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CTFE denies claims it is unsuited to invest in Bahamas By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net THE Hong Kong conglomerate in talks to purchase the Baha Mar resort yesterday refuted assertions that it was “unsuited to invest in the country�, stating its commitment to integrity and good governance in business operations worldwide. Baha Mar bidder Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Ltd (CTFE) said it has never applied for a casino licence in the United States, and as such, has never been denied by that jurisdiction. CTFE emphasised that it is a privately held business
DR NOTTAGE SHRUGS OFF CHALLENGE BY YOUNG FNM CANDIDATE
By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
BAIN and Grants Town MP Dr Bernard Nottage yesterday said there is “nothing to be threatened about� by the Free National Movement’s (FNM) recent ratification of 21-year-old Travis Robinson as the party’s canSEE PAGE SIX
DNA RATIFIES FIVE ELECTION CANDIDATES
that identified the Bahamas as a “unique growth opportunity�, seeking to address suggestions that it had links to the Chinese government. The conglomerate’s response to questions from The Tribune came a day after former Baha Mar Director Dionisio D’Aguilar suggested that the conglomerate was an unsuitable investor due to its reported inability to obtain casino licensing in two US states, and its alleged “well-documented connection to organised crime in Asia�. The “well-documented connection� likely refers to the Cheng family’s - owners of CTFE - link to billionSEE PAGE THREE
MINNIS HITS OUT OVER SPIKE IN MURDERS IN OCTOBER By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis expressed concern about the number of murders in October compared to September, even though the country remains on a path to record the least number of murders for any year since at least 2010. Nine people were murdered in October, compared to six in September, according to The Tribune’s records. The country has averaged about eight murders per month this year, with the best month being July, which saw no murders. Dr Minnis said: “It is a sad state of affairs in our country when we see a spike in murders in October following the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew. We can all agree that the Bahamian people deserve safety and security – especially in the aftermath of a hurricane. SEE PAGE SIX
THE DNA’s five new candidates were revealed yesterday. From left: Ethric Bowe, Kendal Smith, Claire Basden, Rudolph Dean and Celi Moss. PHOTO: Shawn Hanna By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Democratic National Alliance (DNA) has ratified five candidates for the next general election - business owner Kendal Smith for the Fox Hill constituency, engineer Ethric Bowe for Southern Shores, accountant Claire Basden in North Abaco, real estate broker Rudolph Dean for Golden Gates and Celi Moss for Centreville. During the two-hour event at the party’s headquarters on East Street South yesterday, the candidates made their pitch for why the country could do better than alternating between the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Free National Movement (FNM), and why the third party has the solutions. Of the five, Mr Moss and Mr Smith ran for the party in 2012. Mr Moss received six per cent of the vote while Mr Smith received eight per cent, losing to incumbents Prime Minister Perry Christie and Minister of Immigration Fred Mitchell.
GIBSON ACCUSES FNM DEPUTY OF POLITICISING HURRICANE RELIEF
SHANE GIBSON
SEE PAGE SIX
HURRICANE Matthew Czar Shane Gibson accused Free National Movement Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest of deliberately attempting to undermine the government’s storm relief efforts to gain political points. Mr Gibson, minister of labour and national insurance, claimed that the East Grand Bahama MP is intentionally raising the alarm about the government’s spending on hurricane recovery to sway international donors from giving money to a restoration fund. He also accused Mr Turnquest of wanting the government’s efforts “to fail.� SEE PAGE SEVEN
GEORGE SMITH DISAPPOINTED EXUMA MP DID NOT GET CHANCE TO ‘STEP DOWN’ By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net  GEORGE Smith, former member of Parliament for Exuma, said yesterday he was “disappointed� that the PLP did not “extend the proper courtesy� to Exuma MP Anthony Moss and give him a chance to “step down� before making plans to nominate another candidate for the constituency.
The PLP was expected to ratify businessman Chester Cooper last Thursday as its standard bearer for the Exuma and Ragged Island constituency, however the event was postponed after Prime Minister Perry Christie fell ill with a “stomach virus�. When contacted yesterday, Mr Moss, current area representative, said he had no comment and would make a statement “in the near future.� SEE PAGE SEVEN
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PAGE 2, Tuesday, November 1, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
THE NATION’S YOUTH GO ON THE MARCH
SCENES from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s Youth March on Sunday. The event featured young people from various schools, youth organisations and bands. It started at Clifford Park and proceeded downtown, over the hill, before retruning to the park. The march takes place each year during October – Youth Month – and is led by the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Dr. Daniel Johnson (pictured guiding C.R. Walker Senior High School students below). (BIS Photos/Derek Smith)
SIR DURWARD KNOWLES SET FOR 99TH BIRTHDAY SIR DURWARD Knowles, who put the Bahamas on the map of world sailing nearly 70 years ago and has done so much for the country in other respects, celebrates his 99th birthday tomorrow with his ritual Wednesday luncheon with select friends. Sir Durward made history by becoming the first Bahamian to win a world sailing championship and his impact on the nation has helped usher in a wave of tourism for mariners that has carved the country’s modern lifestyle. His triumph in Los Angeles in 1947 was not only remarkable for the winning, but the adventure he and Sloan Farrington endured to get there, eight days of one mishap after the other on the road to California. A borrowed converted boat trailer, a borrowed car and donated money for their trip to get there. “What an adventure,” Sir Durward reflected. “We were lost, but somehow we found our way and then we won on top of that.” The significance of that victory was felt immediately. At first, Sir Durward and his mate Sloan Farrington were ridiculed when they appeared at the event. But once they began sailing, the other competitors noticed something different about this unbeatable crew from
SIR DURWARD surrounded by some of his “Lunch Bunch” crew, with whom he has celebrated every Wednesday for 20 years: Captain Munroe, Jamal Rolle, George Valentine and Obie Pindling. the Bahamas. When the final race was over, everyone at the championships wanted to know who Sir Durward was and where was the Bahamas. Thus started a new wave of tourism. Another presitgious victory in New Orleans saw the word spreading about this young sailor from the Bahamas, to where mariners now headed to see what it was all about. The interest became so big that marinas had to be built to accommodate these boaters. By the time Sir Durward had won the first Olympic gold medal for the Bahamas in 1964 in Tokyo, Japan, the world had come to expect it. Although his mate was Cecil Cooke, who had replaced Farrington, the Bahamas was still expected to win. Sir
Durward proved them right and the Bahamas has been seeing mariners to our shores ever since. Now that Sir Durward has reached 99, he has resorted to a more relaxed life away from the sea. He remains humble and witty, but his days are filled with memories of the many adventures to make the Bahamas a major tourist destination for mariners. He has never sought the limelight or to be a hero, simply to sail and win. He did that with grace and humility. Sir Durward will celebrate his birthday with his “Lunch Bunch” crew at the Montagu Gardens, marking 20 years of this Wednesday ritual. His friends - Captain Munroe, Antonius Roberts, Drexel Munroe, George Valentine, Obie Pindling and others have formed a bond that has transcended politics, race or religion. Mr Pindling, the son of the late Prime Minister Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling, and Sir Durward once went to the election polls together sporting opposing party tee-shirts. “We have become great friends”, said Sir Durward. “Obie and his family are now dear to me and these guys are special. I look forward to seeing them every Wednesday.” Sir Durward and his wife, Lady Holly, have three children - Jill, Randolph and Charlotte.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, November 1, 2016, PAGE 3
ROBERTS HITS BACK AT D’AGUILAR OVER CTFE By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
from those who aspire to lead them.” Mr Roberts added: “It is also imperative that D’Aguilar PROGRESSIVE Liberal explain why his board boldly Party Chairman Bradley Robembraced Rosewood hotel erts yesterday challenged formanagement brand – an afmer Baha Mar Director Difiliate of Chow Tai Fook Enonisio D’Aguilar to explain his terprises – as Baha Mar’s lead objection to Baha Mar bidder hotel brand. Chow Tai Fook Enterprises “His clarification is criti(CTFE) when its subsidiary, cal because D’Aguilar as the the Rosewood Hotel brand, FNM’s candidate is now saywas formerly engaged by the ing that Rosewood is not fit resort. to own and operate the mega Mr Roberts was respond- PLP Chairman resort. The bottom line is ing Mr D’Aguilar’s suggestion Bradley Roberts. D’Aguilar can’t have it both that CFTE was “unsuited” to ways as reprobation and apinvest in the country, which he called a probation at the same time raises public clear sign of “confusion and intellectual mistrust and is a clear sign of confusion dishonesty.” and intellectual dishonesty.” The PLP chairman also renewed his It was revealed that CTFE was in talks to charge that there was a conflict between buy the troubled resort last Thursday via a the FNM’s Montagu candidate’s role as a press statement issued by the Hong Kongpolitician and his former position as a di- based firm. On Sunday, Mr D’Aguilar rector of Baha Mar. claimed that the owners of CTFE were unMr Roberts maintained that Mr able to obtain casino licensing in two US D’Aguilar had to address the matter to states, and highlighted allegations of its “retain any semblance of credibility” as a “well-documented connection to organpublic official. ised crime in Asia”. “Thinking Bahamians invite D’Aguilar, CFTE has since denied those claims. as a former director of Baha Mar, to fully Rosewood Hotel, a subsidiary of CTFE disclose why he and his fellow board mem- Group, has had a relationship with Baha bers made the decision to place the com- Mar since 2011 as one of the originally pany in bankruptcy,” Mr Roberts said. selected operators for one of the mega “Mr D’Aguilar must answer to the Ba- resort’s hotels. However, after the resort, hamian people on this substantive point. under the direction of original developer “Telling the government and the Baha- Sarkis Izmirlian, filed for bankruptcy in mian people to just ‘get over it’ when asked a US Delaware court in 2015, Rosewood about his deceitful dealings with the gov- requested that the court void its licensing ernment is ill-advised, plain arrogant and agreement with Baha Mar, arguing that its unseemly for a public official as the public brand had been tarnished by its associademands accountability and transparency tion with the Cable Beach development.
