. For our country’s sake, those with integrity in the PLP need to be prepared to fight to the death for the soul of the party. In the end, perhaps only a second defeat in 2022 will re-centre the organization.”

Democracy Activist Fred Smith, Grand Bahama Human Rights Association, said: “I encourage the PLP, as the official opposition, to regroup and rejuvenate themselves with integrity, dignity, and honesty.

I did not support the Free National Movement because they were particularly smart or progressive, I supported in the last election in order to defeat the PLP. It is not good for democracy to have an Official Opposition that is so small, I will do everything in my power as a human rights activist to promote the institution of the PLP as the Official Opposition and to help them hold the government accountable.

“This FNM is a traitor to human rights and it has done worse than the PLP, and it has contradicted itself on human rights

“I encourage the PLP, as the official opposition, to regroup and rejuvenate themselves with integrity, dignity, and honesty.”

Fred Smith, Grand Bahama Human Rights Association issues with the spy bill, with the non-profit regulations, with the secret intelligence agency, and with immigration and constitutional rights. I urge the PLP to stand firm and rebuild itself in order to help democracy develop in the Bahamas.

“No political party has a right to govern, they are there at the will of the people and if you mess up they will throw you out and we should continue to change governments until we have one that is responsive transparent and accountable to the people of the Bahamas.

“The PLP needs to gird its loins for the next election, demonstrate that it has the ability to govern properly, change people like Fred Mitchell within its party so that it can garner support and come back as a real effective Official Opposition to promote the development of democracy in the Bahamas.”

TRAVEL INDUSTRY RAMPS UP EFFORT TO PROMOTE CARIBBEAN TOURISM

By BETH J. HARPAZ, AP Travel Editor TRAVEL industry ramps up effort to promote Caribbean tourism The travel industry is ramping up efforts to remind consumers that many Caribbean islands were unaffected by hurricanes and that their economies depend on tourism.

Tourism agencies and travel companies are promoting deals, events and fundraising efforts while reinforcing the basic message that most islands were unscathed by the storms and are eager for visitors.

The Travel Leaders travel agency, for example, has launched a “consumer-awareness campaign to promote Caribbean destinations that are open for business for

fall and winter travel,” with agents becoming “ambassadors” for the region by providing travelers with information on conditions and packages.

“This hurricane season has been devastating for a number of Caribbean islands, but the negative economic impact on the region will be compounded if visitors avoid travel to unaffected destinations,” Travel Leaders Group CEO Ninan Chacko said in a statement. Travel Leaders Group is also raising money for hurricane victims and impacted communities through its Family Bonds Foundation.

A new website, CaribbeanIsOpen.com , is part of a million-dollar initiative funded by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association.

“This initiative is also a vital tool to assisting the Caribbean by stimulating the economy,” the group’s president, Michele Paige, said in a statement.

“Many Caribbean destinations fortunately missed any impact from the hurricanes, and most affected destinations worked around the clock to reopen for tourism.”

Damage The website notes that even destinations that saw some damage from the hurricanes are starting to host cruise visits, such as Key West, Florida, and St. Kitts.

Royal Caribbean announced that its ship Adventure of the Seas will resume port calls to St. Thomas on Nov. 10, and

WORK

NOTICE

Telecommunications Road The Water and Sewerage Corporation advises the public, its customers and the residents of Telecommunications Road that the Corporation will commence improvement works on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 which are expected to end on October 24th, a period of 6 (six) days.

During this period there may be interruption in the water supply.

The Corporation appreciates your support as we work to improve our level of service and apologizes for any inconvenience caused .

Tel: (242) 302-5599 or Toll Free (242) 300-0150 Find out more on

or our website www.wsc.com.bs

that the ship hopes to be in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and St. Martin by the end of November.

AAA Travel is also launching a “Caribbean is Open for Business” campaign, calling the region a top AAA-recommended destination for fall and winter getaways, listing Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, the Cayman Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks & Caicos and St. Vincent & The Grenadines.

In Dominica, the Secret Bay resort set up a fundraising page to benefit staff after many of its regular visitors from past years asked how they could help.

Turks and Caicos is advertising its annual Caribbean Food & Wine Festival in Providenciales, Nov. 2-5, noting that the not-for-profit festival will raise funds for Turks & Caicos educational institutions damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

THE ROYAL Caribbean Adventure of the Seas, arrives at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Royal Caribbean has announced that its ship Adventure of the Seas will resume port calls to St. Thomas on Nov. 10, and that the ship hopes to be in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and St. Martin by the end of November. It’s one of a number of initiatives from the travel industry to remind consumers that the region is recovering from the impact of recent hurricanes.

(Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, File) Skylark.com, a luxury vacation site, sent out a plea for donations to the official website for the recovery of the U.S. Virgin Islands . Skylark added that “much of the Caribbean was completely unaffected,” with a link to the website’s “ideas on where to go .”

Even islands that suffered no storm damage are on a mission to make themselves visible. One public relations agency sent out a press release noting that

the Bahamas were “fortunate to have come out of the 2017 hurricane season without impact to the country’s primary tourism product,” adding for good measure that there have been no documented cases of Zika virus there since November 2016.

Antigua is promoting its Dec. 5-9 Yacht Charter Show along with island resorts like Curtain Bluff, Verandah and St. James’s, which recently underwent renovations.

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

INSIGHT

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2017 PAGE 9

EMBRACING THE BENEFITS OF THE ‘BLUE ECONOMY’

By FELICITY INGRAHAM

MINISTER of Agriculture and Marine Resources Renward Wells is keenly watching current economic trends and the emergence of the “blue economy”, which he believes has the ability to decrease the national deficit and increase revenue to The Bahamas. The country, he says, with its vast natural aquatic resources, is poised to benefit from the focus the world is currently placing on the ocean as new ways are explored to sustain the earth’s population.

