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VOLUME:115 No.25, DECEMBER 27TH, 2017

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

CULTURE CLASH: TIME TO ASK OURSELVES - WHAT DO WE TRULY BELIEVE IN?

Sarkis strikes with $2bn writ

CCA accused of massive fraud over Baha Mar

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net SARKIS Izmirlian yesterday launched a $2.25 billion damages claim against Baha Mar’s main contractor, accusing it of “one of the largest construction-based frauds in this hemisphere”.

The $4.2 billion project’s original developer, in a lawsuit filed in the New York State Supreme Court, alleged that China Construction America (CCA) and its subsidiaries

perpetrated a “massive” scheme of “cover up”, “deceit”, “outright sabotage” and lies to both conceal its failures and “extort more money than it earned”.

The action, filed in the name of Mr Izmirlian’s BML Properties vehicle, claims that the Chinese stateowned construction firm deliberately concealed its intention to use Baha Mar as “a massive training exercise” that ultimately doomed the project to failure.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

AUTHORITIES are still searching for the suspect responsible for the shooting death of a man early yesterday morning.

This murder brings the country’s homicide count for the year to 122, according to The Tribune’s records.

While police have yet to release his identity, this newspaper understands he is Alex Rahming also known as “Beetle”.

Police said: “Shortly before 1am, a man was attending a party at Commonwealth Boulevard, Elizabeth Estates, when he was approached by a man armed with a firearm who shot him before fleeing on foot.

“The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

No one else was injured in this incident.”

Investigations are ongoing, police said.

SEE PAGE 11

MEMORIES TIED TO LUCAYAN $65M DEAL

100 HELD IN TWO BOAT SEIZURES THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) apprehended more than 100 migrants in two separate exercises on Saturday and yesterday.

Most of the migrants were Haitians who were found aboard a sloop near Inagua on Saturday. According to the RBDF, HMBS Leon Smith, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Stephen

CHRISTMAS PARTYGOER SHOT DEAD

Rolle, was on patrol in the southern Bahamas when it intercepted, boarded and subsequently detained the vessel some 30 miles southwest of Great Inagua.

The vessel was sighted and reported to the RBDF’s Operations Command Centre by a US Coast Guard fixed wing asset which was also operating in the area.

SEE PAGE EIGHT A DANCER from the Valley Boys on Bay Street during the 2017 Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade last night. See more photographs on pages 2,3,4 and 5 inside. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

RAIN, WHAT RAIN?

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

GOVERNMENT officials yesterday lauded the “sold out” attendance of the 2017 Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade, as they expressed confidence that last night’s attendance

numbers far outweighed the controversy surrounding the parade’s postponement a day prior.

Various parliamentarians, including Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest, Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Michael Pintard, and Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis, all

praised the “wonderful attendance” of last night’s festivities, which were originally postponed due to projected inclement weather.

As noted by Junkanoo officials, senior police officers and based on The Tribune’s observations, the Boxing Day parade started SEE PAGE THREE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Minister Peter Turnquest yesterday described the signing of a letter of intent (LOI) between owners of the Grand Lucayan hotel strip in Grand Bahama and the Toronto-based Wynn Group a “significant move” for the island’s economy - while the Memories/Sunwing combination is top of the government’s list of potential Wynn partners, Tribune Business was told.

Sources close to the developments revealed that the Heads of agreement will be “conditioned” upon Wynn hiring recognised resort brands and operators.

These contacts, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was vital for these brands to have the necessary links and clout to attract sufficient airlift to Grand Bahama.

Mr Turnquest, meanwhile, said not only does the LOI bode well for jobs in Grand Bahama’s construction industry, but it will provide a boost for employment in hospitality once the deal is formalised.

“We have suffered since the hurricane with a tremendous number of job SEE PAGE FIVE

PAGE 2, Wednesday, December 27, 2017

SCENES from the 2017 Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade.

THE TRIBUNE

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, December 27, 2017, PAGE 3

ACTION from the 2017 Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade, above and below.

Rain, what rain? from page one on time at 6pm on Bay Street, though at that time the bleachers in Rawson Square and the surrounding areas were only moderately filled.

However, as the night wore on, more and more spectators filed into the downtown area, resulting the sections of Bay Street designated for usage by spectators eventually becoming packed to capacity.

“I was little afraid early, but if you look at the crowd now they’re here,” Mr Turnquest told The Tribune during an interview from his seat in Rawson Square.

“The fans are out, it’s a sold out parade, so we’re very happy with that. And I’m sure the Junkanooers would be ecstatic with the support they get from the crowd.

He added: “It’s always disappointing when you don’t come out on Boxing Day morning, but when you look at what’s happening tonight, I think it’s fantastic.”

The Boxing Day parade was expected to begin on Monday night at 10pm.

However, it was announced on Sunday that the parade would be postponed to Tuesday at 8pm due to weather concerns.

At the time, Parade Management Team chairman Anthen Mortimer said the date change was finalised subsequent to a vote by officials from all of the major Junkanoo groups, and following a meeting with officials from the Department of Meteorology.

It was later announced that the starting time for the parade would be moved up two hours to 6pm.

There was widespread criticism of the postponement subsequent to the announcement, and pointed criticism levied at the meteorologist who was said to have forecasted that “inclement weather” would negatively impact the event.

Last night, however, Mr Pintard stressed that although he personally preferred that the parade should start on the original date and time, the decision was made by those in the Junkanoo community, and thus ought to be respected.

And regarding the criticism of the senior meteorologist, Mr Pintard called on Bahamians to “discontinue” criticising “Bahamian professionals” without knowing all of the

facts and to “reserve our opinions until we know all of the details”.

“The Junkanoo leaders made a decision,” he said.

“While I would have preferred that the parade occur on Boxing Day, I respect their decision. Again, all of our stakeholders are important, not just the Junkanooers, however given the level of sacrifice that they continue to make, time, resources, you have to give weight to their decision. And so I respect their decision.

“We are mindful of the business community and the importance of us getting back to business on Wednesday morning, persons being able to go to work, etc, and we’re also mindful of the public. And so in order for Junkanoo to grow it has to be predictable in terms of the date. So it’s important that Junkanooers appreciate that when a date is set, it is useful to honour that date.

“But given the circumstances they believe that they were faced with, they voted on two occasions and the final occasion they called for an occasion. I’m not going to fight with the Junkanooers. I’m going to ask the Bahamian public to go ahead and enjoy this year’s parade. We will make the necessary adjustments going forward however.”

Mr Pintard also said the government has already made arrangements “in advance to return Bay Street into a position that is workable for the business community as well as persons going to work”.

“We have already met with the team from Environmental Health,” he said.

“They are poised to begin the cleanup immediately after the last group. So they are positioned in the Elizabeth area, they will come in at 2am, and as soon as the last group is out of the gate, they will commence the clean up.”

Notwithstanding the controversy surrounding the postponement, last night’s parade was rife with solid

entertainment and quality music from the various Junkanoo groups in both divisions seeking to portray their themes as best as possible.

In particular, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis could be seen shaking the cowbells while “rushing” with the Saxons Superstars.

The night was not without mishap, however.

Following the Valley Boys’ performance on Bay Street, there was a 45-minute to hour-long delay until the next group, the Fancy Dancers, took to Bay Street to perform.