BAHA MAR BIDDER DISMISSES CONCERN
Galanis told The Tribune on Sunday that the governaire Stanley Ho through ment’s failure to address its stake in Macau group the “real concern expressed STDM. by many” in a clear and sysMr Ho and his associ- tematic way, had long beates have reportedly been come a non-partisan issue. unsuccessful in attempts Yesterday, the conglomto expand gaming inter- erate said: “CTFE is a priests into Australia, Canada vately-held business based and other countries due to in Hong Kong that operalleged associations with ates based on finding the Chinese triad gangs in his best business opportunities Macau casinos. globally with a commitment CTFE yesterday said: to integrity and good gov“CTFE has never applied ernance. for a casino license in the “Our decision to expand US and, a consortium in- into the Bahamas is based cluding CTFE has just been on our expectations that it approved for the granting of is a unique growth opportua casino license in Queens- nity. It also fits well strateland, Australia. gically in our portfolio and “Further, the Cheng overall growth strategies.” family is an investor in SoIt continued: “CTFE is ciedade de Turismo e Di- dedicated to the successful versões de Macau (STDM), opening of Baha Mar and which owns the gaming sub- will partner with the govsidiary, SJM Holdings Ltd ernment of the Bahamas to (SJM). achieve the goal of a phased “In addition, the Cheng opening.” family’s role in the Macau The first phases it plans casino is strictly as an in- to open at the beleaguered vestor with no involvement resort, CTFE said, will inin day-to-day management clude “a convention centre, of the casino or oversight golf course, casino hotel, of the gaming industry in casino, and restaurants and Macau. shops.” “As a company, we are Speaking to its long-term committed to integrity and vision, the company said: good governance in all of “CTFE is committed to sigour business operations nificant and ongoing investworldwide. There will be ments into the success and no affiliation on this project development of Baha Mar. with STDM or SJM,” the “Our long-term vision is conglomerate added. to build a financially sucIt was revealed that cessful, sustainable busiCTFE was in talks over ness that provides thouthe troubled Cable Beach sands of jobs for Bahamians resort last Thursday in a and creates opportunity for statement issued by the reinvestment in the country. Hong Kong-based firm. “Our goal is also to build The announcement led to upon and unlock the great renewed calls from the Of- potential of the project’s ficial Opposition over the current foundation by resparse release of informa- developing the offshore istion from the government, land and the Crystal Palace and incensed concerns over Casino Hotel property, as the apparent rise in Chi- well as creating additional nese influence in local in- world-class amenities.” vestments. Rosewood Hotel, a subFormer PLPTuesday, MP Philip 1st November sidiary2016 of CTFE Group, FROM PAGE ONE
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has had a relationship with Baha Mar since 2011 as one of the originally selected operators for one of Baha Mar’s hotels. However, after the resort, under the direction of original developer Sarkis Izmirlian, filed for bankruptcy in a US Delaware court in 2015, Rosewood requested that the court void its licensing agreement with Baha Mar, arguing that its brand had been tarnished by its association with Baha Mar.
PAGE 4, Tuesday, November 1, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
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Exigency Orders: good intentions but poor execution ON OCTOBER 14, one week after Hurricane Matthew cut a swath of devastation across the northwestern Bahamas, Prime Minister Perry Christie, acting in his capacity as Minister of Finance, signed an Exigency Order intended to make rebuilding homes, schools, businesses and lives less costly. The Prime Minister had witnessed the destruction firsthand - the levelled buildings, flooding, the shaken demeanour and sad faces of the distraught and displaced people and his heart was in the right place. But good intentions are just that. They are the equivalent of a beautiful, shiny car sitting in a garage unable to move because someone forgot gas. To make anything run and run smoothly, whether legislation, policy or activity, it is all about execution. The Exigency Order (or series of Customs duties exemptions for building materials) intended to bring relief has instead brought confusion, frustration and even anger. Requirements are onerous. Demands are so complicated that not a single contractor we have spoken to understands fully how they work. One roofing contractor admitted defeat in trying to make sense of how to take advantage of the refund on material already on the island and told the customer if they could possibly find out what to do the company would consider trying to make it work. A homeowners’ association was ready to engage legal counsel to try to make sense of the convoluted multistep process. Here is one sentence from the order and this is among the simplest sections: “Customs duty and VAT exemption will be granted to registered charitable organisations, and individuals whose loss by Hurricane Matthew has been verified by NEMA. “All other authorised donations will be deemed a gift to the government and will be received and distributed by NEMA.” In another section applicable to businesses, the order states that businesses can apply to the Hurricane Relief Section of Customs. Later, it notes that only businesses with a TIN number can apply, ruling out smaller ‘mom and pop’ shops that are not VAT registrants because they earn less than $100,000 a year but may need a boost right now, especially those in Andros and Grand Bahama. Then if the applying business is granted the right to sell something minus the duty, they can only sell to a customer who has been independently
qualified and to do that, the customer has to go to NEMA on Gladstone Road where there is one man on loan from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force assigned to review all claims. There is also a very nice receptionist at the front desk who juggles calls and tries to direct people. Impacted people who need approval are lined up against a wall in a small row of chairs. Some have been there repeatedly. One elderly woman walking with a cane made two trips by foot after losing everything. The second day her sweater was on inside out. She was merely trying to get the form she was told she needed signed but there was, as we noted, one gentleman handling all requests. Assuming that the woman finally got the form signed after presenting evidence she would then have to go to each business she wanted to buy from, find out if they had qualified from the Hurricane Relief department at Customs, and she would try to put together what she needed to give to a contractor or to buy. Then the company she purchased it from would be required to submit a monthly report to the Department of Inland Revenue. Despite all the trouble, there have actually been some success stories. But we fear that many of those most in need of rebuilding materials will simply give up because the process is so tiring and those who suffered are already tired. The Exigency Order with its demands is one example of a good idea gone awry because of the lack of forethought as to what it would take to carry it out. In the same week, we saw it happen at Road Traffic, when an automated system that was supposed to make it more convenient to renew a licence or register a vehicle turned into absolute chaos with people waiting for six or seven hours only to be told they had to go home and get a passport, even though they had the new NIB card which required a passport to get. Bahamians are a very patient people. We do not need to be turned around in circles. An idea is only as good as the wellconceived and finely-honed plans that allow it to be carried out in a realistic manner. As for expecting citizens to dance in circles, reserve that for special occasions, rituals and ceremonies where circle dancing is a thing of joy.