The blue economy is one where the world’s oceans take priority, not only maximizing its benefits, but ensuring this is done in a sustainable way so that future generations continue to benefit. It follows the current popularity of the green economy, which is seeing an increase in awareness globally for eating healthier, living in a way that respects nature, utilising alternative energy sources, and cleaning up the planet from centuries of abuse.

Wells has spent the past few months analyzing the country’s current import and export trends, his ministry’s budget allocation, and is now considering necessary legislation to make meaningful change in agriculture and marine resources. He has high hopes the inititiatives which will roll out in the coming months will pay off, including the introduction of two major greenhouses, more incentives for local producers and a focus on the blue economy.

“The world is now talking about the blue economy, how we manage ocean resources for the benefit of humanity and how we preserve these resources for future generations,” he told Insight.

Impact “We are also looking at how to maximize the economic impact an ocean can have on a people; The Bahamas is over 100,000 square miles. I believe the wealth of this country lies mainly in the oceans.”

The Bahamas sits on a national debt of more than $7 billion, has some of the worst rates of non-communicable diseases in the world. These are the kind of issues that doesn’t add up for Minister Wells, who said he is determined to inspire the nation to look at the ocean and land for the answers to the myriad of issues currently facing the country.

“We can look at aquaculture, which is growing fish on the land, and we can do it by open ocean fishing,” he said.

“East of Cat Island, Eleuthera and Abaco, out in the Atlantic for 200 miles, is our exclusive economic zone. It is the territory of the Bahamas under international law and we have exclusive right to fish it, mine it and use its resources.

As Bahamians, we are not taking advantage of it. We need to look at how we maximize deep sea fishing, but in a sustainable way.”

Wells served as chairman of the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific Islands) Conference in New Providence last month, greeting agriculture and marine resource experts from various countries. It was determined at that conference that The Bahamas is “underfished” in regards to certain marine species.

“This indicates vast potential,” said Wells.

Although the term “blue economy” has been used in different ways, the World Bank Group refers to it as “comprising the range of economic sectors and related policies that together determine whether the use of oceanic resources is sustainable”.

MINISTER of Agriculture and Marine Resources Renward Wells believes the ‘wealth of this country lies mainly in the oceans’.

World Bank Group states: “An important challenge of the blue economy is thus to understand and better manage the many aspects of oceanic sustainability, ranging from sustainable fisheries to ecosystem health to pollution. A second significant issue is the realization that the sustainable management of ocean resources requires collaboration across nation-states and across the public-private sectors, and on a scale that has not been previously achieved.

This realization underscores the challenge facing the Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries as they turn to better managing their blue economies.”

The Bahamas is a paradise for the blue economy, considering it not only boasts of waters still teeming with

abundance of opportunities that the country must capitalize on, but much work is still to be done on the land, said Minister Wells, who told noted Bahamians should expect to see appropriate legislation and an increase in education come about on his quest for food security for the country.

In terms of exports, The Bahamas’ blue economy is responsible for the lion’s share of the profits. Of some $100 million in export revenue earned annually, nearly $90 million comes through the sale of spiny lobster, also known as crawfish.

Wells not only wants Bahamians to focus on the blue economy, but also to take up the current green trends and begin growing food, hence changing the culture of reliance that literally scares him.

“The world is now talking about the blue economy, how we manage ocean resources for the benefit of humanity and how we preserve these resources for future generations.”

Food

“It is with great consternation that I think of what would happen, if we did not get food into this country for about three weeks”, he said.

“It is my intention to have Bahamians eat as much of their food from local sources. This would allow us to eat food that is closer to its nutritional source.”

In terms of education, he admits that since coming Minister of to the Ministry of Agriculand Marine Resources, Agriculture and ture he has learned so much he Marine Resources feels the public is unaware Renward Wells of, and he intends to change that through educational campaigns geared at inspirmarine life, but because ing Bahamians to grow it is also a playground for their own food and providanglers, divers, sailors and ing them with knowledge so much more. Further, each and opportunities to be of the industries are multi- successful. million dollar ones on their “I was pleasantly surown. With global atten- prised to find the extent to tion on the waters, Minister which my ministry goes to Wells intends to find ways to encourage local producers, take the country towards self both in crop and livestock,” sufficiency and food security, he said. and ultimately an increase in Vast extension services, revenue. a fish and farm store which When Prime Minister provides feed to producers Hubert Minnis handed him and an animal feed mill curthe portfolio, Wells knew rently exist. There is also he would have a chance to land clearing and tractor serexact his passions through vices available for farmers, the job. He immediately where farm lands are disked identified his primary con- and cleared at only half the cerns for the country: “food cost. security; energy security; a “We don’t grow because knowledge-based economy we don’t know,” Wells said. with 21st and 22nd century University of The Bahaeducation; deepening of the mas students will be some of democracy; personal secu- the first beneficiaries of the rity for Bahamians; and Minister’s agenda, as plans economic empowerment for are underway to create a the Bahamian people where large-scale greenhouse for they own the upper tiers of the university. UB and Minthis economy”. istry officials will collaborate “I believe in real food to provide students with the security,” he told Insight. opportunity to see just how “That means that what- viable the agriculture indusever we can produce and not try is. Grand Bahama is also have to import, we should. on the drawing board for a My overarching principle greenhouse which the minis real food security and to istry intends to provide for give the industry of agri- research, produce, packagculture and the industry of ing and manufacturing. marine resources back to In many ways, he said, Bahamians.” local producers simply need The Bahamas’ blue more funding to expand economy can provide an their businesses. He called

on corporate Bahamas to Israel, the farming industry take on the attitude of their is seeing much success from branches around the world, grow bags, which consist which provide heavy support of coconut husk imported for fishermen and farmers, knowing that their industries ultimately lead to food security for their country. He is also seeking to find ways for the Bahamas government to become even more supportive to fishermen and farmers, noting that governments around the world provide huge subsidies for the industries in his portfolio.