The reason for the delay was first hinted at by Assistant Commissioner of Police Kendal Strachan, who told The Tribune that “any number of the groups” that were scheduled to start were not ready to do so at the appropriate time.

ACP Strachan also said while activities on Bay Street started promptly at 6pm, such was not the case on Shirley and Elizabeth Avenue, where he said more than 45 minutes elapsed “with no activities at that location”.

When questioned on the matter, Mr Mortimer explained that the delay was caused by Conquerors of Christ, who were not ready when called to the gate.

“Conquerors of Christ was not ready to come out in their official gate entry, so they were given a ten-point penalty,” he explained. “We went to the next group, which was Genesis, they were not ready to come out so they were given another ten-point penalty.

“Fancy Dancers was ready to come out but we had to give them an extra 20 minutes to get ready to get into the road. That’s what actually caused the delay.”

Still, when interviewed, Mr Davis said he was enjoying the “excitement and exhilaration” of last night’s festivities, and impressed at the turnout.

“Once there’s Junkanoo, Bahamians are going

to turn out,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of disappointment about the postponement... but I think at the end of the day again people are still now enjoying what’s going on.

“I think at the end of the day there’s has to be a post-mortem of what may have happened, may not have happened, and what informs the decision to postpone. And I think at an appropriate time that has to be addressed so that disappointments that seem to be attending to this event can

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis in action during the 2017 Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

PAGE 4, Wednesday, December 27, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

MUSICIANS and dancers on the streets for the 2017 Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

We didn’t want it to rain on our parade

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net JUNKANOO organisers last night defended their decision to postpone the event from its 10pm Christmas Day start when they knew feared adverse weather would no longer hit the event.

Silbert Ferguson, President of the Junkanoo Corporation New Providence, confirmed members of the organisation voted to delay even though the ‘all clear’ on the weather had been given by the Meteorology Department nearly 17 hours ahead of the planned start of the parade.

“It was nobody’s fault and the public needs to understand that,” he said yesterday, hours ahead of the delayed event. “The weathermen can only report what they see and the JCNP can only react to what the weathermen say.”

He also dispelled the notion that some Junkanoo groups were not ready to perform on the original date – Christmas Day at 10pm.

As news spread of the delayed parade on Sunday, social media was ablaze with criticisms directed at officials, mainly at Basil Dean, deputy director of the Department of Meteorology. He initially reported to Junkanoo officials that there were weather systems headed for the country bringing rain, which would affect the success of the parade. However, he later reported these conditions had cleared.

However, Mr Ferguson said despite this no one should be blamed for the decision to begin Junkanoo at 6pm yesterday.

He said this was the first time the JCNP had been faced with a situation like this one, adding that officials need to place the “onus” on themselves not to interfere with rules that are in place regardless of whether people are hurt by them.

Meanwhile, Youth Sports and Culture Minister Michael Pintard said he was not “entirely pleased” that the parade was delayed.

But given the circumstances and the sequence of events, he said he understood the issues.

“On Monday morning, I received a call at 5.15 and it was the met office calling to say that all of the weather systems had fallen away and we had clear weather through Boxing Day and New Year’s Day,” Mr Ferguson said.

“I first made a call to the minister to advise him and then we convened a meeting with the Junkanoo leaders at 10am Monday morning.

“Now based on what we had discussed and told the groups it was going to be, everybody got that message and so everybody did what they had to do.

Whether that meant that schedules were changed (or) people who were working had to change all of the people who had

PERFORMERS during the Boxing Day Junkanoo parade - including one dancing on a red carpet dressed as Michael Jackson.

to prepare food for this parade that had to change, we had to change.

“The junkanooers felt that moving it up to 20 hours instead of the 12, if we had told the public yesterday (Monday) that it wasn’t going to be no parade last night how you think they would have reacted? The same way.

And so we thought it was better to say it early than to say it late.”

He continued: “Well the ‘all clear’ sat well with the groups and this innuendo that the groups were not ready is nonsense. We have a date with them December 26 every year. Groups are always ready to go. They can’t complete what you see out here now in one day. So the groups were ready. It was just a matter of mobilisation and getting the groups back intact.

“What we saw happen

in the member groups was that some thought it was better if we go at 12.01 this morning (Tuesday) and some thought it would have been better if we go at 6pm today.

“All of the comments surrounding commerce on Bay Street have been discussed and taken into consideration and so our groups will start this parade at 6pm sharp today (Tuesday) and we anticipate that we will parade here until about 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning and make sure that Bay Street is free for commerce tomorrow morning,” he also said.

Asked whether any organisation or individual should be blamed for the delay, Mr Ferguson said it is no one’s fault.

“I mean it’s a lesson for all of us and perhaps we take a deeper look at how we look at the 12

hour window before the parade (rule) because if you second guess yourself, you’ll say we should have stayed with the 10 o’clock meeting for Monday morning rather than trying to be proactive, which I though the JCNP was being in pulling the time back to accommodate everybody and so that ended up being a decision that we probably have to revisit of whether we would interfere with the 12 hour rule.”

According to Mr Ferguson, the JCNP began tracking the weather from Monday, December 18. At this point he said a cold front and rain were predicted for Christmas and Boxing Day. “We had a 60 percent chance of water through the weekend into Christmas Day and Boxing Day and it was said that there

were only small spots of clear windows for the parade and it just wasn’t going to make it conducive for a parade. The earliest dry day that we saw associated with the weather patterns was going to be December 29. So there was a lot of information passing around that we will do the Boxing Day parade on January 1.

“Consequently we had a meeting on Thursday evening at the walkabout and we advised everybody that based on the preliminary reports of water in the forecast that we were going to convene a meeting on Saturday morning to start to plan the contingencies in the event that we had rain both Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. “We left that meeting on Thursday’s walkabout to come here Saturday morning to consider the

contingencies. In the contingencies, we planned that the first dry available time that we get, which would have been this coming weekend. We would have tried to put the parade on the 29th and then look at New Year’s Day parade probably on the third or on the fourth. We left with that in mind. We had a weather meeting planned for 6pm Saturday.

“When we got to the weather meeting on Saturday we had received earlier reports in the morning from the Met Office, which was emailed to the JCNP advising we had clear weather for the Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade and only a 10 percent chance of rain.

“Well when the weather people came from the Met Office, they told us that we had showers for both Christmas Day and for the Boxing Day parade but we had a 10 percent chance of rain during the parade and it seemed roughly for about six to eight hours.

We had rain that would have interrupted the mobilisation of the groups. If it is raining you can’t do that.

But it also said we would have rain showers at 6am this morning (Tuesday) so that would have dropped on the parade,” Mr Ferguson said.

Moving forward, he said the JCNP would move away from interfering with the rules.

“In the case of inclement weather, the rules speak to inclement weather forever.

If the winds are 20 knots and over we don’t go and if we have 20 per cent or more chance of rain we don’t go.

“Our job is once we visit what we are doing next year, we will just solidify our programme to make sure that those rules are tighter and I think we should put the onus on ourselves and not to interfere with the rules and leave them in place regardless if people get hurt by them.

“If the vendors had prepared all their food and the rain came down they would have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars and so trying to be proactive in trying to assist in that fashion and then we have clear weather, of course everybody is going to complain so we just have to take it as it comes.”

For his part, Mr Pintard said the government intends to bring to junkanooers several aspects of parading that need consideration.