Baptism by Matthew EDITOR, The Tribune. MANY Bahamians are able to say, and have said so, what they like and do not like about the Hon Leslie Osborne Miller (PLP-Tall Pines) but he, God bless his soul, calls it like he sees it. He has served the people of this wonderful nation at all levels save for being Prime Minister. There are few living parliamentarians who are able to match his holistic contributions to the development and growth of The Bahamas. No, this is not some brown noser ‘job’ ob ‘the pot cake’ but rather a critique of the performance or lack thereof of our major utilities during the recent passage of Matthew. Bahamas Power & Light were obviously not prepared for the advent of this now fabled hurricane. Trees, where they should have been trimmed regularly were blown over and up rooted. Thereby, falling was to be expected across power and cable lines. Cable Bahamas Limited also appears to have been unprepared for the onslaught. In too many cases customers who have been impacted by the destruction of the cable transmissions lines here in small New Providence are hot and angry that in too many cases they are still off and no logical explanation or schedule. It is impossible to get through to CBL’s customer services line/s. Anybody up
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net there cares? It is a miracle that most of the lines managed by Bahamas Telecommunications Company were not damaged to any significant degree. The leadership team at BTC, led by Mr. Leon Williams, did an excellent job and are to be congratulated. This, dearly beloved, is what happens when true-true Bahamians are given an opportunity at leadership. It is to be remembered that when Leli was Executive Chairman at BEC, many ill-thinking so-called Bahamians, inclusive of the honchoes in the union down there, Paul Maynard in particular, used to cuss him out stink on a daily basis. Others claimed that he showed “too much compassion” for the unwashed customers of the long ailing BEC. Today, most of us right thinking people rue the day and lament the night when the PM crumbled into their demands to remove him. Often if your supply would have been disconnected, you could get through to the BEC “hot line” or even directly to the Chairman. Terms could be worked out and you’d be back on the grid. Not so today. There are not many hills left here in New Providence and many residents have, in fact, never seen a hill here,
for sure the elusive Mrs. Pamela Hill, the newly minted Chief Executive Officer at BPL, is scared to be found. Disgruntled customers are being literally left in the dark due to the non communications regime in place, apparently at BPL. The major utilities have been baptized by Matthew. Their lack of preparations for natural ‘disasters’ like hurricanes is vivid in the spotlight of the aftermath of our dearly departed brother Matthew and must be a teachable moment in time. The PM and his administration, along with countless of our Bahamians and agencies, across the board, did well and we have come to understand the stark need for us to, when necessary, become, again, One Bahamas. And so, we wish Mrs. Hill and her team well, but we also look forward to the timely release of Power Source’s management agreement with the government. We would also like to know the terms and conditions of all high level contracts at BPL. If you work for me, I should have no problem with you telling certain things. Should I? To God then, in all things, even that of thermonuclear energy; natural gas (literally) and inept management, in all things be the glory. RTLAND H. BODIE O JR. Nassau, October 21, 2016.
Road Traffic and the ‘paradigm’ shift ANOTHER TEACHABLE MOMENT? EDITOR, The Tribune. WELL another issue which Government will spin as being the best in the world but at what cost to the patient public? Thousands of hours of waiting - total frustration even to the collecting of the license plate and disc. I hope and I know differently all vehicles for October did get inspected and did do the back-door as usual process? How many vehicles were passed and they had some cover or shield over their license plate so you are unable to read it?
There can only be one reason that you are trying to hide your car license number - are you up to mischief? Tyres bald ready to burst? Today passed Tommy Robinson Stadium, yes the last day of October there were hundreds of people in line. The bottom line, starting mid-month was crazy except the Financial Secretary ordered we need the cash now to meet post hurricane expenses. Now on the light side of this process......Road Traffic didn’t need to include colour of hair as
with most women first thing they might be totally bald - by lunchtime having gone home come back a blonde and by the evening back to bald how can the police know what is correct? The aqua marine colour to the new plates is very distinguished. Road Traffic a good try, but stop blaming the public - the public don’t like change! We will do it in 2017, just watch! M PENN Nassau, October 31, 2016.
EDITOR, The Tribune. THE Bahamas is in an area known as the hurricane belt. Hurricanes can visit our shores at least six months out of every year. Our citizenry apparently is oblivious to this easily verifiable fact. We run to the supermarkets and the lumber yards like clockwork to purchase all manner of goods just hours before tropical storm or hurricane force winds affect us. Many of us are financially unable to purchase the basic necessities on such short notice and some who have the monies to do so arrive at stores to find that items are completely out of stock. I believe we actually get a thrill out of standing on long queues and risk not having the basic survival necessities when a hurricane approaches our shores. Battery operated search lights and radios, candles, canned goods, water, medical supplies and plywood among other items should comprise our hurricane kit. Our hurricane kit should be readily available
before the hurricane season commences. For some strange reason though, we seem to be frantically looking for these items just before disaster strikes. For me this is an enigma and I too am guilty of this. Additionally, we need to be mindful of the trees that are in our yards. Mature trees that are taller than your home and are close to your home or your neighbour’s property should be a red flag and need to be safely cut down; less we face the preventable problems that arise in the aftermath of a hurricane. The hurricane season starts on June 1st and ends on November 30th each and every year without fail. It is sure to come around just like the daily rising of the sun. Did I mention that the hurricane season occurs annually? Will hurricane Matthew be a truly teachable moment? We will find out soon enough. DEHAVILLAND MOSS Nassau, October 31, 2016.