Wells intends to take a closer look at all of the goods currently produced by Bahamians, because so many of them lend themselves to additional industries through the by-products; for example, rock salt is an excellent bath scrub. Cottage indus- THERE are plans to create a tries are thriving, he said, large-scale greenhouse for the but large-scale manufactur- University of the Bahamas. ing will lead to global export, and this is the direction the from Thailand. The Bahamas, he says, could create its country must head, he said.

He is currently consid- own grow bags, and testing ering a national product will begin to determine how called a grow bag, which viable a product that a grow allows agriculture to take bag made of coconut husk place out of the ground. and seaweed will be. This The Bahamas, filled with is the kind of experimental porous limestone rock and work he expects to see come just a few inches of topsoil, from the creation of the does not allow for the kind greenhouses, as Bahamians of large-scale farming that find more ways to increase is places like North and South crop output.

America may engage in. Expect to see a ban on But Wells points out that in chicken imports in the

future, once the chicken industry is revived. It’s another goal of Minister Wells, who finds it appalling that “we are tipping near 100 pounds of chicken per year per person”, while only one chicken farm, Abaco Big Bird, is in any kind of large scale operation. To date, 90 per cent of chicken consumed by Bahamians is imported.

“This is an example of the vast potential existing in this country to radically effect change for a more buoyant and robust economy,” he said.

Minister Wells has always been in love with the land and sea. He grew up in Drigg’s Hill, South Andros with his grandparents, Natalie and Bertram Flowers, who was known as one of the greatest fishermen on the island in his day. He spent many days going to the field with his grandmother Natalie, reaping the harvest of peas, corn, native fruit, and whatever else they would grow. Prior to that, he was in Long Island with his grandparents Lennox and Edith Wells. With the island life so deeply rooted in him, he told Insight that he will work to change the culture of the country, until its people are healthier and wealthier.

INSIGHT

PAGE 10 MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2017

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

NO WINNERS IN SECESSION – IN EUROPE OR THE CARIBBEAN

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the OAS. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own).

SHOULD areas of countries break away and govern themselves as they see fit? That’s a question that has been debated in several parts of the world, and is in focus now between Catalonia and Spain; Scotland and the United Kingdom, and to a lesser extent Barbuda and Antigua.

It should be noted that throughout history, communities which have been separated by religion, ethnicity, and distance (most especially water), have experienced movements for separation.

Independent In the Caribbean, Anguilla broke away from St Kitts-Nevis in 1971 during the British colonial era; Tobago agitated for years for secession from Trinidad; as recently as 1998 Nevis attempted a constitutional split from St Kitts; and on Barbuda, a separatist group has been expressing the desire to secede from Antigua even prior to the formation of Antigua and Barbuda as a unitary state in 1981 when it became independent from Britain.

While separatist groups raise their voices loudest and receive the most attention from media, support for them amongst their own communities is never unanimous; there are many who doubt the wisdom of separation in economic and security terms. As examples of this, an attempt in 1998 in Nevis to force a referendum for secession from St Kitts failed to get the requisite vote to carry it, and a referendum on Scottish

World View

By SIR RONALD SANDERS

independence from the somehow acquired Barbuda United Kingdom in 2014 in common and all land in resulted in 55.3 per cent Barbuda was owned by all of the electorate rejecting Barbudans and that none the idea. Even in Catalonia of it could ever be sold and where emotions ran high, only they could decide who there is not comprehensive could lease any of it. The backing for separation.

Barbudan separatists tested In the case of the sepa- this decision in the Courts ratist group on Barbuda, at several times, losing the the Antigua and Barbuda argument on every occasion Constitutional Confer- with Judges finding that, ence with Britain in 1980 as a matter of fact and law, on independence, the Bar- land on Barbuda belongs buda representative argued to the Crown and the Govthat he had been sent to ernment of Antigua and the meeting “to seek sepa- Barbuda is the authority ration” from Antigua. vested with power and conHowever, he was elected trol over the land. with 302 votes of the 522 Barbudan electors. In successive elections, support for separatists dwindled.

The party in the vanguard This latter point has of separation, the Barbuda attracted significance Peoples Movement (BPM) recently after the decisecured less than half of the mation of Barbuda by votes of the electorate in Hurricane Irma on Sepelections in 1984, 1989, 1994 tember 6. The Barbuda and 1999. By 2014, the Bar- separatists have reverted to buda electorate was split the dispelled notion that all right down the middle with Barbudans – wherever they the BPM losing control by live or were born – own all 1 vote.

Barbudan lands in common In any event, the 1980 and only they can deterConstitutional Confer- mine its use which would ence decided that Antigua be on a lease-basis only. and Barbuda is a “unitary Reliance is being placed state”. It paid attention on a law, passed in 2007 by to the Barbudan desire the former Antigua and for a level of autonomy Barbuda government in a over the island’s affairs deal for the parliamentary and consequently agreed support of the Barbuda to give greater powers to elected representative, a Barbuda local govern- which sought to “confirm ment council than existed that all land in Barbuda is under the 1904 Barbuda owned in common by the Ordinance and the 1976 people of Barbuda”. Legal Barbuda Local Govern- experts have argued that ment Act. Significantly, the the 2007 law is unconstiConference also affirmed tutional and of no effect, that land on Barbuda has and is also discriminatory always been the property since it permits Barbudans of the Crown from the time to deny land ownership of colonisation by the Brit- in Barbuda to Antiguans, ish. This decision rejected while Barbudans retain the a theory by Barbudan constitutional right to own separatists that they had land in Antigua.