The ministry is expected to hold a conclave in January and discussions will focus on whether or not there will be one or two parades next year. Officials will also look at either remaining on Bay Street or relocating the parade to a new venue and whether it will be in best interests to allow the Junkanoo community to shoulder both the expenses of the parade and receive the revenue, along with becoming the promoters of the parade.

These matters were already signalled to the Junkanoo community who have so far been receptive, Mr Pintard said.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, December 27, 2017, PAGE 5

MEMORIES TIED TO LUCAYAN $65M DEAL from page one

ACTION from the 2017 Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

losses,” the East Grand Bahama MP said yesterday. “So this announcement and getting the renovations started means immediate jobs in the construction sectors and in a few months jobs in the hospitality sector.

“There have been a number of restaurants that also suffered. So this all spells good news for the Grand Bahama economy and so we are really excited to get this started.”

On Friday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced that a LOI was signed.

In a statement, Dr Minnis said he hoped this step would lead to the full renovation and opening of the Our Lucayan strip in early 2018.

He also said the government received a mandate from the Bahamian people “to restore economic health and vitality to the economy of Grand Bahama.”

He added: “Over the past several months we have made positive steps to improve Grand Bahama’s economy. However, the island’s recovery will not be complete until the full opening and development of the Our Lucayan strip properties.

“While this process has taken longer than the government would have liked, significant progress has been made. I am therefore pleased to inform Grand Bahamians and the nation that today (Friday) my office has been informed that the owners of the hotel strip have signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Paul Wynn. This is a very important formal step toward the completion of the sale.

“The government will now enter the approval stage and enter formal discussions with Paul Wynn on a heads of agreement, which will detail the future

development of the hotel strip. We expect this process to be completed within the next month to two months.

“The government is very hopeful that this important formal step will lead to the full renovation, opening and redevelopment of the entire strip in early part of 2018, helping to bring much needed economic growth and jobs to Grand Bahama, which will also help to boost the national economy.”

The Grand Lucayan closed last October after Hurricane Matthew and deprived Grand Bahama of 59 per cent of its room inventory and at least 1,000 jobs.

Dr Minnis, in a national address earlier this year, said renovations at the Grand Lucayan would likely start in August - a deadline now long past.

The Minnis administration had also previously announced it would partnationalise the hotel by taking a temporary equity stake in its acquisition, in an effort to revive Grand Bahama.

While talks for this process took place, it did not materialise.

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PAGE 6, Wednesday, December 27, 2017

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

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Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

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Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

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

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In break with tradition, Trump doesn’t host a state dinner WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump couldn’t stop talking about the red carpets, military parades and fancy dinners that were lavished upon him during state visits on his recent tour of Asia. “Magnificent,” he declared at one point on the trip.

But Trump has yet to reciprocate, making him the first president in almost a century to close his first year in office without welcoming a visiting counterpart to the US with similar trappings.

Trump spoke dismissively of state dinners as a candidate, when he panned President Barack Obama’s decision to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping with a 2015 state visit. Such visits are an important diplomatic tool that includes a showy arrival ceremony and an elaborate dinner at the White House.

“I would not be throwing (Xi) a dinner,” Trump said at the time. “I would get him a McDonald’s hamburger and say we’ve got to get down to work.”

Last month, it was Xi’s turn to literally roll out the red carpet. The Chinese leader poured on the pageantry as he welcomed Trump to Beijing on what was billed as a “state visit, plus”. Trump also made state visits to South Korea and Vietnam.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said there is no “singular reason” why Trump hasn’t extended a state visit invitation yet, but added that the administration hopes to schedule a visit early in 2018. Sanders gave no hints about which of Trump’s foreign counterparts are being considered for the diplomatic honor.

A state visit typically is offered as a sign of friendship and to showcase strategic ties between countries that are important to each other, said Anita McBride, a veteran of three Republican administrations who last served as chief of staff to first lady Laura Bush.

“The White House is the world stage to elevate that,” she said. “These occasions really go a long way to solidify and strengthen relationships.”

Trump speaks often about his relationships with many of his foreign counterparts, including Xi. Trump and the Chinese leader met at Trump’s Florida estate in April, and Trump treated Xi to a full dinner — not the aforementioned burger — and what Trump described as “the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake”.

“President Xi was enjoying it,” the president reported.

Trump has also met at the White House, sometimes over lunch as well as abroad, with many of his foreign counterparts. He recently put the figure at more than 100.

But nothing compares to a state visit.

The White House portion of the visit begins with an elaborate arrival ceremony on the South Lawn, including the pomp of a military honor guard, a troop review and leader statements. The leaders meet privately in the Oval Office before they hold a joint news conference in the East Room or the Rose Garden.

The evening ends with the foreign leader as the guest of honor at a lavish state dinner attended by hundreds, including members of Congress, business leaders, celebrities, political donors and others.

The visiting leader also has lunch at the State Department, and sometimes will address a joint meeting of Congress.

Such visits are reserved for when the US wants to put on its “best face” for a particular leader and ally, said Peter Selfridge, who served as a liaison between the White House and visiting

foreign dignitaries as US chief of protocol from 2014 to January 2017.

“It’s a really important arrow in a president’s quiver when it comes to the diplomatic nicety side of his work,” Selfridge said.

And not just for American presidents.

Knowing Trump enjoys flattery, Xi pulled out all the stops to impress him on that November stop in Beijing.

The visit opened with an arrival ceremony considered lavish even by Chinese standards, with Trump and his wife, Melania greeted at the airport by Chinese and American dignitaries standing at attention, a band playing military music and scores of flag-waving children chanting “welcome”.

Trump was then whisked away for a private tour of the Forbidden City that included dinner. The meal was a first for a visiting foreign leader at Beijing’s historic imperial palace since the founding of modern China. Trump also raved about an outdoor opera performance.

The following morning brought another welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People featuring a military parade that Trump said was “magnificent”. He said “the world was watching” and claimed to have received telephone calls about it from around the world.

“Nothing you can see is so beautiful,” Trump said.

Xi also honored Trump at a state banquet that included video highlights from the Chinese leader’s visit to Florida, along with clips from Trump’s trip and the screening of a video of Trump’s granddaughter, Arabella, singing in Chinese.

McBride said Trump’s decision to not extend a state visit invitation could be partly because his first year was a chaotic one, dominated by staff upheaval and lengthy negotiations with Congress over health care and tax legislation. Separately, the first lady, who is responsible for planning a state dinner down to the smallest detail, didn’t officially relocate to the White House until June. A state visit is also a massive undertaking and Trump has been running the government with a bare-bones staff.

But Trump’s first state visitor will matter. “The other world leaders will pay attention to that,” McBride said.

Not since Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s has a president ended his first year in office without hosting a foreign leader for a state visit, according to the White House Historical Association.

Coolidge assumed office in 1923 after the sudden death of President Warren G Harding, and was elected to a full term in 1924. Coolidge didn’t hold a state dinner until October 1926 for Queen Marie of Romania, according to the White House association.

Every president since Coolidge has hosted at least one state visit their first year.

Lyndon Johnson held 12 in 1964, his first full year in office after President John F Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.

Barack Obama, Trump’s immediate predecessor, held just one in 2009 — and it was famously crashed by a celebrityseeking couple.

Earlier this year, Trump was the special guest of President Emmanuel Macron at France’s Bastille Day parade.

Trump has also accepted an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II for a state visit.

Sanders said she expects those details will be announced soon.

