Bahamian Politics
McCartney: The Deal is Still Sealed
By Branville McCartney, Leader, Democratic National Alliance (DNA)
Nov 23, 2016 - 4:17:47 PM

Today marks eight days since the Democratic National Alliance has called upon this PLP Government to come clean before the Bahamian people about its secret deal on Baha Mar, and their attempt to sell the resort to a company with deep rooted connections to organized crime.

One would have thought that with their election pledge of being a Government of transparency and accountability that the Bahamian people would have had the courtesy of a response. Instead, we have been met with a Great Wall of silence. This is not indicative of a Government that believes in democracy and the rule of law. This my friends, is the action of a totalitarian, communist style administration that is clearly not interested in governing for you, the Bahamian people.

We repeat again for the benefit of the Prime Minister; the Bahamian people deserve to know, exactly who is being brought into this country in the name of Foreign Direct Investment, and this PLP administration has a duty to inform the public as to the track record of this firm, and their past relationships.

I have said it before, and I will say it again, under a DNA government, there is no way that Baha Mar would be sold to any Chinese company, let alone the Cheng family and their Chow Tai Fook holding company. The public record is clear on their connections to organized crime with the triads, and we challenge this administration to say otherwise!

The real question before the Bahamian people is this, either our Government was too incompetent to find out who these people were before they began negotiating with them, or they knew exactly who they were and continued anyway. Either way, the result is the same, we cannot trust this PLP administration to handle the affairs of this country any longer. They have been bought, hook, line and sinker by the Chinese.

Just this month, a report was made to the United States Congress on the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Amongst the many damming conclusions of this report is that through “state-owned enterprises” SOEs, such as the Export-Import Bank of China, “Beijing is able to direct both private and public firms to promote state goals.”

The report to Congress continued, “In China’s state capitalist system, government ownership is not the sole measure of Beijing’s economic influence. Beijing has fostered a unique ecosystem whereby the government is at the center of the economy, with state control extended through an array of measures, including financial support, political connections, and extralegal control to SOEs and private enterprises alike. As such, all Chinese companies’ economic activity—not just the activity of state-owned firms—is conducted in support of the state’s goals and policies. This is particularly true for Chinese firms operating in strategic sectors.”

The report also highlighted that Chinese companies are increasingly acquiring foreign companies in strategic sectors to earn government subsidies and other incentives.
That last part should frighten Bahamians to the core. Chinese companies are actively acquiring foreign companies (Baha Mar) in strategic sectors (Tourism), to earn Government subsidies and other incentives (concessions).

We remind the Bahamian people, that this Government has yet to reveal what concessions they have granted or offered to the Chinese to remobilize construction at that resort! What has this administration given away to the Chinese to mobilize that project right before the next general election?

The only party this Government should be engaging on Baha Mar is its original developer, Sarkis Izmirlian, who has made a public offer higher than any other offer on the table and has proven to be a good investor to the Bahamas. But, it speaks volumes now why our Government is not even entertaining the man. It is clear as day that Beijing is already pulling the strings of this Government!

Look at that they have already, the Pointe, the Hilton, downtown redevelopment, Baha Mar, you name it! They want Andros, our fishing industry, our farming industry, the port in Grand Bahama. As we issue this statement, they are in Abaco today! They want economic control over this country so they can manipulate our Government to bend to their will. If they gain Baha Mar, they will own our Tourism industry –the lifeblood of this country- outright. That will give them more hotel rooms than Atlantis, and with the nod from Beijing, they could bring our economy to its knees.

And if you don’t believe us, the Government has already admitted it themselves via their own Minister of Agriculture. You would recall, he warned that they had the power to bring the entire country down if we offended them. The Nassau Guardian called it the “beggars mindset”, and we agree.

The DNA is therefore putting this Government on notice, from the Chinese deal in Andros, to their deals on Baha Mar, when the DNA comes to office in 2017, we will cancel all deals entered by this Government that does not promote and protect the best interest of the Bahamian people.

We will launch a Commission of Inquiry into Baha Mar with the view to investigate and if necessary prosecute those politicians that have done our country wrong for their own benefit.

The Bahamian people are tired of the corruption, and they are tired of these politicians who are not governing in the best interest of the people.

Branville McCartney
DNA Leader

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