Ownership

PRO-independence supporters holding Catalan flags take part in rally near the Parliament, in Barcelona, Spain, earlier this month. (AP) Barbuda’s non-viability on its own has been confirmed in studies done by the British government in the pre-independence period and reaffirmed by the fact that, over the centuries since 1860 when Barbuda was annexed to Antigua, it has been financed almost entirely by the Central government of the country. For instance, for the years 2013 to 2016, the government had to transfer US$13.5 million to Barbuda to sustain a population of 1,500.

Faced with a bill upwards of US$200 million to rebuild Barbuda and re-settle its inhabitants who had to be evacuated to Antigua, the Antigua and Barbuda government contends that land will have to be sold and leased on Barbuda, especially to existing Barbudan lease holders to contribute to its economic and social development. On a per capita basis, the rebuilding of Barbuda works out at US$133,000.00 for each man, woman and child – the cost of which would have

to be borne by the 80,000 people on Antigua and the Antigua and Barbuda government – and they have no means to do so. It is also most unlikely that the international donor community will provide the full sum of US$200 million. Even loans that the government might be able to attract will not reach the required sum and, in any case, will have to be repaid.

And this is the crux of the matter. Can the areas, which secessionists are seeking to separate from larger national units, prosper on their own? The answer in the case of Barbuda is clear.

Income It cannot. It simply does not generate the income required to sustain the livelihood of its people, and unless it sells or leases land (as every other country in the world does) to investors – both local and foreign – it will not develop an economically viable economy.

In the cases of Scotland and Catalonia in relation to the United Kingdom and Spain respectively, while both are well-developed and would survive, they would be worse off financially since their economies are tied-up with the countries from which the secessionists would like them to separate.

Further, they would become small states with little bargaining power in international trade and finance, and no military influence. It is true that the United Kingdom and Spain would also be weaker for the departure of Scotland and Catalonia. But the net effect of separatists winning would be significant losses for the people they are trying to lead.

In this context, the observation of Lord Varys, in “Game of Thrones” resonates loudly: “He would see this country burn if he could be king of the ashes”.

Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com

DŝŶŝƐƚƌLJ ŽĨ &ŝŶĂŶĐŝĂů ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ͕ dƌĂĚĞ Θ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ ĂŶĚ /ŵŵŝŐƌĂƚŝŽŶ

t, d /^ dZ ͍

,Žǁ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ ŝƐ dƌĂĚĞ ƚŽ dŚĞ ĂŚĂŵĂƐ͍ ůů DĂŶƵĨĂĐƚƵƌĞƌƐ͕ ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ KǁŶĞƌƐ͕ ĂŶĚ dŚĞ 'ĞŶĞƌĂů WƵďůŝĐ ĂƌĞ ŝŶǀŝƚĞĚ ƚŽ

&Z tKZ<^,KW

tŚĂƚ ŝƐ ŶĞŐŽƚŝĂƚĞĚ ŝŶ Ă ƚƌĂĚĞ ĂŐƌĞĞŵĞŶƚ͍

,Žǁ ĐĂŶ LJŽƵ ŝŶĨůƵĞŶĐĞ ŶĞŐŽƚŝĂƚŝŽŶƐ͍

tŚĂƚ ĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ WƌŽƐ Θ ŽŶƐ ĨŽƌ ůŽĐĂů ƐƵƉƉůŝĞƌƐ͍

,Žǁ ĐĂŶ LJŽƵ ƚĂŬĞ ĂĚǀĂŶƚĂŐĞ ŽĨ ƚƌĂĚĞ ĂŐƌĞĞŵĞŶƚƐ͍

tĞĚŶĞƐĚĂLJ ϭƐƚEŽǀĞŵďĞƌ ϮϬϭϳ ͮ &ƌĞĞƉŽƌƚ͕ 'ƌĂŶĚ ĂŚĂŵĂ ϵ ĂŵͲϭϮ Ɖŵ WĞůŝĐĂŶ ĂLJ ,ŽƚĞů WŽƌƚ >ƵĐĂLJĂ

dŚƵƌƐĚĂLJ ϮŶĚ EŽǀĞŵďĞƌ ϮϬϭϳ ͮEĂƐƐĂƵ͕ ĂŚĂŵĂƐ ϵ ĂŵͲϭϮ Ɖŵ WĂƵů , &ĂƌƋƵŚĂƌƐŽŶ ŽŶĨĞƌĞŶĐĞ ĞŶƚƌĞ ĂƐƚ ^ƚƌĞĞƚ

ZĞĨƌĞƐŚŵĞŶƚƐ ǁŝůů ďĞ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĚ

&Žƌ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƚŝŽŶ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ DŝŶŝƐƚƌLJ ŽĨ &ŝŶĂŶĐŝĂů ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ;dƌĂĚĞ Θ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ hŶŝƚͿ ϯϮϴͲϱϬϳϭͬϲ Žƌ ƚƌĂĚĞΛďĂŚĂŵĂƐ͘ŐŽǀ͘ďƐ

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, October 23, 2017, PAGE 11

FORMER MINISTER SHANE GIBSON APPEARS IN THE SUPREME COURT

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribumedia.net

SHANE Gibson outside of Supreme Court on Friday. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

FORMER Labour and National Insurance Minister Shane Gibson was arraigned in the Supreme Court Friday morning before Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson.

Mr Gibson, a former member of Parliament faces 15 counts of bribery, 15 counts of extortion and one count of misconduct while in public office.

The allegation is that between Monday, January 2, 2017 and Sunday, April 30, 2017, Mr Gibson demanded $250,000 from contractor Jonathan Ash. Last month, he was given 21 days to provide an alibi for the time frame in which the alleged demand for money was made.