By Darlene Superville, Associated Press

Was change of subject deliberate?

EDITOR, The Tribune.

WAS it on purpose that Minister of State Legal Affairs raised the issue of Marital Rape?

In politics when things are going bad - raise a controversial issue and for certain Marital Rape is just that…the conversation

has changed from being excessively critical of the Minnis Government to this rape issue which is totally a non-issue.

In English - Creole French - Spanish or any language rape is understood. I don’t care what kind of relationship you are in, M-F; F-F-M-M, I

don’t care.

The forcing on a person the act of sexual intercourse against their will is rape.

Move on, Bahamas, there are far more important issues.

W THOMPSON Nassau, December 20, 2017.

A New Year wish EDITOR, The Tribune.

Dear Dr Minnis: THERE are many of us here in The Bahamas wondering why you haven’t taken any significant measures to eliminate what we see as the most ominous and obvious threat to our country in its’ relatively short history.

Frankly, the plague of the web shops far overshadows any other threat to our country, domestic or foreign.

Perhaps this current era, of the greatest transfer of wealth from the poorest to the richest has escaped your notice.

However, if you were to spend any amount of time on your Bahamian Family Islands you would gain an enlightened perspective, see the true effects, which would require you to act.

Personally, I believe that you already have this perspective, but are refusing to take a leadership role for other reasons. In Nassau, sometimes people become statistics, we don’t know them, so they become a number.

Here in the Family Islands, we know everyone. Everyone has a name, a family, children, parents, a job, or not, a drinking problem, or not, a gambling problem, or not.

Far too much money is leaving our small islands via the web shops, never to return.

The realities of this matter should require any decent, educated and socially oriented person to speak up loud and clear.

This is why I must speak out loudly and clearly to you Dr Minnis, and to all Bahamians. To quote one of my few heroes, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, “Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent on things that matter.” This is all the more pertinent when living in a democracy.

Think about what Dr King is saying. Speaking up is not an option. And, not just speaking some words. You must speak from the heart, about things that matter.

The web shops are killing our country, Dr Minnis.

The webs shops are killing our country.

I cannot fathom why, you of all people cannot see this, and not do all you can to stop this cancer.

Let me be clear, Dr Minnis, the web shops have put in jeopardy our banking system, they have placed an enormous strain on our social services, they have handicapped our legitimate economy, and they have

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net helped push many people who were productive citizens into a life of crime.

They have crippled opportunities for students, have further eroded our work ethic, and spread the dangerous ignorance of simple mathematics.

I am willing to discuss, or debate you on any of these issues Dr Minnis.

The true tragedy, is that it is solely within our power to change this situation overnight. Imagine this, the opportunity to cease our most destructive national enterprise overnight.

And yet, we do absolutely nothing.

Dr Minnis, with all due respect, here is what I would say, if I were you, to the Bahamian people: “My fellow Bahamians, in all fairness, you spoke to this issue of the web shops a few short years ago. There is little doubt as to what you said. Therefore, I must take this office that you have placed me in seriously, for the sole purpose of making this a better place for all Bahamians. Effective tomorrow, all web shops in The Bahamas will be closed down. Forever.

That’s it. As a doctor, I must look at the whole patient.

Our country. is my patient. When I see the situation in this way, through these eyes, I must act to eliminate all of those things which threaten the healthfulness of the patient. I must think about the future. The majority of you are with me, as the referendum showed clearly.

However, the web shops have placed their tentacles firmly into the arteries of our body. Recently I asked your understanding if I have turned east when I first said I was going west.

But, I think we can both agree that turning downward, into the grips of hell was not ever an option.

Therefore, the web shops must be closed down. I have a spiritual adviser who suggested I come to terms with what will be the immediate repercussions of what I see as a necessary action.

This is what my adviser suggested I say to the web shop owners. “Look, Sebas, Craig, you others. You guys have made more money than most every Bahamian who has ever lived could ever dream of. This is a fact.

And, you did it by producing almost nothing of value for our country. So, you should be thankful that the

game has lasted this long.

However, I have decided that enough is enough. I am doctor. Yes, I know not all doctors are smart. And, not all smart people are doctors. But, medical school does require some brains. I think it is apparent to all of us now that these web shops are killing our country. The jobs they produce are only a fraction of the jobs that would be there if those millions were still circulating in the real economy. The arguments against the web shops are many. And, they are correct. They are on the right side of history. That is why the people said “no” in the referendum.

Are you guys that greedy, that unpatriotic, that unChristian that you would help impoverish this nation for even more money than you have now? Do we have no decency? No shame?

Yes, your buildings are beautiful. But where did that money come from Craig? Be honest. You’ve made a killing. I’m not saying you’re not a nice guy.

How long have we known each other? It is nothing personal. I have to look out for the good of our nation.

The game is over.

There is nothing you can’t do in life with your money, Sebas, If you must leave, so be it. The Bahamas has treated you very, very well.”

Dr Minnis, many of us are asking you, again, as your imaginary spiritual adviser has done, to do the right thing.

Be decisive. Do not wait for another study. Do not take the time and money for another referendum.

Do not start a national lottery yet. Just shut down the web shops now. You have the political capital to do so.

You have the moral obligation to do so. You have the civic responsibility to do so.

I can see few other moves you could make as Prime Minister that would be as welcomed by the international financial community, our own legitimate businesses, the rating agencies, foreign banks, your own churches and our children’s future in The Bahamas.

Dr Minnis, As my New Years Wish, I am asking you to shut down all of the web shops in The Bahamas in early 2018.

As an open letter, people of The Bahamas, I am asking us to come together over this issue, and to begin the much needed healing process.

PORCUPINE Nassau, December 19, 2017.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, December 27, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Culmer says Cooper downplaying importance of credit rating decision

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net  FREE National Movement (FNM) Chairman Carl Culmer has accused Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Deputy Leader Chester Cooper of “downplaying� Standard & Poor’s (S&P) latest decision to uphold the country’s sovereign credit rating.

Last week, Mr Cooper challenged the Minnis administration to take a more proactive role when courting investment opportunities and cautioned the government over celebrating S&P’s latest analysis.

Responding to these remarks, Mr Culmer pinpointed credit rating downgrades under the Christie administration, adding during this time the former government painted a picture that everything

was fine while the economy “spiralled into oblivion�. “Here are the facts,� said Mr Culmer. “Under five years of disastrous PLP rule, we suffered a series of credit rating downgrades – year after year. Yet, during this time, the PLP’s official position was that everything was fine and no one should pay attention or worry about the repeated downgrades as our economy spiralled into oblivion. “But now, after Prime Minister Minnis and the FNM has charted a new economic course and we are starting to see the very beginnings of those positive changes, the woeful PLP’s deputy leader is attempting to downplay the significance of S&P’s latest decision. The facts are that S&P recognised the FNM government’s early efforts and did not issue another

DAVIS: DISCUSSION NEEDED ON MARITAL RAPE LAWS By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION Leader Philip “Brave� Davis yesterday said while an “open and frank discussion� needs to be had in the country about marital rape, no “right thinking Bahamian� will accept that an individual should be “violated� or “abused� in “any form or fashion�.

Mr Davis, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 2017 Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade, said while marital rape is a “complicated issue� that has “cultural, legal and religious overtones� associated with it, the country has to “have a complete and

honest discussion on that subject.â€? “I think we all accept‌ I know no right thinking Bahamian will accept that a person should be violated or in any form or fashion be abused,â€? he said. “And once you accept that principle, then we move from there and work to decide how we arrive at the context of what is attempted to be achieved.â€?