THE TRIBUNE
EMPLOYEES UNABLE TO WORK IN HURRICANE-DAMAGED AG’S OFFICE By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
WHILE extensive cleanup and repair work is underway at the Office of the Attorney General, which was substantially damaged during Hurricane Matthew, frustrated employees were unable to work on Monday and sat outside because of the unfit conditions at a temporary office space nearby. About eight workers were relocated to another office space in the Regent Centre. However, the location lacked proper ventilation and had an unpleasant musty smell. Several persons were sitting in chairs outside and the office door was propped open when The Tribune stopped by. When asked why they were outside, this newspaper was directed to speak with the senior official inside. On entering the office, a damp, mouldy smell permeated the area and there was no air-conditioning due to lack of power. The Tribune was told by a senior official to leave the office. The Attorney General’s Office, which is in the Regent Centre North, sustained extensive roof and water damage from the hurricane. The ceiling had collapsed in some
STAFF outside of the Office of the Attorney General in Grand Bahama. areas. The desks, chairs, carpeting and walls were ruined by rainwater from the storm. Town and Country Maintenance were called in to clean the premises. The crew was busy removing desks and other damaged materials. The Tribune spoke with Minister for Grand Bahama Dr Michael Darville who explained that arrangements have been made at the National Insurance Building to accommodate the displaced staff. He said the office space to where the workers were relocated is only for the short term, until arrangements can be made for them at NIB. “Because of Hurricane Matthew a couple facilities that are not government owned, but rented buildings were also damaged, and the AG’s Office
is one of those in the Regent Centre,” Mr Darville said. He said the damage to the AG’s Office was substantial and the landlord has started repairs. “The landlord is fully aware of the damage and has moved to start repairs, but we had to find an alternative space for the AG’s Office which is in the NIB next to Road Traffic, and that has already been approved,” Dr Darville said. The former Family Guardian office in the Regent Centre, where the staff was relocated, was only a temporary location, he added. “It is difficult to find rented space, and when you have a space where you have a leased agreement with the landlord it is challenging. “It was a temporary location allocated for the short term so
MAN COULD APPEAL HIS 35-YEAR SENTENCE FOR MURDER OF TEACHER By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN sentenced to 35 years in prison for the throat-slashing murder of a Spanish teacher may contest his punishment in the Court of Appeal. Sherman Rodriguez, 38, appeared in the appellate court for an extension of time application concerning the appeal he would like to have heard relating to the murder of Dale Hepburn on November 2, 2004. As he missed the 21-day deadline for filing an appeal after sentencing, he must first apply for permission to be heard on appeal, which could be granted if he is able to convince the court that the challenge is likely to be successful. The appellant, however, did not have counsel for the hearing and asked the court’s assistance. The request was granted and Rodriguez was told that he would be appointed a lawyer by the time of his next Court of Appeal appearance on November 28. Last August, Rodriguez faced up to 60 years at the Department of Correctional Services when he
appeared before then Supreme Court judge Justice Roy Jones after pleading guilty. Justice Jones found that 35 years in prison was sufficient punishment for the crime when taking into account the circumstances of the case and the fact that Rodriguez admitted responsibility from the beginning. The 35-year term was reduced by five years because of the time the prisoner had already spent on remand. Hepburn, a Spanish teacher at S C McPherson High School, was found dead in her home off Carmichael Road on the morning in question. Rodriguez called the police control room at 8 o’clock that morning and said he had killed a woman during an attempted robbery between midnight and 1am on November 1 and 2, 2004. Officers arrested him at a restaurant in the Cable Beach area. Rodriguez, while in custody, said that he had gone to Hepburn’s home on Antigua Street to get money to buy cocaine and alcohol. The accused, who lived
across the street, reportedly got into the home by asking Hepburn to use her phone. Rodriguez, who was high on drugs, surprised the victim with an eight-inch knife, and she sustained severe injuries, including a severed windpipe, during the struggle that followed. When he appeared before Supreme Court Justice Vera Watkins for the opening of his trial, Rodriguez entered into a plea bargain agreement to avoid the death penalty, which, before March 2006, was mandatory upon a murder conviction. However, prosecutors did not go along with the original deal of 20 years imprisonment and Rodriguez found himself sentenced to 60 years instead. His lawyer, Jerone Roberts, successfully challenged the conviction and sentence to the appellate court on the basis that the Crown, in statute law, had breached the terms of the plea agreement. The appellate court handed down the decision in June 2012 and Rodriguez was granted bail in the Supreme Court while awaiting retrial.
we can continue with the affairs of governance while the landlord repairs the building. It is not as simple as finding a new location because a lot of commercial buildings are damaged. The Office of the Attorney General (in Nassau) is fully aware of what is going on and about the temporary location allocated for staff,” he said. Dr Darville said the landlord has indicated that he will get the building up as quickly as possible. “There are so many different government related rental facilities that have been impacted that we are asking the staff affiliated with them to go in temporary locations because governance must continue.” Dr Darville also noted that a couple other government facilities located in rented facilities are facing a similar situation. “Right now in Eight Mile Rock we are looking at the Post Office and the Administrative Office that also sustained damage, and we had to move the administrator to a temporary location while we go and start repairs to the existing building.” The nearby Supreme Court building was also severely damaged during the storm. However, prior to the storm,
Tuesday, November 1, 2016, PAGE 5
THE OFFICE was damaged during Hurricane Matthew. initial renovation work at the building is structurally the Garnet Levarity Justice sound. Centre had been halted, and “Members of the court are equipment left idle on the working with government unpremises. The centre houses til we start to initiate a new three Magistrate’s Courts and contract. But as you can see two Supreme Courts. some of the veneers (the white Dr Darville said that the columns) were blown off that Ministry of Works has already we could not find, but they completed technical assess- were not structural; underments and the scope of works neath there is structural steel, so that a new contractor can so the building was never comcomplete renovations and re- promised. But yes, the buildpairs. ing sustained substantial damDespite the damage, he said age as well,” he said.
MEN ACCUSED OF MURDER FACE WAIT FOR TRIAL DATE
By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
TWO men awaiting trial on a murder charge are set to return to the Supreme Court on Wednesday to receive a new trial date. Judson Mackey, 22, and Tristan Deveaux, 21, were due to appear before Justice Bernard Turner yesterday for a fixture hearing in the May 25, 2013 death of Shanrio Deveaux. On the day in question, in an alley between
Thompson Lane and Strachan’s Corner, the victim was walking with another man and woman when he was approached by gunmen. They shot him repeatedly about the body; he collapsed and was pronounced dead on arrival of EMS. Mackey and Deveaux both deny committing the crime and have respectively retained Romona Farquharson-Seymour and Roberto Reckley to represent them. Their case was sched-
uled to be tried last week. However, Hurricane Matthew’s landfall in the Bahamas has caused a delay in a number of cases before the Supreme Court. Justice Turner had fixed a hearing for yesterday but has further adjourned the matter to Wednesday, November 2.
PAGE 6, Tuesday, November 1, 2016 FROM PAGE ONE “However, it is this government’s failure to deliver on their commitment to the Bahamian people as they try to recover and rebuild their lives that has created within them a state of worrisomeness about their own safety and protection of property and possessions. “We have had nine murders in the Bahamas in October bringing the current murder rate to 84.” Dr Minnis, former minister of health under the previous Ingraham administration where crime become a major issue as it escalated throughout society, said Bahamians have not felt safe for years “because of the government’s failure to keep their promise to ensure safety on our streets.” He added: “Since the passing of Hurricane Matthew we have witnessed rampant crime across the islands – multiple murders, shootings involving young children, looting of homes and schools, and the list goes on,” Dr Minnis said. Police have downplayed rumours of looting due to the hurricane, saying the
THE TRIBUNE
MINNIS HITS OUT OVER SPIKE IN MURDERS IN OCTOBER incidents of theft experienced in the aftermath of the storm was not the same thing. “All of this is happening at a time when the Bahamian people have more than enough hardships to shoulder,” Dr Minnis added. “Particularly at this time, Bahamians should not have to worry about a crime wave this government has shown absolutely no capacity to fix.” “It is time for this government to finally develop and implement a plan to fully protect our citizens. “It starts with acknowledging the problem, not treating it like a campaign issue that they are afraid to address. “The people deserve safety and security – they pay taxes and live up to their obligations as citizens. “It is time for the government to finally bring forth a real plan to address the high crime rate in our country.”
CLAIRE BASDEN, DNA Candidate for North Abaco.
CELI MOSS, DNA Candidate for Centreville. PHOTOS: Shawn Hanna
DNA RATIFIES FIVE CANDIDATES FROM PAGE ONE “We have approximately six months before the next general election,” DNA Leader Branville McCartney said. “The PLP will not hand the governance of this country to us. We need to take it from them. We need to dedicate the next six months on working hard in the respective constituencies. We must let people know what our plans are to govern this country. “We must show them, that there is a better way. They must know, because they feel it, that the status quo cannot continue. “But all this would be in vain if we do not get people registered to vote and to vote this inept government out. The voting process is the time when we the people will have the say. We will determine our future. “We will decide if we wish change or more of the same. If you want more of the same of this miserable life, your choice will be the PLP or the FNM, period. And you will have nobody else to blame but yourself. But if you want change, real change for our Bahamas, then you vote DNA.” Of the candidates, Mr Bowe positioned himself as apolitical, saying he would work to improve the country if Mr Christie asked him to do so. Nonetheless, he called for PLP Fort Charlotte candidate Alfred Sears to defeat Mr Christie at the PLP’s convention.