Wayne Munroe, QC, Mr Gibson’s attorney echoed his previous argument that

SHANE Gibson’s attorney Wayne Munroe, QC. it was nearly impossible to come up with an alibi for the 118 days in which the prosecution claims the incident took place. In this regard, Justice GrantThompson, who sat in for Justice Bernard Turner,

suspended the notice of alibi until the prosecution is able to give more specific dates. Mr Gibson is slated to now reappear in court on November 3, where Senior Justice John Isaacs will preside.

SACRED HEART GEARS UP FOR ANNUAL FAIR

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

SACRED Heart Catholic Church is gearing up for its flagship annual fair with hundreds expected to flock to the church grounds for fresh-grilled steak and chicken dinners.

The Sacred Heart Catholic Church Annual Steak-Out and Mini Fair will be held this year on Saturday, November 4th, from noon to 6pm.

“We have truly become known for our delicious steak and chicken dinners at a great price,” said Angela Fox, Steak Out Chair person.

“We really concentrate on the food and people appreciate the home-style cooking.

“If you haven’t had one of our delicious dinners yet, this is the time to come out and try one for yourself and your family.”

On the church grounds located at the corner of Shirley Street

and Shirley Park Avenue, great steak and chicken dinners, homemade cakes, sweets and savories, conch fritters, hamburgers and hot dogs, hoopla, face painting, bingo, a bouncy castle, a white-elephant stall, books and an in-house raffle are just a few of the attractions that make the annual event fun for families.

“Our annual Steak Out appeals to all ages,” said Father Anselm Russell, Sacred Heart Catholic Church pastor.

“The whole community is invited to join us for an afternoon of good food, fellowship and fun.”

Tickets for steak and chicken dinners are $12 each and can be purchased at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church office. ‘ Evening Mass will be offered at 6:30 following the Steak Out. For more information call 326-6004.

A BOOTH from last year’s fair.

PAGE 12, Monday, October 23, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

THE Bahamas Delegation attended the Expo 2020 Dubai International Planning Meeting event in Dubai, UAE from October 18-20, 2017. They are shown admiring the master plan of the Expo site that is currently under construction. The 1082-acre site close to Dubai’s Al Maktoum airport will be home to the largest World Fair in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) that is expected to draw approximately 25 million visitors over a 6-month period, starting in October 2020.

BAHAMAS’ WORK ON EXPO 2020 PAVILION ‘A BENCHMARK FOR SUCCESS’

AN AERIAL view of the conceptual design for the Expo 2020 Dubai Bahamas Pavilion with the theme, “One Country – The Islands Of The Bahamas.”

By AZALETA ISHMAEL-NEWRY

THE Bahamas Pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai has made a resounding impact, gaining the attention of the world and the government of the United Arab Emirates recently at the second International Participants Meeting.

According to Expo 2020 Dubai organizers, the work to date on the Bahamas Pavilion and involvement of the University of the Bahamas (UB) students has become a benchmark for success.

More than 500 delegates, representing 150 countries, attended the three-day International Participants Meeting (IPM) to discuss and be brought up to date on the progress of Expo 2020 Dubai, slated to be the largest World Fair ever. In attendance were

AN ELEVATION of the conceptual design for the Expo 2020 Dubai Bahamas Pavilion with the theme, “One Country – The Islands Of The Bahamas.”

commissioners general, ambassadors, business leaders, as well as government officials and partners like the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).

Challenge The Bahamas led the way in meeting the criteria of Expo 2020 Dubai’s vision to utilize and include young adults in the challenge of solving

issues affecting their country, and creating solutions relative to the Expo’s sub themes: “mobility, sustainability and opportunity”.

Dubai quickly recognized that The Bahamas had tremendous institutional capacity to carry out the programme, perceived from earlier virtual meetings with the University of the Bahamas (UB) team which links to Expo 2020 Dubai’s Creative Youth Initiative.

The Bahamas enjoyed the distinction of being the only participating country to share their story on the world’s stage.

UB students Kacey Duncombe, architecture, and Marcella Evans, culinary arts, represented their country well in the formal

THE MCFAMILY REUNION

GALA BALL

Delegation

NOVEMBER 11, 2017 On November 11, 2017, the McFamily will host a Gala Ball at the British Colonial Hilton.

The McFamily comprises a group of employees of McDonald’s from 1975.

The Gala Ball will be held in honour of several outstanding citizens who have made significant contributions to the communityat-large, trained and inspired countless employees at McDonald’s to become leaders and entrepreneurs.

The Honourees include:

• Mr. Carleton Williams Mr. Frederick Murray • Mr. Rodney Williams Mr. Rupert Stuart • Mr. Edward Williams Ms. Louise Dawkins The McFamily invites employees (past and present), friends and associates to come together to renew acquaintances and show our gratitude to the Honourees.

Information about Tickets for the Gala Ball may be obtained by calling (242) 427-7820 or (242) 557-1179.

presentation. They shared the story of how Expo 2020 allows one to “dream big and make the impossible, possible”.

“The sheer size and complexity of the (Pavilion) design took my breath away,” said Hind Al Boom, associate manager, Expo 2020.

“Not only was the strategic design of the Pavilion built around the objectives of The Bahamas Government, the students took elements that were in their Government’s agenda, like sustainability and ran with it.

“The Bahamas Pavilion encapsulates a story that you can imagine walking through, it’s cohesive and made sense - it’s playful and the students understood the concept… they got it!”

The Bahamas has an incomparable edge under the leadership of Tony Joudi, non-resident Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the State of Qatar for The Bahamas, who plays an integral part in the process, drawing on his strong diplomatic ties with the UAE.