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has said he has no personal views on marital rape, adding the people will decide which direction the government takes.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Carl Bethel has said the government is currently making no moves to outlaw spousal rape.

HUNT FOR TWO AFTER KFC RAID POLICE are looking for two gunmen who attempted to rob KFC at the Mall at Marathon on Thursday night. According to a police report, shortly after 8pm on Thursday two gunmen entered the fast food restaurant, held an employee at bay and attempted to rob the place of cash before fleeing on foot into a nearby subdivision.

Still prhotgraphs from the restaurant’s surveillance footage were widely circulated on social media.

One image showed what appeared to be a group of customers huddled on the floor while a masked man

in a hooded jacket is seen in another image. Police are also asking the public to come forward with any information about two armed robberies which occurred on Christmas Day. In the first incident, shortly after 9pm, a man was on the Eastern Road when he was robbed of his red 2013 Honda Civic and other items by two men armed with firearms.

In the second incident, shortly before 10pm a woman had just pulled up to her residence on Bradley Street in Sunset Park when she was approached by two armed men who robbed her of her blue Honda Fit.

LONGLEY SWORN IN AS APPEAL PRESIDENT FORMER Chief Justice Sir Hartman Longley was sworn in as president of the Court of Appeal during a ceremony at Government House on Friday.

Senior Supreme Court Justice Stephen Isaacs was also sworn in as acting chief justice at the same event. “I never dreamt that my career would take the course that it has led to this day,�

Sir Hartman told reporters. “And so I am extremely grateful to the Bahamian people and the government of the Bahamas for vesting the confidence in me at this

stage of my career to lead one of the most important institutions of this country.�

He said his first duty is to ensure the hearing of cases are expedited. Acting Chief Justice Isaacs also spoke of the need to reduce the case backlog in the courts. “We have to institute mechanisms to bring it (the case backlog) down. That is a constant effort as the president of the Court of Appeal has said, time to disposition of judgements, disposal of criminal cases is usually the key to reducing the backlog,� Justice Isaacs said.

downgrade, which sadly Bahamians were forced to become all too familiar with under the disastrous PLP regime. “And as much as the PLP would deny it, it is also a fact that the S&P’s decision serves as a sign to investors that The Bahamas is on the rebound. The world watches what the large credit rating agencies say and this is a clear indication that change is coming to The Bahamas where we will work towards economic growth and stability and not participate in recklessness and stagnation that marked the previous five years.�

He said this decision affects more than The Bahamas’ image globally, but most importantly affects the lives of Bahamians.

Mr Culmer continued: “It means that we pay less interest when we must borrow money to fund

government obligations.

It means that investors are more likely to want to invest in our economy, which leads to higher wages and long term job security for Bahamians. “It is said that the facts are a stubborn thing, but to the PLP, who have made a living out of lying to the Bahamian people, the facts are difficult things that cast a shadow on their disastrous and woeful leadership when they controlled the country. The fact is this new FNM government is delivering on its promises to take the hard steps to turn our country around and people everywhere are recognising that change is coming.�

In his statement issued last week, Mr Cooper, the Exuma and Ragged Island MP, simply acknowledged the viability of Baha Mar and its contribution to the economy, adding due to

the openings of the Grand Hyatt and the SLS - and the Rosewood to come - analysts and investors are more optimistic on The Bahamas’ prospects.

Mr Cooper said: “Ensuring the success of this project is critical to the Bahamas and the government should keep a keen eye and a helpful hand waiting with regard to the continued health of Baha Mar. “It is hoped that the government is receptive to S&P’s advice and analysis on the need to focus on economic growth.�

Mr Cooper said so far over the course of its term in office, the government has appointed a committee on the ease of doing business.

However, he said it remains critical for that committee’s approach to be a comprehensive

one inclusive of small and medium-sized local businesses.

In an interview with Tribune Business recently, Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest confirmed S&P’s decision was due in part to the agency’s desire to see the Minnis administration deliver on its economic revival and fiscal consolidation plans before returning The Bahamas’ creditworthiness to “investment grade�.

The agency also held the country’s “stable� longterm outlook due to the government’s “solid mandate to facilitate economic and debt stabilisation.�

S&P also warned it could further slash The Bahamas’ credit rating over “the next one to two years� if the government’s finances “do not improve as quickly as expected�.

100 HELD IN TWO BOAT SEIZURES

THE RBDF boarding team apprehending 87 Haitian migrants off Great Inagua on Saturday, December 23. Photo: USCG from page one The vessel which originated from ĂŽle de la Tortue, Haiti, had a total of 87 migrants - 72 males, 12 females and three children - on board.

On Tuesday morning, 14 foreign nationals from five countries were apprehended for illegal entry into the Bahamas by members of the RBDF’s

Harbour Patrol Unit.

While on routine patrol after 5am, HMBS P-40 spotted a 36-ft Sun Dancer Cabin Cruiser named “Code Blue� near Montagu Beach. After conducting a routine boarding and search of the vessel, it was discovered that the 14 individuals on board did not possess the necessary documents to enter the country.

The vessel and its crew were

subsequently taken into custody.

The foreigners, consisting of nine Ecuadorians, one Colombian, one Dominican, one Jamaican and one American were later handed over to police and immigration officials for further investigation.

The RBDF said it has been involved in the apprehension of 1,200 migrants, mostly Haitian nationals, for the year.

ONE DEAD, THREE HURT IN ROAD CRASH

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

LESS than 24 hours after the Road Traffic Department issued a safety plea to motorists, police found themselves on the scene of another traffic fatality in the capital.

December has been a particularly deadly month for motorists. Six people were killed in traffic accidents during the first weekend of December alone. From December 8-11 two more youths died in traffic accidents.

The latest incident took place shortly before 1am on Friday off West Bay Street.

Police said they received reports of a fatal accident on New Providence Highway, between West Bay Street and JFK Drive.

When officers arrived on the scene they met an unresponsive adult male inside a grey Honda Accord with three passengers.

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Emergency Medical Services personnel were called to the scene and the driver was pronounced dead.

The three passengers were taken to hospital to be treated for their injuries.

According to police, preliminary reports indicate the victim was driving on New Providence Highway when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a concrete wall.

Officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force Traffic Division are investigating.

Last Thursday, Minister of Transport and Local Government Frankie Campbell urged motorists and pedestrians to practice road safety during the holiday period, reminding the public to adhere to the speed limit and wear seat belts.

Mr Campbell said: “As the minister, I am not satisfied with the fatality count of this year. And I’m not even sure what

it is. I’m not concerned about numbers. I’m satisfied that any one person that dies, a number of persons hurt. “And then there is the side of the accidents that we don’t see — the persons who don’t die, but have lifelong disabilities which result in a poor quality of life for them and the persons who have to care for them. “And so we want to spread the message, more particularly at this time, but not just for this time of the year, throughout the year. We want everyone to know that they have a role to play.�

He added: “Pedestrians in particular, we’d be surprised to know how many accidents are actually caused by pedestrians who would just dart across the street without looking, and then drivers have to attempt to take evasive action and maybe hit someone or something that

had nothing to do with the incident. “If everyone plays their role, if everyone stays in their lane, if everyone observes the speed limits, observe the traffic signals, I believe we’ll have not just a safe Christmas, but we’d have a safe year, that is as accident-free as possible. So that is my hope as we end this year and go into the New Year.�

His remarks echoed those of Senior Assistant of Commissioner Police Stephen Dean, who noted earlier in December that speed is a “common trend� in traffic fatalities.