He also praised Labour Minister Shane Gibson, recently appointed co-ordinator for Hurricane Matthew relief, saying “he gets things done.” Meanwhile, Mr Moss was critical of Mr Christie’s representation in the Centreville constituency, calling him “lousy” and “incompetent”. For her part, Ms Basden spoke about the need to cultivate “community mindsets” in the country. And Mr Dean, a former supporter of the PLP, said the country is now in the same state it was in “pre-Majority Rule,” with people desperate for “something new and something different”. As for Mr Smith, he echoed the theme of his counterparts, saying: “They, of the two other major parties, have used the formula God, then self and then country. They, along with family, friends and business partners have grown increasingly rich, while the masses of the Bahamian people continue to suffer. They have soiled and sullied the sacred halls of Parliament, using legislation and diplomacy to the detriment of we, the Bahamian people.” The DNA ran a full slate of candidates in the last election, but the party did not win any seats. However the party, formed in 2011, received around eight per cent of the total votes.
DR NOTTAGE SHRUGS OFF CHALLENGE BY FNM CANDIDATE FROM PAGE ONE didate for the area, adding that age is an “irrelevant” factor in either man’s bid at securing the seat. Dr Nottage, the minister of national security, told
The Tribune that he has “no problem” with Mr Robinson’s emergence as a rival to the Bain and Grants Town seat, a seat traditionally held by the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), as he said it would be “ridiculous” for him to expect to go unchallenged in the area. As to whether FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis made the right choice by ratifying Mr Robinson, Dr Nottage said: “It’s not my business.” There is a 50-year age gap between the two men. Dr Nottage, 71, also told The Tribune he is “willing and able” to run again in the constituency, and will do so as long as residents there want him and if the PLP nominates and subsequently ratifies him as its candidate for the area. Last week, Mr Robinson, a College of the Bahamas student, was one of six FNM candidates ratified for the next general election, alongside businessman Dionisio D’Aguilar and former Senator Lanisha Rolle. Earlier this year, Mr Robinson announced that he planned to run as an independent candidate in the area. With his ratification, Mr Robinson hopes to become the youngest parliamentarian in the country’s history. When asked if he was threatened by the youthful newcomer, Dr Nottage said: “No. I have been someone who has offered to serve the Bahamas, and I have had the good fortune to be elected and to have served the country. So there’s nothing to be threatened about.” He added: “If people want me to continue to serve, I am willing and able to do so. “And I think it would be ridiculous not to expect to have any opponents. And the age of the opponent is irrelevant as far as I’m concerned.” When asked for his take on the FNM’s decision to ratify such a young candidate, Dr Nottage: “It’s not my business. Whoever is (chosen) by whichever party, is somebody who is an opponent of mine and someone who would like the opportunity to be a parliamentarian. It’s not my business.” He added: “The Constitution indicates how old you have to be to run for Parliament or to serve in
the Senate. And as long as his age meets what the constitutional requirement is, it’s okay.” Last week, during a fiery and well-received speech to a packed crowd of more than 100 people at FNM headquarters, Mr Robinson called for his prospective constituents as well as the wider Bahamian public to give him a chance to show he has what it takes to be a dependable MP, notwithstanding his age and lack of political experience. “It’s not about political experience because…at the end of the day, the people could care less about how much money you have, how old you are, or how much experience you have if you cannot meet their basic needs in terms of being compassionate towards them, having a conversation with them, being able to sit down with them, being relevant, and relatable to them,” he said. “I feel like those key things far surpass anything in terms of experience or age. “People are looking for an individual who they can identify with. I’m not promising any individuals any fancy this or fancy that. “What I’m simply presenting forth is a young man with a passion, a vision and a desire to serve his community to the best of his ability.” Meanwhile, up until yesterday, it was unclear whether Dr Nottage had plans to run in the next general election. In August, when asked about Dr Nottage’s political future, PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts said: “I’m not aware that he is not running.” Mr Roberts also said at the time that the PLP hadn’t officially asked Dr Nottage if he would offer himself for re-election. Mr Roberts also said one other person had expressed a desire to run for the PLP in the Bain Town constituency, but did not reveal that person’s name. State Minister for National Security Keith Bell said earlier this year that he hoped to be promoted to the senior position and become minister of national security if the PLP wins the next general election, adding to the uncertainty over whether Dr Nottage had plans to run in the next election.
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Tuesday, November 1, 2016, PAGE 7
PRIVY COUNCIL’S HUMAN TRAFFICKING RULING ‘COULD HAVE BEARING ON OTHER CASE’
By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
THE LONDON-based Privy Council’s ruling in the Bahamas’ first tried human trafficking case may have some bearing on an ongoing matter, a magistrate said yesterday. Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes is presiding over the case of Clayton Phillips, 40, and Lekiesha DeanFoulkes, 38, concerning allegations of trafficking in persons and conspiracy to engage in trafficking in persons. It is alleged that the pair, being concerned with others between a date unknown and April 27, conspired to engage in trafficking in persons. It is then alleged that they, while “concerned with others,” engaged in the trafficking of a 26-year-old woman “for the purpose of exploitation.” Both have denied the charges and are represented by Krysta Mason-Smith. When the matter was called yesterday, Crown prosecutor Ambrose Armbrister noted that Eucal Bonaby, the prosecutor
handling the trial, was in a matter before the Supreme Court. Chief Magistrate Forbes asked both counsels if preliminary arguments were going to be made concerning the October 17 decision by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council which saw the highest court affirm the Court of Appeal’s ruling to quash the six convictions of 26-year-old Chevanese Hall. Ms Mason-Smith said she expected the hearing to concern whether the Crown was in a position to proceed with trial in the absence of the complainant who was not in the jurisdiction when the matter was called in September. Chief Magistrate Forbes said aspects of the recent ruling led to the issue of whether the case of Phillips and Dean-Foulkes ought to proceed as a summary trial or by preliminary inquiry. The court said either route would require witnesses to give depositions before a determination is made on a way forward. “They’ve sort of redirected the way these particular matters proceed,” the judge said.