UNIVERSITY of the Bahamas architect student Kacey Duncombe, left and culinary student Marcella Evans, right, rehearse on stage in Dubai, UAE, for the presentation of the Bahamas Pavilion at the International Participants Meeting for Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photos by Azaleta Ishmael-Newry)

His Excellency led a delegation of 17 individuals representing a multi-disciplinary team that included Project Manager, Michael Diggiss, University of The Bahamas professors: Valaria Flax, Architecture, Michael Edwards, the Visual Arts, Eldred Saunders and Donna Williams, Culinary Arts, Dr. Ian Bethell-Bennett, former Dean of Liberal and Fine Arts, and their students, together with representatives Janet Johnson, Director, and Bridgette Rahming of Bahamas Ministry of Tourism’s Business Development Department, and Azaleta Ishmael-Newry, public relations and media consultant.

Organizers feel that what started as a collaboration between the Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the University of the Bahamas is transforming into robust public private partnership opportunities.

Participation in the recent Expo 2020 Dubai’s International Participants Meeting was made possible by financial support from the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Aliv / Cable Cares Foundation and Super Value.

It is anticipated that the Bahamas Expo 2020 team will require a deeper engagement in Dubai, with local sponsorship critical to advancing this national initiative.

Expo 2020 Dubai is a global platform that will create short, medium and long-range business and exchange opportunities.

Participating countries will be exposed to approximately 25 million visitors during a sixthmonth period, starting October 20, 2020.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, October 23, 2017, PAGE 13

GOVT UNDER FIRE OVER RESPONSE TO GROUND BARGE

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

maritime salvage companies were “there, in place and ready to go,” but were turned away by officials.

She added: “This has been nothing short of a national disgrace if it is later proven to be true that they were sent away.”

THE Minnis administration is again facing criticism from environmental groups angered by it’s “disgraceful” response to the grounding and partial submersion of a supplies barge transporting, among other things, a large quantity of diesel fuel in Long Long Island MP Adrian Island.

Gibson, in a series of “We are days in, and we updates on his official Facehave yet to hear a clear book page last weekend, voice from the government said the barge was discovsay, ‘this is my ministry’s ered on Saturday after responsibility and this is running aground along the how we are taking care of coastline of Grays, Long this,” Sam Duncombe, Island. founder of reEarth, told the He said the barge was Tribune during an interview en route to Anguilla from Friday.

Trinidad when it broke The environmental activaway from the tug transist said her organisation, porting it. like others in the counIn the days that followed, try, has been rendered according to claims by resi“confused bystanders” by dents and environmental yet another environmental agents on the ground in disaster.

Long Island, poor commuReferring to accounts her nication and government organisation received about directives sidelined salvage the Long Island crisis, teams and local resources Mrs Duncombe claimed attempting to secure,

Updates

STUDENTS GET FLIGHT TRAINING BEFORE CAREERS TAKE OFF A GROUP of excited auto mechanic students from C V Bethel with dreams of being pilots and engineers visited Jetline Simulation Bahamas at The Pointe recently. They took part in a training session with a Bahamas certified pilot and Jetline Simulation Bahamas President Ryan Moree. Photos: Shawn Hanna

BAHAMAS Certified Pilot and President of Jetline Simulation Bahamas Ryan Moree with Carl Nottage, auto mechanics teacher at C V Bethel, and his students.

analyse and remediate any long-term issues stemming from the incident.

On Wednesday, residents interviewed by The Tribune insisted intervention was

“It is disgraceful because this is not how these sorts of things should be handled. No one is coming forward from the government to give any clear directives and everyone is left to sit down and worry.”

Sam Duncombe, founder of reEarth prohibited for more than 72-hours. A move many said “made bad situation worse.”

Those claims came moments after Transport and Aviation Minister

A STILL from a video showing the grounded barge in Long Island.

Frankie Campbell told his Parliamentary colleagues he was “satisfied” that the matter was being adequately addressed.

Up to press time Friday, the government had yet to give a clear indication of how much fuel was lost or what efforts were being undertaken to remediate.

For her part Friday, Mrs Duncombe said: “It is disgraceful because this is not how these sorts of things should be handled.

No one is coming forward from the government to give any clear directives and everyone is left to sit down and worry.”

“I have messaged the Minister of Environment and I have not received a response from him,” she continued. “How is this allowed to happen? A large quantity of fuel has been lost in our waters and we are still waiting for one clear voice to say, ‘ok, this is what happened and here is how we are addressing it.’”

Prior to the 2017 general election, Environmental and Housing Minister Romauld Ferreira served as the lead attorney for one of the country’s foremost environmental groups, Save the Bays.

Spotlight His actions at that time propelled him into the national spotlight where he played an integral role in protest action related to the 2014 Marathon Rubis fuel leak - the constituency he now represents in Parliament.

Additionally, the Free National Movement as a party in the lead up to the 2017 general election participated in several environmental protests.

Asked if these actions gave the perception that if elected, the party would give serious focus to environmental matters, Mrs

Duncombe said: “From an environmental point of view, I am somewhat disappointed.”

She added: “Don’t get me wrong, in my 26-years of doing this, each time you change governments you know you are going to have an uphill battle. But I didn’t expect it to be like this with this group.”

“The environment is why people come here. Why are we continuing to abuse our bread and butter?”

“This is a simple matter.

What ministry is responsible here and why are they taking so long to respond?

It isn’t rocket science.

Just communicate on the matter and be seen doing something.”

Earlier in the week, Mr Ferreira and the Minnis administration came under fire from Bimini residents irate with severe beach erosion.

Mr Ferreira could not be reached for comment.

PAGE 14, Monday, October 23, 2017

MALTA: NEWSPAPERS, CITIZENS TAKE UP SLAIN REPORTER’S MESSAGE

By STEPHEN CALLEJA, Associated Press VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Several thousand Maltese citizens rallied Sunday to honour an investigative journalist killed by a car bomb, but the prime minister and opposition leader who were chief targets of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s reporting stayed away from the gathering.

Participants at the rally in Malta’s capital, Valletta, placed flowers at the foot of a memorial to the 53-yearold reporter that sprang up opposite the law court building after her Oct. 16 slaying.