In July, Mr Campbell said that it is “vital� that the government “continue to focus on road safety.�

He also encouraged people to avoid texting while driving, which he said is “far too prevalent� and the possibility exists for the introduction of legislation against texting while driving sometime in the future.

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THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, December 27, 2017, PAGE 9

Fishermen wary of wind industry US EAST Coast fishermen are turning a wary eye toward an emerging upstart: the offshore wind industry.

In New Bedford, Massachusetts, the onetime whaling capital made famous in Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”, fishermen dread the possibility of navigating a forest of turbines as they make their way to the fishing grounds that have made it the nation’s most lucrative fishing port for 17 years running.

The state envisions hundreds of wind turbines spinning off the city’s shores in about a decade, enough to power more than one million homes.

“You ever see a radar picture of a wind farm? It’s just one big blob, basically,” said Eric Hansen, 56, a New Bedford scallop boat owner whose family has been in the business for generations. “Transit through it will be next to impossible, especially in heavy wind and fog.”

Off New York’s Long Island,

an organisation representing East Coast scallopers has sued the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to try to halt a proposal for a nearly 200-turbine wind farm. Commercial fishermen in Maryland’s Ocean City and North Carolina’s Outer Banks have also sounded the alarm about losing access to fishing grounds.

Supporters of offshore wind say they have learned from Europe’s long experience with it. They also point to the more recent opening of America’s lone offshore wind farm, off Rhode Island, as evidence the actual impact to US fishermen will be less than feared.

“We want to do this the right way, and I believe we have a path to do that,” said Matthew Morrissey, a vice president at Deepwater Wind, the Rhode Island company that opened that five-turbine operation off Block Island last December and is proposing larger farms elsewhere along the East Coast.

In New Bedford, where the state has already built a $113m heavyduty terminal to take on turbine construction and shipment, city officials envision commercial fishing and offshore wind working hand in hand to revive a region that has long lagged behind nearby Boston.

“There’s a lot more in common between these industries than pulling them apart,” said Edward Anthes-Washburn, executive director of New Bedford’s port, citing the potential for wind farms to provide fishermen with extra work and to contribute to port investments, like a new shipyard.

For fishermen, the broader concern is offshore wind farms will only lead to more stifling restrictions.

“Fishermen are losing ground one a nibble at a time,” said Joseph Gilbert, a Stonington, Connecticut fisherman who owns boats that range from Virginia to Maine.

“Eventually, it adds up to a very large piece of the pie.”

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which oversees wind farm developments in federal waters, has taken steps to address fishermen’s concerns, among them excluding specific habitats off Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York from wind farm development, said spokesman Stephen Boutwell.

It has also invested in studies looking specifically at questions raised by fishermen, from the effects of pile-driving during wind farm construction to the effect of electromagnetic fields on fish behaviour, he said.

Deepwater Wind, meanwhile, said preliminary findings from environmental studies of its Block Island wind farm suggest fish and lobster populations are “just as strong” as before construction.

The company says it has compensated over a dozen fishermen who temporarily lost access to their fishing grounds during construction.

NEW YORK CLAMPDOWN ON ELECTRIC BICYCLES

CHEAP, electric bicycles have made life a lot easier for New York City’s legions of restaurant delivery workers, but the party may be over in the New Year.

City officials are promising a crackdown on e-bikes, which may be loved by environmentalists and the largely poor, immigrant workforce that relies on them, but are loathed by many drivers and pedestrians who think they are a menace.

Under city law, the bikes are legal to own and sell, but riding them on the street can lead to a fine of up to $500. Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio announced this fall that starting in 2018, businesses that have employees use the bikes are also subject to a fine of $100 for a first offence and $200 for each subsequent offence.

“Electric bikes are illegal to operate on city streets and those at the top of the food chain need to be held accountable,” city spokesman Austin Finan said. “Instead of merely targeting riders, we’re going after businesses that look the other way and leave their workers to shoulder the fine.”

That policy will

undoubtedly prove popular with many New Yorkers who have complained the bikes, which look and handle just like regular bicycles but can reach speeds of 20 mph or more, are often operated recklessly. Lots of people have stories about close calls where they stepped out into the street, only to nearly be hit by a quickmoving bike they couldn’t hear coming.

But it will be bad news for deliverymen like Clemente Martinez, who spends up to 12 hours a day in the saddle, often in lousy weather.

“It’s not fair because people like me do depend on them,” said Martinez through a translator. The 44-year-old from Puebla, Mexico, came to the United States almost 15 years ago and has been working as a delivery person almost all that time, buying his electric bicycle almost three years ago. “We’re using this as something that lets us work and support our families.”

Advocates for alternate forms of transportation say the crackdown also doesn’t make sense from an environmental or safety perspective.

ASTRONAUT Bruce McCandless during a spacewalk on his Challenger flight.

Photo: NASA

SPACEWALK PIONEER McCANDLESS DIES, AGED 80 NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless, the first person to fly freely and untethered in space, has died. He was 80.

He was famously photographed in 1984 flying with a hefty spacewalker’s jetpack, alone in the cosmic blackness above a blue Earth. He traveled more than 300 feet away from the space shuttle Challenger during the spacewalk.

“The iconic photo of Bruce soaring effortlessly in space has inspired generations of Americans to believe that there is no limit to the human potential,” Sen John McCain said in a statement. The Arizona Republican and McCandless

were classmates at the US Naval Academy.

NASA’s Johnson Space Center said on Friday that McCandless died on Thursday in California. No cause of death was given.

McCandless said he wasn’t nervous about the historic spacewalk.

“I was grossly overtrained. I was just anxious to get out there and fly. I felt very comfortable... It got so cold my teeth were chattering and I was shivering, but that was a very minor thing,” he told the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colorado, in 2006.

During that flight, McCandless and fellow astronaut Robert L

Stewart pioneered the use of NASA’s backpack device that allowed astronauts walking in space to propel themselves from the shuttle.

Stewart became the second person to fly untethered two hours after McCandless.

“I’d been told of the quiet vacuum you experience in space, but with three radio links saying, “How’s your oxygen holding out?” ‘‘Stay away from the engines!” ‘‘When’s my turn?” it wasn’t that peaceful,’ McCandless wrote in 2015.

But he added: “It was a wonderful feeling, a mix of personal elation and professional pride: it had taken many years to get to that point.”

NEW INSTRUMENT TO HELP THE SEARCH FOR EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL LIFE WHILE the opinions of experts on the likelihood of extra-terrestrial life (and our ability to find it) don’t exactly align, the search for evidence of past and present life on other planets remains an integral part of the NASA Planetary Exploration Programme.

Recently, the agency, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii, had constructed a new instrument, called Standoff Ultra-Compact Raman (SUCR), claimed to be one of the most advanced Raman spectrometers ever devised – hopefully a step forward in developing even more

sophisticated technology akin to tricorders depicted in the science fiction show Star Trek.