Ms Mason-Smith said it was in the court’s hands to decide, but she was of the view that the case was properly before the court based on the section of law under which the charges were brought. Mr Armbrister said the chief magistrate, in making a determination, would have to be satisfied that it has sentencing powers in the matter. Chief Magistrate Forbes said he would further adjourn the matter to January 12, 2017. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, in a 21-page judgment delivered by Lord Hughes concerning the Crown’s challenge to the Court of Appeal’s January 21 decision to release 26-year-old Chevanese Hall of six trafficking-related offences, addressed the issue raised by Chief Magistrate Forbes. “The effect of the Criminal Procedure Code is not to limit offences for mode of trial purposes to the three categories postulated by the Court of Appeal,” the Privy Council said. “For the purposes of mode of trial, offences in the Bahamas may be categorised
in four groups: (i) offences which are triable only by judge and jury in the Supreme Court, (ii) offences which are triable either way without the accused having any right to elect trial by jury, (iii) offences which are triable either way but in relation to which the accused has a right to elect trial by jury pursuant to Section 214 and Schedule 3 of the Criminal Procedure Code and (iv) offences which are triable only summarily. “Where an offence falls into category (ii) the prosecution may invite the magistrate to proceed either by way of summary trial or by way of preliminary inquiry with a view to committal to the Supreme Court for trial by judge and jury on information. “The accused has no right to elect trial by jury. But the prosecution does not have unfettered power to decide the mode of trial. That power belongs to the magistrate, who may determine either that a case which the prosecution would be content to be tried summarily ought to be sent to the Supreme Court, or that an offence which the prosecution would prefer to go to the
GIBSON ACCUSES FNM DEPUTY OF POLITICISING HURRICANE RELIEF FROM PAGE ONE His accusations came a day after Mr Turnquest demanded that the Christie administration provide a thorough accounting of hurricane relief spending. In a press statement released on Sunday, Mr Turnquest said it appears to be a routine of the government to collect cheques, spend public funds and not give an account of how the money has been spent. “I am shocked, people always told me that Peter Turnquest was a silly person, and I am shocked that he would undermine Bahamians for being assisted by international donors who want to donate money to the Bahamas,” Mr Gibson said in response on Monday. “He along with the FNM are intentionally saying these things, knowing that it’s not true, hoping that people won’t donate to the hurricane relief and hoping that the relief is a failure. “I am shocked because I was defending him all along saying, ‘no,
he is not like that.’ “Why would he go to the press and say something - send messages to international donors telling them something is going on that is not going on? “Why would he do that? Why would Dr (Hubert) Minnis say that only PLPs are being supported through their grocery stores in Andros when I wrote him last week for specific examples and he has yet to write back and tell me because it isn’t true? “But their strategy seems to be to try to undermine Bahamians from being helped by telling people who want to donate, don’t donate because the money is not being spent properly. And it is absolutely not true and he knows it’s not true - I don’t understand why he would want to hurt the Bahamian people like that.” When asked about Mr Turnquest’s call for a thorough accounting on hurricane relief spending, Mr Gibson said: “NEMA tables their official report every year,
SHANE GIBSON auditors statements. Why would you ask that? Which government agency as soon as they spend a dollar reports that they spent a dollar? It doesn’t work that way.” “I could understand if a year had gone by and we didn’t report, why would you undermine the efforts of the government and the people of the Bahamas by constantly spewing (misinformation) and saying things are happening that are not happening? Why are you trying to
Supreme Court ought to be tried summarily. The magistrate will no doubt hear both parties before arriving at a decision as to mode of trial.” “The attorney general’s power to prefer a voluntary bill of indictment is now the subject of statutory definition in Section 258 of the Criminal Procedure Code. That section requires the offence to be ‘an indictable offence’ as defined in Section 2. “The consequence of the definition in Section 2 is that a voluntary bill can only be preferred in relation to categories (i) and (iii) set out in conclusion (a) above.” The Privy Council noted that the offences created by sections three and four of the Trafficking In Persons Act “are category (ii) offences.” “It follows that there was no power to prefer a voluntary bill in relation to them. Whether the attorney general ought to have power to prefer a voluntary bill in the case of category (ii) offences, thus removing the necessity for a preliminary inquiry before the magistrate, is a matter of policy
destroy your country? The same country that you want to represent.” He added that the government is not directly handling the donations that are coming in for storm relief, saying that has been left to representatives from the private sector. “The person signing on those donor accounts are all from the private sector - Michael Maura, Tracy Knowles, Nathaniel Beneby, Gowon Bowe - they are the signatories on the account,” Mr Gibson said. “It’s nothing to do with us in the government. “So why would he (Mr Turnquest) tell the people not to donate money, that we are spending the money bad when that is not the case?” Mr Gibson added that he does not control the account where funds are being donated to the government for storm relief and he could not say how much has been brought in thus far. He said those questions would have to be put to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). On Sunday, Mr Turnquest accused the government of not being transparent in its relief efforts. “The PLP government’s minster
for Parliament; a comparatively simple legislative amendment can achieve that result if Parliament so decides.” “The board will accordingly humbly advise Her Majesty that the appeal of the attorney general ought to be dismissed,” Lord Hughes concluded. Hall, a Jamaican, was initially arraigned in Magistrate’s Court in February 2013 on four counts of trafficking of a person and two counts of unlawful withholding of papers, alleged to have been committed between January 10 to 28, 2013. She was not allowed to enter a plea to the allegations until she was formally arraigned in the Supreme Court. She pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. She was ultimately convicted of all charges and faced between 15 years to life imprisonment on the first four charges and 10 years imprisonment on the remaining offences. However, the trial judge did not consider that life imprisonment was a fitting sentence in the 26-yearold’s case and imposed a 15-year sentence instead.
handpicked by Prime Minister Christie to head national hurricane relief efforts, Shane Gibson, stated last week among other questionable things, that the Minister for Grand Bahama Dr Michael Darville has spent near or over one million dollars on clean up on Grand Bahama Island within weeks since the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew,” Mr Turnquest said. “This is further evidence of this government’s reckless disregard for transparency when it comes to the people’s monies. “While there is no attempt here to politicise the devastation left by Hurricane Matthew, I, and by extension the Free National Movement, hold a sacred obligation to the residents of Grand Bahama and the wider Bahamas to assure a detailed account of funds being handled on their behalf. “Needless to say, Ministers Gibson and Darville must understand the international implications. Countries and groups from around the world are also pledging significant support to our nation’s relief efforts,” Mr Turnquest said. Mr Gibson said Mr Turnquest’s comments are part of a wider FNM strategy to accuse the PLP of corruption in the lead up to the next election.
GEORGE SMITH DISAPPOINTED EXUMA MP DID NOT GET CHANCE TO ‘STEP DOWN’
FROM PAGE ONE
However, Mr Smith said while he thinks Mr Moss was not a great representative for Exuma, the PLP should not have “chapped his legs from under him” especially because Mr Moss is a senior Member of Parliament, who has been loyal to the PLP. Mr Smith has been consistent in his criticism of Mr Moss’ performance as a parliamentarian over the years, telling The Tribune many times that he believes the PLP would lose the Exuma seat if it renominated him. “It is widely known that I have not been happy with the quality of representation of Exuma since 1997,” Mr Smith said. “I think that Anthony Moss has good intentions but he has not been the kind of representative that Exuma was used to. I wasn’t happy when they nominated Mr Moss in 2007 and again in 2012 but the party said he has close ties with the Baptist community and there was a huge Baptist community in Exuma. “What I do not like is how they did what they did. This is not the Free National Movement (FNM), this is the PLP and this is not how we do it. “If there was a desire not to nominate Moss, there is a way to do it. “There is a precedent. Sit down with him and get him to agree. He could make an announcement that he would not be seeking a nomination and then he could support the candidate and the party would not look broken. But don’t chap his leg off from under him. He is a decent man from a decent family with a decent wife and in-laws. I am sure he is offended. His ego is bruised.” Mr Moss has held the Exuma seat since 2002. Mr Cooper has been on the ground working in the constituency for months. He has also been very visible in
the area since the passage of Hurricane Matthew earlier this month, surveying damage in the constituency. In April, The Tribune reported exclusively that almost 60 Exuma residents gathered to express “overwhelming support” for a new PLP candidate. This was the result of a poll taken during a meeting of leaders of the PLP Exuma constituency obtained
by The Tribune. Fifty-six PLPs expressed the desire to have a new candidate, one person did not vote and another failed to indicate clearly whether they would still support Mr Moss. When contacted in April, Mr Moss said the outcry for a new PLP candidate to replace him in the 2017 general election was a road he has travelled many times before, insisting that for the
last 14 years he has worked to the best of his ability on behalf of all constituents. Mr Cooper hails from Forbes Hill, Exuma. He is chairman & CEO of BAF Global Group and president & CEO of BAF Financial & Insurance (Bahamas). PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts told The Tribune last week that Mr Cooper’s ratification is expected to happen soon.