Some wore T-shirts or carried placards emblazoned with words from Caruana Galizia’s final blog post: “There are crooks everywhere you look now.

The situation is desperate” in the European Union nation of some 400,000 people.

Police removed a banner describing Malta as a “Mafia state.”

Hundreds of participants later held a sit-in outside police headquarters, demanding the resignation of Malta’s police commissioner. Some hurled tomatoes, cakes and coins against an enlarged photograph of the commissioner spread out on the street.

The homicide of a journalist who devoted her career to exposing wrongdoing in Malta and raised her three sons there united many of the nation’s oftsquabbling politicians, at least for a day.

Caruana Galizia had repeatedly criticised police and judicial officials.

Malta’s two dominant political forces, the ruling Labor and opposition Nationalist parties, participated in the rally which was organised to press demands for justice in her slaying.

But Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told his Labor party’s radio station a few hours before the event’s start time that he wouldn’t attend because he knew the anti-corruption reporter’s family didn’t want him to be there.

“I know where I should be and where I should not be. I am not a hypocrite and I recognise the signs,” Muscat said, adding that he supported the rally’s goals of call for justice and national unity.

Nationalist leader Adrian Delia also skipped the rally, saying he didn’t want to “stir controversy.”

“Today is not about me, but about the rule of law and democracy,” Delia told reporters.

THE TRIBUNE

SPAIN’S PM MAKES MOVES TO CRUSH CATALONIA SEPARATIST MOVEMENT DEMONSTRATORS take part at a protest against the National Court’s decision to imprison civil society leaders, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday. The Spanish government moved decisively Saturday to use a previously untapped constitutional power so it can take control of Catalonia and derail the independence movement led by separatist politicians in the prosperous industrial region.

(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

By JOSEPH WILSON, Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy left the nation breathless when he announced the steps he wants to take to crush the separatist movement in the prosperous Catalonia region.

Rajoy called on Spain’s Senate on Saturday to trigger a previously untapped section of the constitution that allows the central government to temporarily intervene in the running of a region if its leaders have broken the law.

Activating the constitutional authority granted by Article 155 is Madrid’s boldest response so far to avowals from Catalonia’s leaders to declare independence based on an Oct. 1 referendum that a court has judged as illegal.

There are some of the regional powers Rajoy is seeking by triggering Article 155: DEPOSE LEADERS First and foremost, Rajoy wants to remove the members of Catalonia’s pro-independence regional government. Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, vice president Oriol Junqueras, and the 12 regional ministers claim Catalonia is sovereign and not subject to Spanish law.

IMPOSE CONTROL Catalonia has secured the ability to govern itself in many areas since democracy returned to Spain following the death of dictator Gen. Francisco Franco in 1975. Education, health and policing are areas in which the region enjoys self-rule.

Rajoy proposes taking over the vast regional administration and its roughly 200,000 civil servants after the top officials are removed.

How Madrid’s management would work is unclear. One option would be for Spanish ministries to assume

direct control of their regional counterparts.

Rajoy said interim authorities would have the power to fire public employees and that all decisions by regional administrators would need the central government’s approval.

TIMETABLE FOR TAKEOVER A special commission of 27 senators will assess Rajoy’s request on Tuesday. Regional president Puigdemont will have the chance to argue his case before the Senate on Thursday before it holds a vote expected Friday.

DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE Political observers across the ideological spectrum agree Rajoy and his government may have to resort to using force if Catalonia’s leaders disobey orders to step down. Calls for resistance and disobedience have become standard in the secessionist camp.

Hardcore separatists will put intense pressure on Puigdemont and his government to stay in office. There are fears such a standoff could lead to violent police raids like those that marred the referendum.

“I don’t think that Puigdemont will just walk away because he receives notification that he has been removed in a letter,” political analyst Josep Ramoneda said. “I think Rajoy is going to find that this will be very hard to enforce.”

SNAP ELECTIONS In all 17 of Spain’s regions, the right to call early regional elections belongs exclusively to regional leaders. Rajoy wants that right passed to him temporarily in Catalonia. His request includes a commitment to call for regional elections within six months.

Catalan separatists, who won 48 percent of the vote in a 2015 election, currently hold 72 of the regional parliament’s 135 seats.

SPAIN’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy speaks during a news conference at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain, Saturday. (AP Photo/Paul White) Rajoy will be hoping a new election would tip the balance in favour of lawmakers opposed to secession, especially those worried about the hundreds of businesses who already relocated their headquarters, fearing they would be out of the European Union if Catalonia secedes.

LIMITS ON LEGISLATION While the prime minister isn’t asking to dissolve the Catalan Parliament, Rajoy wants to limit what it can do. Specifically, the parliament would not be able to designate a new regional president until after Rajoy calls for new elections.

Nor would it be able to quiz the region’s interim authorities, power that would temporarily go to Spain’s Senate. Catalonia’s Parliament also would not be allowed to pass laws countering the Article 155 measures and the central government would assume the right to veto bills.

POLICE Catalonia and the Basque Country are Spain’s only regions with their own fully deployed police forces. Spain wants to take direct control of Catalonia’s police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, and warns it will consider increasing the presence of the National Police and

Civil Guard. Mossos chief Josep Trapero is already under investigation for sedition by a Spanish judge.

FINANCES Spain will increase its supervision of the region’s finances, specifically to ensure that no public funds or revenues are used to promote a campaign for secession. Madrid put a large portion of Catalonia’s budget under its direct supervision in the run-up to the Oct. 1 referendum in an attempt to stop the vote from occurring.

PUBLIC MEDIA Under Rajoy’s plan, Spanish authorities will also oversee the running of Catalonia’s public television and radio stations, which have been major proponents of secession. His government will “guarantee the transmission of information that is true, objective and balanced” and that is “respectful of the values and principles of the Spanish constitution and charter law for Catalonia,” Rajoy said.