“It overcomes some of the key limitations of traditional micro Raman instruments and is designed to serve as an ideal instrument for future missions that use rovers or landers to explore the surface of Mars or Jupiter’s icy Europa moon,” said M Nurul Abedin of the NASA Langley Research Centre tasked with leading the project.

Micro Raman spectroscopy is based on laser technology capable of providing detailed information

on the chemical make-up of a sample, making it useful for detecting certain organic compounds, such as amino acids, found in living organisms, as well as minerals formed via biochemical processes on Earth.

In a paper, recently published in the journal Applied Optics, the research team claims the new instrument is the first to perform micro Raman analysis on samples at a distance of 10 centimetres with 17.3-micron resolution.

The instrument is not only faster (and significantly so) than other devices reliant on the same

technique, but also more compact, indicating its use for real-time biomedical and food analyses which do not require sending a sample off to a lab. The method is already being explored for detecting skin cancer without taking a biopsy.

Apart from the reduction in size, lighter weight, faster turnout speed (mapping an area with SUCR would take minutes instead of days compared with current systems) and no requirement for sampling, the instrument is also superior in terms of its capacity for conducting analysis in broad daylight.

TECHTALK THE transmitter attached to a great white shark being tracked on Twitter has fallen silent.

The research group Ocearch says the transmitter on the shark known as Mary Lee has not sent a signal since June 17, when she was swimming off the New Jersey coast.

Founding chairman Chris Fischer and his crew caught and tagged the 16-foot shark off Massachusetts in 2012.

Since then, thousands of people have followed Mary Lee on a Twitter page managed by Ocearch.

Fischer said the transmitter’s batteries simply may have died, partly because Mary Lee surfaced frequently, which triggered more signals. Fischer said he expected Mary Lee to live another 20 years.

An Ocearch vessel will depart Jacksonville University next month to search for additional sharks to tag.

THE former National Security Agency contractor who exposed US government surveillance programs by disclosing classified material in 2013 has a new job: app developer.

Edward Snowden in a video message Friday unveiled a new phone app he helped create, called Haven, that aims to protect laptops from physical tampering.

Snowden says it’s an opensource tool designed for human rights activists and other people at risk and it uses an Android phone’s sensors to detect changes in a room.

The software was developed with the Freedom of Press Foundation and the Guardian Project. It has been greeted with mixed social media reactions, with some people celebrating its security capabilities and others saying they don’t trust Snowden.

Snowden has lived in Russia since 2013, when the country gave him asylum, resisting U.S. pressure to extradite him.

A TEAM of college students is receiving attention from internet companies and the US Congress after developing a browser extension which alerts users to fake and biased news stories and helps guide them to more balanced coverage.

The plug-in, “Open Mind”, was developed earlier this month during a 36-hour problem-solving competition known as a hackathon at Yale University. The winning team was comprised of four students: Michael Lopez-Brau and Stefan Uddenberg, both doctoral students in Yale’s psychology department; Alex Cui, an undergraduate who studies machine learning at the California Institute of Technology; and Jeff An, who studies computer science at the University of Waterloo and business at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario. That team competed against others to win a challenge from Yale’s Poynter Fellowship in Journalism, which asked students to find a way to counter fake news.

The team’s software, designed as an extension for Google’s Chrome browser, will display a warning screen when someone enters a site known to disseminate fake news.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, December 27, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Time to ask ourselves - what do we truly believe in?

A

T this time of year, before looking forward and making plans for a better, more productive and successful year, it is wise to review the previous 12 months.

This year has been particularly interesting given it was an election year and constitutional amendments we saw a record number to meet their goals.

We may now have less of independent candidates, several political parties and party loyalty than ever a landslide victory for the before. We also have four Free National Movement. years to make this clear to The May 2017 change of current Members of Paradministration filled some liament and prospective with hope while satisfying candidates in the 2022 genothers that the Progres- eral election. The FNM is still on its sive Liberal high horse, Party was the PLP is rejected with- ‘It is not good still licking out question enough to use and left with hashtags and link to its wounds, the DNA four seats in articles about Jean has disapParliament.

Some of us Rony when you pay peared along with all other were con- migrant workers parties and cerned about independent what the below minimum candidates imbalance in wage and complain for the Parliament about their children are, most part, would mean back to their for the coun- attending the same regularly try. Now it school as yours. scheduled seems more Are you all in, or programmes. are beginning Who is still to understand not in at all?’ doing the our line of work they thinking.

It had been said before, claimed was of the utmost but this year’s general importance to them? Who election was a clear dem- has kept the promises they onstration and evidence made a few months ago? of the inadequacy of the How are they living their two-party system and our mandates and how are they election practices. We are not? Who have we allowed now at a point where we to use us for our numbers want to be able to choose and power, all for their own our Members of Parliament gain?

This is the time to assess without endorsing the party leader. We want to be able parties and candidates to vote for an independ- — outside of the election ent candidate and still help season. This is also the choose the Prime Minister. time to get clear and be We want to be able to par- clear about what we need ticipate in advance polls as a country. Starting now as needed, to vote from would give us a significant abroad when The Baha- advantage. We could spend mas is still our home, know the next few years holding our constituencies and par- the FNM accountable and ticipate in an organised, making demands of the administration and calling drama-free process.

We need to know can- on the Opposition to stand didate and party positions with us while creating our on critical issues like taxa- own agenda for 2022.

We often think of ourtion, immigration, gender equality and the death selves as a nation in its penalty. We need to know infancy, but we have how much political parties significant talent, skill, intelare prepared to acquiesce ligence and expertise in The to non-essential entities Bahamas and the diaspora like the Bahamas Christian to bring collective vision to Council and whether or not fruition. It requires an exerthey will extend the same cise of national reflection, courtesy to other religious visioning and communitydriven action. We know we groups.

We need evidence of have the numbers; we need their willingness to enter to understand how that discussions with advocacy translates to power and use groups and organisations it with vigour and certainty.

Before we can mobilise representing underserved communities. We need ourselves, get buy-in from to know their plans for other community memgovernance; not just a bers and carry out our bulleted to-do list, but own agenda, we need to comprehensive plans that be honest with ourselves. speak to execution, nec- What do we truly believe essary partnerships and in, without reservation? requisite processes, policy How do we identify, as indichanges, legislation and viduals and how do we see

ourselves fitting into the whole? In what areas are we likely to discriminate, or excuse discrimination by others?

If you believe women should have the right to vote, but not to say no to sex within marriage, you need to ask yourself some questions about the way you view women and their rights.

If you believe murder is wrong, but the death penalty is an appropriate punishment, you need to ask yourself some questions about your views on the value of human life, rights versus wrong, and, if relevant, which segments of religious text are more important, relevant, or correct than others.

We talk about thin lines all the time, and we need to know where ours are, and why. Only then can we ask the most critical questions of current and prospective representatives and determine whether or not they deserve

MEMBERS of the Minnis Cabinet - but has our political landscape changed in more ways than one this year? our support and will appro- married women have bodily priate reflect our views on autonomy. the national, regional, and It is not good enough to international stages. use hashtags and link to In holding government articles about Jean Rony administrations to account, when you pay migrant we sometimes forget or workers below minimum wilfully shirk our personal wage and complain about responsibilities as citizens their children attending the of The Bahamas. It is not same school as yours. Are good enough to realise you all in, or not in at all? there is poor representation As 2017 comes to a close of women in Parliament and we stare down the start after the election results of 2018, perhaps we should when the winning party take some time to study only put forward four the Bahamas Christian women — the least of the Council. What other group major parties. has been able to penetrate It is not good enough successive government to rebuke the Minister of administrations? Who has Social Services and Urban been able to pause, halt, or Development’s stance on force more than the BCC? marital rape while tithing This group infringes on the in a church whose lead- rights of Bahamian people, ership does not believe but because of its name

and membership, it is able to scare political parties and leadership into acting in its interests which are seldom the interests of its membership.