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PAGE 8, Tuesday, November 1, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
Voters’ apathy raises serious
T
HE Tribune recently reported ‘Legal Advice Sought Amid Low Voter Registration’ and the Nassau Guardian reported ‘Voter Registration Plummets: Nearly 80,000 fewer sign up to vote compared to five years ago’. In essence, the number of voters registered as of October, 2016, for the 2017 general election in the Bahamas is almost half the number of voters registered as of October, 2011, for the 2012 general election. There is conjecture about the cause of this supposed election malaise on the part of the Bahamian people. Is it that Bahamians are just fed up with voting? Is it that they see no candidate worth voting for so they just don’t bother to register? Is it that they don’t care at all about the election? Is it that they’ve given up on caring? Is the registration process too difficult or disruptive? Are Bahamians trying to send a message to their current and prospective leaders? I don’t know that the reason for low voter registration to date is rooted in any one of those six questions. The Tribune article goes on to explain that Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall is trying to determine via the Attorney General’s office if it’s lawful to automatically reregister 2012 voters for the 2017 election. I’d like to know why this is even a consideration, regardless of the low registration turnout observed thus far. Did Hall offer this as a legitimate thought or pursuit, or did the interviewer ask him leading questions which resulted in an answer he didn’t intend to give? Is he trying to tell us that people are leaning on him to do the unorthodox to ensure they keep power where it is? In theory, if this automatic re-registration were to meet approval, no identifying documents would be required of voters other than a previous voter’s card. Such a process would result in adding back from an old register which in-
By NICOLE BURROWS
cludes people who have passed on in the last five years, people who have relocated for any reason, and, worst of all, people who were illegally registered. Hall is quoted as saying “what politicians want me to do, is accept the 2012 card for 2017”. Now, I didn’t conduct the interview, and I didn’t hear it first-hand, but if these words are accurate, it raises an important question. Did someone with a political appointment request this of Hall … that he make this inquiry into whether he can use an old register for a new election? And if that is the case,
“The less you give Bahamians to do, the better. The less you make them responsible for, the better. The less they have to think, the better. Bypass voter registration altogether.” what is with these people and old ideas to address new concerns?
H
all appears to take the position that “some of those people didn’t get their cards by producing a birth certificate or passport”. Well, why does Hall think so? If he believes this, who were these people who got their cards without producing a birth certificate or passport? How many of them were there? Moreover, why in the hell were they allowed to vote in the last election? For Hall to even raise the possibility that some voters got their voter’s cards by deception is at a minimum unsettling.
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If registration officials are so sceptical about the citizenship of voters now, why weren’t they sceptical about the same before? And why were those persons who aroused suspicion allowed to vote in the midst of officials’ scepticism? The more you try to get to the bottom of a problem in the Bahamas, the more questions you end up asking and the more you have unanswered. For someone to suggest that Hall or anyone else should analyse an existing or previous voter’s citizenship now is ludicrous. If even a quarter of all voters’ citizenship is in question, who has time to specially verify those voters’ citizenship just months away from the next general election? In an office that can barely do its main job at all or on time? As far as I’m concerned, if we had any sense, this and all the problems that come to light as a result of this, could have been (and could actually still be) avoided. Why is there a registration process at all? What if any Bahamian citizen, aged 18-plus, with a valid birth certificate, passport, and previous voter’s card, was allowed to take their government-issued identification (ID) which confirms their Bahamian citizenship to the polling station to vote on election day? Bahamians could go straight to the polls with their IDs, no registration required. And, if voting confidentiality is a concern it shouldn’t be, because they can already track your vote to your name, so what difference does it make? But in a more sensible set-up, there would be a way around that. That sensible set-up would include a national registry, which we already have, at least in part. There is already a national registry of births and deaths; we could use that to start the process. From that register, you know who has died and is no longer alive to cast a vote. You register every birth in the country, identify according to existing laws who is a citizen by
THE NUMBER of registered voters for next year’s general election is almost half the number that had registered for the 2012 election (above) by October 2011.
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registration issues
birth, and assign a number to that person. That number then gets used for everything a citizen must do, every benefit a citizen must receive, in her or his lifetime: national insurance/ social security, driver’s licence, national health insurance, and it appears on your passport and birth certificate, and voter’s cards, visibly or electronically disguised. Why do we need a voter’s register, when you operate a national register that manages every relevant detail about your citizens’ identification? In fact, the voting register was and still is in some places and ways a means to eliminate people who are qualified to vote but whom the establishment would prefer didn’t have the ability to vote. The national registry eliminates that extra level of potential discrimination and confusion that we are now beginning to see unravel at the parliamentary registry. As far as I’m concerned, the less you give Bahamians to do, the better. The less you make them responsible for, the better. The less they have to think, the better. Bypass voter registration altogether. Invest the time and money it takes to make that halfway work and limp along into revising the system altogether for something that works overall. If there is still concern about ballot tracking to see who voted
for which candidate, disorder the numbers on the ballots. Issue them randomly to the voter, not in alphabetical order or in the order of the register. Have 13 sub-stations within each polling station that each deal with two letters of the alphabet per last names, keeping it very simple. Jane Brown walks in and goes to station 1 (A and B surnames), they find her on the national register, she has her birth certificate and passport as back up to show her citizenship, and she is given a randomly selected ballot (ie, a number out of sequence and not traceable to her identification), and she votes according to rules … marks her ‘X’, and leaves the polling station. But no birth certificate, and no passport, your luck buck - no voting for you. I still say voting should be mandatory to give lazy Bahamians the first thing in life to care about, but if that is too exceptional to be achieved then this method of ‘registering’ voters would be the next best thing to ensure not only participation in the election process, but also the minimisation of voter fraud. Obviously, groups who have had their right to vote revoked, like convicted felons, are of no concern because either they’re in prison anyway or they can’t get a passport. Now the Attorney General comes out with a comment as I write this,
talking about low voter registration being attributable to concerns about the voting process. She says voters are frustrated and uncertain because they don’t know which ID to use. Well, how come all of a sudden? Either she’s telling stories on the voters, the voters are telling stories on the registry, or the registry is suspicious of registrants. You decide. If voters are uncertain about which piece of ID to take, then they should take all and be done with it. As a matter of fact, at any given time, any ID should be able to identify your citizenship status. In America, the standard pieces of identification issued by the federal and state governments will always reveal your citizenship as long as the ID is current. It may not be stated explicitly, but you can tell from the notations or from the term lengths just who is or isn’t an American citizen. Having a national registry to avoid parliamentary registry problems is not that hard to make happen if you mean to do it. But, it does require that you care to do it. And if we don’t do it, I guess that in itself is an answer to the many problems we face in and beyond the parliamentary registry. Send email to nburrows@tribunemedia.net
Tuesday, November 1, 2016, PAGE 9 INTERNATIONAL NEWS
IRAQI SPECIAL FORCES POISED ON EASTERN EDGE OF MOSUL BAZWAYA, Iraq (AP) — Iraqi special forces stood poised to enter Mosul in an offensive to drive out Islamic State militants after sweeping into the last village on the city’s eastern edge Monday while fending off suicide car bombs without losing a soldier. Armored vehicles, including Abrams tanks, drew fire from mortars and small arms as they moved on the village of Bazwaya in an assault that began at dawn, while artillery and airstrikes hit IS positions. By evening, the fighting had stopped and units took up positions less than a mile from Mosul’s eastern border and about 5 miles (8 kilometres) from the center, two weeks into the offensive to retake Iraq’s second-largest city. “We will enter the city of Mosul soon and liberate it from Daesh,” said Brig. Gen. Haider Fadhil of Iraq’s special forces, using an Arabic acronym for the extremists. He added that more than 20 militants had been killed while his forces suffered only one light injury from a fall. Three suicide car bombers had tried to stop the advance before the army
took control of Bazwaya, but the troops destroyed them, he said. The army said another unit, its 9th Division, had moved toward Mosul and was about 5 kilometres (3 miles) from its eastern outskirts, the neighborhood of Gogjali. At one point, a Humvee packed with explosives raced ahead and tried to ram the approaching forces, but Iraqi troops opened fire, blowing it up. Plumes of smoke rose from IS positions hit by artillery and airstrikes that the army said came from the U.S.led coalition. State TV described the operation as a “battle of honor” to liberate the city, which was captured by IS from a superior yet neglected Iraqi force in 2014. Some residents hung white flags on buildings and windows in a sign they would not resist government troops, said Maj. Salam al-Obeidi, a member of the special forces operation in Bazwaya. He said troops asked villagers to stay in their homes as Iraqi forces moved through the streets — a precaution against possible suicide bombers.