The Catalan Audiovisual Media Corporation said Sunday it “stands firm by its mission to offer all the citizens of Catalonia .... a public service of the highest quality, committed to ethical, democratic and pluralistic principles.”

ITALY’S 2 RICHEST REGIONS CLAIM VICTORY IN AUTONOMY VOTES

By COLLEEN BARRY, Associated Press

MILAN (AP) — The presidents of Italy’s wealthy northern regions of Veneto and Lombardy on Sunday claimed victory in autonomy referendums that seek to grab additional powers and tax revenue from Rome, riding a global tide of self-determination that has swamped Spain’s Catalonia region.

The votes were nonbinding, but the leaders of the neighbouring regions hope to leverage strong turnout in talks with Italy’s centreleft government. As leading members of the anti-migrant, anti-EU Northern League, they want to keep more tax revenue and have autonomy over such policy areas as immigration, security, education and environment.

“This is the big bang of institutional reform,” Veneto President Luca Zaia said in Venice. “We are convinced, and I hope Rome understands, that this is not the wish of a political party. These are the wishes of the people.”

In Milan, his counterpart in Lombardy, Roberto Maroni, said that with the votes, the two regions “can unify our forces so we can do the battle of the century.” The two leaders say they will meet with their regional councils to finalise their requests before going to Rome to meet with Premier Paolo Gentiloni.

Unlike in Catalonia, the referendums do not seek independence and were approved

by Italy’s constitutional court.

Still, the autonomy drive is a powerful threat to Rome’s authority. Together, Veneto and Lombardy account for 30 percent of Italy’s GDP and nearly one-quarter of the nation’s electorate.

Maroni said an overwhelming 95 percent of his region’s vote went to “yes,” with turnout above 40 percent of Lombardy’s 8 million voters.

That far exceeded the bar for success that he set at 34 percent, which was the turnout for a national referendum on constitutional reform in 2001.

Ballots Independence-minded Veneto easily met a turnout threshold to validate the vote set by Zaia, with some 60 percent of the region’s 4 million voters casting ballots.

According to early returns, 98 percent voted “yes.”

The Democratic Party, which leads the national government in Rome, had criticised the referendums, saying the non-binding votes carried no legal weight, were not needed to trigger autonomy negotiations and were a costly waste of resources.

Such arguments played into the hands of the “yes” campaigners, who consider those put-downs to be part of the anti-democratic, centrist decision-making in Rome. Those sentiments have been echoed in the Catalan independence drive in Spain, in the U.S. election of Donald Trump as president and in Britain’s vote

to leave the 28-nation European Union.

The victory raises the Northern League’s profile ahead of national elections next year. But it also has the power to create a wedge between the rich north and the poor south just as Northern League leader Matteo Salvini, who supports autonomy, has pushed for a more national profile for the once-northern party. The referendum campaign drove hard on the theme that too much northern tax revenues were going to the less-efficient southern regions.

The Northern League was founded with the goal of secession for the wealthier, more productive northern regions, but it gave that up when it joined the national government under then-Premier Silvio Berlusconi in the 1990s. During that period, it pushed for federalism, which lost steam during Italy’s long economic crisis. Autonomy has become the new expression of the party’s identity politics. Also supporting the referendums were the populist 5-Star Party and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia.

The referendum victory is just the first step as the regions seek greater autonomy. Some of the policy issues they are seeking can be won with a new law. But many of the more emotional issues — including greater fiscal control, immigration and security issues — would requiring difficult-to-achieve constitutional changes.

PAGE 16, Monday, October 23, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

MILO Butler Distributors Brand Manager Margo Gibson (left) presented Andrice Strachan, National Youth Officer, Bahamas Red Cross Society, with 1000 2lb bags of Five Roses Flour donated by vendor JM Smucker to assist with hurricane relief efforts throughout The Bahamas.

1,000 BAGS OF FLOUR DONATED TO BAHAMAS RED CROSS SOCIETY

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

MILO Butler Distributors and US-based vendor JM Smucker have donated 1,000 2lb bags of flour to the Bahamas Red Cross Society for distribution throughout the southern islands affected by Hurricane Irma.

The US-based company produces Five Roses Flour.

Just last month, Hurricane Irma caused widespread damage and destruction throughout the islands of The Bahamas. Immediately after the storm, Milo Butler Distributors partnered with local organizations to donate canned goods, grocery items, cleaning supplies and pet food. The team also reached out to its network of vendors in the international community for additional assistance.

JM Smucker was the first to answer the call.

“Five Roses Flour is one of our leading brands and we have been distributing it exclusively in the Bahamian market for more than 20 years. The team at JM Smucker immediately offered their support and were willing to assist Milo Butler in our efforts to help the Family Island communities devastated by Hurricane Irma,” said Margo

Gibson, Brand Manager for JM Smucker at Milo Butler Distributors.

“At the core of our company’s vision is the idea of transforming everyday businesses into movements that create a positive difference in society and so our involvement in the overall relief efforts and in this donation in particular was an easy decision on our part.

“We are happy to partner with the Bahamas Red Cross Society, once again, as they continue to assist Bahamians affected by the recent storm.”

Caroline Turnquest, Director General at the Bahamas Red Cross Society said: “We are always grateful for donations received to assist us with the hurricane relief efforts.

Milo Butler has been one of our key partners here at the Bahamas Red Cross Society for many years. We will be using the flour in our boxes that are going to the southern islands.”

The non-profit organization is encouraging members of the public to continue to donate non-perishable food items to its headquarters on John F. Kennedy Drive. For more information on ongoing hurricane relief efforts, visit the Bahamas Red Cross Society’s Facebook page or call 242-323-7370.