The BCC has recognised its power, and it is not afraid to use it. It is not worried about offending anyone outside of its constituency. It is single-minded in its approach and action.

It is unmoved by our calls for it to respond to issues like incest, child abuse and domestic violence, continuing on its path to preserve what it deems to be Christian institutions like marriage.

Perhaps what is needed is for the rest of us to be as dogged, unrelenting and consistent in our advocacy. We need to refuse to be moved or silenced. We need to be unapologetic in our exercise of full citizenship and in the fight for the expansion of the rights of all human beings living, visiting, studying and working here.

Maybe we can figure out how to do it before the first day of a new year. Again, we have four years to make our voices heard and presence felt, marching together to a common loftier goal (not to be confused with individual goals on one march).

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, December 27, 2017, PAGE 11

OLDEST CHURCH IS HIT BY BLAZE

CHRISTMAS PARTYGOER SHOT DEAD BY GUNMAN

POLICE are investigating the cause of a fire which damaged portions of St Matthew’s Anglican Church on Shirley Street.

Two fire trucks were dispatched to the church on Saturday night after it was discovered the church was ablaze.

According to reports, the fire damaged portions of the church’s belfry and a stained-glass window.

However, there was no major damage and a church service was held at the historic building on Sunday. It is unclear what caused the fire.

St Matthew’s is the oldest church building in The Bahamas, opening for service in July 1802.

from page one The last murder recorded in the country according to this newspaper’s records happened nearly two weeks ago on Wednesday, December 13.

During this incident a 41-year-old man, identified as Deon McHardy, was shot multiple times outside his business.

The shooting took place shortly after 2am off East Street and brought the country’s murder count to 121 for the year.

Police said they received a call that several gunshots were discharged in the area of Saxon Way and McCullough Corner.

When officers arrived on the scene, in the area of Central Food Store, they discovered the body of a male suffering from several gunshot wounds.

Emergency Medical Services personnel were called to the scene and pronounced the man dead.

According to reports, the victim was shot multiple times while at the rear of his establishment, Air Brush City, and ran to the area of the food store where he collapsed and died.

The Tribune understands the man was shot three times, once to the back of the head, and twice in the back.

FIREFIGHTERS damping down the blaze at St Matthew’s Church.

UNION WARNING OVER ALLEGATIONS AGAINST WSC STAFF

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE union representing workers at the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) has threatened to commence a “withdrawal of enthusiasm” if the corporation does not drop its alleged intent to dismiss three union employees over allegations they stole a fire hydrant from WSC premises.

Bahamas Utilities Services and Allied Workers Union (BUSAWU) President Dwayne Woods, during a press conference on Friday, said the union will leave “no stone unturned” in its bid to resolve what he said the union contends is a “very contentious and vexatious” issue.

Similarly, Mr Woods called on WSC’s executives to “step in and resolve” these matters by December 28, when the union is scheduled to meet with WSC on the matter.

If not, Mr Woods said what was initially a “warning shot across the bow” will mature into the union utilising its “greatest weapon” to ensure those

embattled workers keep their jobs.

He delivered this message to WSC customers: “We’d like to apologise to you for any inconvenience that may be caused during this season.”

During a press conference in front of the corporation’s headquarters on Friday, Mr Woods claimed WSC has accused three of the union’s members of stealing a fire hydrant from the corporation’s premises, and they are subsequently fpegged for dismissal.

Mr Woods also provided the press with a copy of an investigative report by the corporation’s Internal Control & Compliance Department (ICC), which claimed that three employees, “acting together, removed a corporation asset (fire hydrant) off the premises without having the proper authorisation and therefore committed theft in the process”.

According to the report, on November 22, the ICC initially learned of an alleged theft of a WSC fire hydrant from an executive that was reported by an anonymous individual.

The alleged incident

was said to have occurred on Sunday, November 19 involving four WSC employees, one of whom is an “operational intern,” who had been authorised to clean up the corporation’s stores stockyard.

A woman subsequently visited the location where the anonymous individual stated the hydrant was placed.

She confirmed that a fire hydrant was at the location, however, it was reportedly removed “before arrangements could be made to retrieve the hydrant.”

The report ultimately found that three of the four accused, acting together, committed a “major breach” according to Article 24.04 of the union’s industrial agreement. The ICC said it did not review any evidence the operational intern was involved in the alleged incident.

Launching the union’s counterclaims however, Mr Woods provided the press with a copy of a WSC “goods returned note,” which he said purports to show that on November 29, ten days after the alleged theft occurred, WSC management requested one of

the three accused employees to return one “fire hydrant-dry barrel” to the corporation’s inventory.

“Now they need to explain where that one come from,” Mr Woods said, referring to the one fire hydrant requested to be returned.

Mr Woods also said the report notes that on November 20, a store manager “confirmed and counted” 18 fire hydrants in the stockyard. It was also confirmed on that same date, 18 fire hydrants were available in the inventory system.

Mr Woods said the union is “baffled” as to why WSC is attempting to dismiss three of its members “on a matter of trust when nothing is missing.”

He called for the corporation to allow the union’s members to work in “harmony and in peace” during the Christmas holidays.

“One of our members has been off for some 20 days pending investigation with pay and he’s just recently returned to work — just yesterday (Thursday),” Mr Woods added. “We’re saying well thank God he’s been returned to work.

But they’re threatening the

fact that he along with two others will be dismissed.

And the union is saying that is a no, no, that is a creature we will not allow back into this organisation at any time. “...Again I contend that the corporation have to do what they got to do, and the union got to do what they got to do. But please I beg the corporation not to push the union to that state.”

National Congress of Trade Unions Bahamas (NCTUB) President Bernard Evans, present at the press conference, voiced his support of the BUSAWU’s efforts.

“We are here to support (Mr Woods) 100 per cent and to let the stakeholders know they’re not dealing with one union alone, you’re dealing with the entire union movement. “...We hope that they would find the good sense to bring closure to this before the 28th of December, because I certainly need my water on. I’m not saying they’re going to turn the water off, but we don’t need this kind of foolishness going on in the country at this stage.”

Last week, The Tribune reported police have been

called in to review files of the internal investigation at WSC, which began as a theft probe but has since turned up other “sensitive matters”.

WSC Chairman Adrian Gibson told reporters at the time he made the decision to file a formal complaint with police after consultation with Works Minister Desmond Bannister.

At the time, Mr Gibson said five people have been sent on leave since investigations began; however, he said three of those had since returned to work.

When asked by reporters about theft, the Long Island MP said there was an alleged theft of items and when asked the value, he said in the “thousands of dollars.”

He added that there were several “offshoots” that were of grave concern.

On Friday, Mr Woods said to the best of his knowledge, the matter the union is contesting has been turned over to police.

“I was told this matter was turned over to the police, but up to now I haven’t seen one, and my members haven’t seen one,” he said.

PAGE 12, Wednesday, December 27, 2017

THE TRIBUNE