US ELECTION
HILLARY CLINTON CHALLENGES THE FBI, DECLARING, ‘THERE’S NO CASE HERE’ KENT, Ohio (AP) — Hillary Clinton forcefully challenged the FBI’s new email inquiry Monday, declaring during a campaign rally in battleground Ohio, “There’s no case here.” Clinton’s comments were her most pointed yet on the subject, and they underscored her campaign’s decision to fight back aggressively against FBI Director James Comey. On Friday — just over a week from Election Day — Comey alerted Congress that the FBI has obtained new material that may be related to its dormant investigation into whether classified information passed through Clinton’s private email server while she served as secretary of state. The FBI plans to review the emails to see if they contain classified information and if so, whether they were handled properly. The Justice Department said Monday it would “dedicate all necessary resources” to concluding the review promptly. Clinton accused the FBI of having jumped into the election “with no evidence of any wrongdoing with just days to go.” She said that if the bureau wants to look at the emails, which appear tied to her longtime aide Huma Abedin, “by all means, they should look at them.” But she insisted the FBI would reach the same conclusion it did earlier this year, when it declined to recommend Clinton and her advisers face charges for how they handled classified information. “They said it wasn’t even a close call,” she said. “I think most people have decided a long time ago what they think about all of this.” The investigation appears to center on a laptop belonging to Anthony Weiner, the disgraced former congressman and Abedin’s estranged husband. It’s unclear whether the material on the device was from Clinton. It’s also not known if the emails in question are new or duplicates of the thousands the former secretary of state and her aides have already turned over. In another sign of the Clinton campaign’s escalating feud with Comey, her advisers leapt on a CNBC report that the director opposed releasing information close to Election Day about Russian interference in the White House race. Campaign manager Robby Mook called the report evidence of a “blatant double standard.” The AP has not confirmed that report, and the FBI declined to comment on it Monday. Intelligence agencies have linked Russia to the hacking of Democratic groups during the campaign. Clinton has charged the Kremlin is trying to tilt the election in favor of Donald Trump and has questioned the Republican’s financial ties to Russia.
Friday October 28 - Saturday December 24, 2016
House & Spray
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THE TRIBUNE
RED CROSS ASSISTANCE DRAWS LONG LINES
THERE were long lines at the Bahamas Red Cross yesterday with people seeking assistance and food in the wake of Hurricane Matthew. According to Deputy Director Diane Turnquest, the Red Cross could not accommodate everyone who sought assistance last Friday. They were told to return next week. However, misinformation posted on social media caused around 200 people to show up to the site on Saturday, only for them to be turned away and told to return on Monday, she said. Scores of people flooded the Red Cross yesterday, causing confusion. Police were called to help calm them. “Friday there were people that did not get food because we ran out. They were told to come back Mon-
day morning,” Ms Turnquest told the media yesterday. “And then somebody posted on social media that we were open on Saturdays, so about 200 people showed up on Saturday. “Those people were also told that no, we open again on Monday morning, but we would have to see the people that were left from Friday first.” Ms Turnquest said many people have been requesting food items from the non-profit organisation, and officials have been working hard to keep up with demand. This comes as the Red Cross received two cheque donations yesterday totalling $100,000. The donations came from the Atlantis resort and the Mid-American Conference.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016, PAGE 15
LONG lines at The Bahamas Red Cross for food and assisance yesterday at the Bahamas Red Cross. PHOTO: Shawn Hanna/Tribune staff
PAGE 16, Tuesday, November 1, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
MINISTER MEETS WITH BAHAMIAN STUDENTS IN WASHINGTON, DC
WRAPPING up a highly successful working trip to Washington, DC, that included education-related meetings at the Organization of American States (OAS), Jerome Fitzgerald, Minister of Education, Science and Technology, interacted with students attending colleges and universities in the Washington area and a number of Bahamians in the diaspora during a reception held at the Bahamas embassy. The event took place last Thursday. Dr Eugene Newry, Bahamas ambassador to the United States, and Paulette Zonicle, Bahamas consul general to Washington, DC, both delivered welcoming remarks prior to Mr Fitzgerald’s brief address, during which he encouraged the students to continue to study and after graduation return to the Bahamas to make
their respective contributions towards building the country. Mr Fitzgerald convened a highlevel meeting on science, technology and innovation with US public and private sector stakeholders in Washington, on October 25, in the conference room of the OAS Administration Building. The meeting was held to sensitise US public and private sector stakeholders to the existing and planned landscape for those areas in the Bahamas and to pitch the country as prime destination for partnership and investment. The Bahamian delegation that accompanied Mr Fitzgerald included Dr Rodney Smith, president of the College of The Bahamas (COB); Dr Robert Robertson, president of the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI); Davinia Blair, vicepresident of advancement at the
College of The Bahamas; and Dr Karen St Cyr, senior policy adviser, STI/STEM. The Bahamas currently chairs the Inter-American Committee on Education and will host the 9th Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Education in Nassau in February 2017 where it is expected that there will be agreement on an Inter-American Education Agenda for 2017-2022. Minister Fitzgerald serves concurrently as the chair of the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM). JEROME FITZGERALD, minister of education, science and technology, addressing students attending colleges and universities in the Washington area and a number of Bahamians in the diaspora during a reception held at the Bahamas embassy on October 27. Pictured from left are: Dr Eugene Newry, Bahamas ambassador to the United States; Paulette Zonicle, Bahamas consul general to Washington, DC, and Mr Fitzgerald.
FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND YOUTH ENVIRONMENTAL CORPS UNDERWAY NEARLY 200 young Bahamians have enrolled in the first-of-its-kind Youth Environmental Corps (YEC). The YEC is a work programme created and funded by the government for young adults between the ages of 19 and 39 to learn valuable skills in administration and trade jobs and environmentally friendly professions such as marine management, plant identification and park management. “We are excited that we are not only filling the economic gap but we are training the future of the nation in conservation of our natural resources among other vocations,” said Environment and Housing Minister Kenred Dorsett at a press conference held at the Bahamas National Trust Retreat on Village Road. Although its inception is on the island of New
MINISTER of Environment and Housing Kenred Dorsett (left) speaking at a press conference on the first-of-its-kind Youth Environmental Corps, now underway. At centre is Eric Carey, executive director at the Bahamas National Trust and far right is Yasmin Johnson, project coordinator, YEC.
Providence, Mr Dorsett explained that the programme will be extended across the country with the pine islands such as Andros and Grand Bahama being targeted first. He also added that the
YEC is about lifelong professions and not designed to be a 52-week programme rather “this (YEC) is about careers in the blue and green economy.” Reiterating the sentiments of Mr Dorsett, Eric
Carey, BNT executive director, stressed that with the training module formulated with the National Training Agency, Ministry of the Environment and Housing and other relevant agencies, the ultimate
goal is for apprentices to establish long term vocations. “I think the most important aspect of this and bringing on additional staff the minister made it clear that he wanted those people who were coming onboard to have meaningful useful careers,” said Mr Carey. He said the training modules would allow the participants “to understand why their work is important and why their work is going to have an impact on the future and sustainability in our country.” According to Yasmin Johnson, YEC project coordinator, each day additional applicants are hearing about the programme and headed to the office with applications to join. Though in its infancy Mrs Johnson too envisions the pathway to long and enriched careers for all of the participants. “We want and believe
the young people involved will walk away with meaningful skills and training in environmentally green and blue jobs with a keen focus on sustainability and conservation,” she said, “ in the hopes of them over three to four years of the programme becoming entrepreneurs and others integrated into the public service using skillset they learnt here.” Through the programme, the Forestry Unit is expected to receive 200 persons over the next five years while the Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority is expected to hire between 100 and 300 young persons while additional persons will be sent to The Bahamas National Trust to add to the complement of apprentices already there. Over the course of the next five years the YEC is expected to provide 1,200 new jobs.