Bahamian Politics
DNA: Airport Highlights Government’s Incompetence - Apr 17, 2014 - 2:54:19 PM
 Within weeks the government is likely to
have a soft-opening of the long overdue Leonard M Thompson International
Airport in Marsh Harbour, Abaco and Abaconians may at long last finally
begin enjoying the use of the facilities.
As is customary, and
possibly by the middle of the year or later, there may even be a grand
opening as governments like to do, complete with demonization of the
former administration for incompetence and applauding themselves as the
heroes who finally delivered the goods!...
Bahamian Politics
The African People’s Socialist Party-Bahamas Position Statement and ten demands on reparations - Apr 17, 2014 - 8:02:43 AM
 Nassau, The Bahamas - The African People’s
Socialist Party-Bahamas (APSP-Bahamas) requests that the National
Reparations Commission consider and adopt the following facts and
demands for its case against Europe for Reparations for the genocide of
the indigenous people and the enslavement and colonization of African
people in The Bahamas and the Caribbean.
The APSP-Bahamas
recognizes that the reparations issue has to be the property of the
masses if it is to be a significant political question...
Bahamian Politics
Bradley Roberts: Minnis must be man enough and apologize - Apr 17, 2014 - 4:30:43 AM
 Nassau, Bahamas -
A statement by Bradley B. Roberts
National Chairman,
Progressive Liberal
Party:
If Minnis believes the
hype and rhetoric of his own party, then he should take his party’s advice and
publicly apologize for his ill-conceived analogy just as his party called for
an apology from MP Leslie O Miller when Mr. Miller used an analogy to make a
larger political point that some found offensive. To use the tragedy of 239
innocent souls on Malaysian flight MH370 to grandstand and posture was
disgraceful, in poor taste and I call on Dr. Minis to publicly apologize for
that unfortunate analogy.
I submit that what is
good for the goose must be good for the gander; there cannot be double
standards and Dr. Minnis cannot have it both ways...
Bahamian Politics
DNA: The Bahamas - Still Paralyzed by Fear - Apr 16, 2014 - 12:12:07 PM
Over the past two
weeks, newspaper headlines have recounted horrific stories of violence,
murder and mayhem which have gripped communities here in New Providence
and on Grand Bahama Island; cementing crime and the fear of crime as one
of the country’s most pressing national issues. What these disturbing
newspaper articles also reveal though, is that this current
administration is clueless about how to make our paradise safer.
Many
Bahamians will recall the many promises made on the campaign trail.
Television commercials which boasted that the Progressive Liberal Party
(PLP) had the answer to the country’s rising crime concerns. In fact,
many Bahamians will also recall the placement of massive billboards
across...
Bahamian Politics
Roberts: Minnis dodges bogus FNM claims - Apr 10, 2014 - 11:50:30 PM
Having had his chance
to clear the air on the unfounded and bogus claims made by his deputy
leader and chairman, Dr. Minnis instead chose to further mislead the
Bahamian people in an interview with NB-12 that aired on Wednesday
night, 9 April 2014.
In the interview, Minnis denies that his
government approved the business plan that called for massive
displacement of Bahamian workers, but instead claimed that a clause in
the sales agreement with Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) gave
the government veto power to prevent employee redundancies at BTC.
Bahamian Politics
DNA: Cleaning up the City Dump - Mar 13, 2014 - 12:54:03 PM
For the past few days,
residents living near the local landfill have been subjected to toxic fumes and
heavy plumes of thick black smoke as a result of multiple long burning fires at
that site.
Unfortunately for
residents living in the area, this is nothing new. For years, successive
administrations have pledged to address the multitude of concerns that exist
surrounding the landfill. Instead, those promises have turned out to be nothing
more than political rhetoric, as residents continue to be exposed to what can
only be described as a toxic time bomb waiting to explode.
In its Charter for Governance,
this PLP administration bemoaned what it called a careless attitude in the
fight to safeguard the environment...
Bahamian Politics
"Grand Bahama: City of Broken Promises" - Mar 12, 2014 - 2:47:47 PM
Freeport,
Bahamas - The following are remarks made by Branville McCartney,
Leader, DNA Party at a Meeting in Grand Bahama on March 8th:
I always
enjoy coming too Grand Bahama. The air is clearer, the streets are clear, and
that clarity can do wonders for the soul.
I was
troubled earlier this week to hear of the death of a 25 year old man who is
suspected to have committed suicide, I’m told his name Delano Dorval. I did not
know the young man personally but I would like to extend my condolences to his
family and friends. His death is sad for many reasons. Firstly, the loss of one
life, is one life too many, but more importantly, the circumstances of his
passing speaks to the level of despair that Bahamians all across the country
now feel...
Bahamian Politics
DNA: Do Our Parliamentarians Condone Abuse Against Women? - Mar 7, 2014 - 7:56:58 AM
 Leslie Miller’s
recent comments from the floor of Parliament last week speak to an issue
that women in this country, and around the world, have faced for
decades. The idea that any sort of violence against women has become
laughable to the nation’s legislators is unfortunate, unacceptable but
sadly unsurprising. Gender based violence in the Bahamas is real. It is a
reality with which hundreds of women and girls face every day and
everywhere.
Sadly,
women who are being abused by their husbands or boyfriends continue to
remain silent living in fear of their abusers, many of whom are high
profile individuals not unlike Mr. Leslie Miller himself...
Bahamian Politics
Bahamas opposition leader's contribution to the budget debate - Feb 28, 2014 - 5:11:33 PM
Nassau, Bahamas -Enclosed is Opposition Leader, Hon. Dr. Hubert A. Minnis' Contribution to the
2013/2014 Mid Term Budget:
Mr. Speaker, I rise as Leader of Her
Majesty’s Loyal Opposition to make my contribution to the debate of the
Mid-Year Budget Statement.
I thank the good people of Killarney
whom I have the great honour of representing in this Honourable House
for the trust they have reposed in me and I thank the thousands of
supporters of me and my Party around this great Commonwealth..
Bahamian Politics
DNA: Public disclosure and the need for transparency - Feb 28, 2014 - 5:03:50 PM
The Christie administration’s push toward
tax reform and specifically the implementation of Value Added Tax (VAT)
has not only raised concerns about the country’s economic future but has
also opened a Pandora’s Box surrounding the issue of tax compliance.
For
months, the government has ignored calls from the Democratic National
Alliance (DNA) and others to focus on the issue of tax compliance rather
than forge ahead with plans to implement wholesale transformation of
our system of taxation, and now, recent media reports have revealed why.
Bahamian Politics
DNA: VAT is Unfair, Untimely, Unreasonable and Undesirable - Feb 24, 2014 - 1:01:28 AM
Prime Minister Christie in his Charter
for Governance 2012 convinced a majority of the Bahamian public that he
had all the answers and would solve most of the Bahamas’ ills within 100
days of taking office. This included: Gambling, Crime, Mortgage Reform,
Constitutional Reform and BTC majority takeover. There theme was
“Believe in Bahamians”. The results speak for themselves. Two downgrades
later this government under Mr. Christie can now say even as his
partner Mr. Ingraham has confessed: “I have failed.” What can Bahamians
expect from this ongoing VAT conversation? More failure! The Prime
Minister and Minister of Finance Perry Christie’s views have been at
best schizophrenic, inconsistent and tunneled vision on the issue of
VAT.
Bahamian Politics
Bradley Roberts: The PLP has a culture of tolerance - Feb 21, 2014 - 2:42:05 AM
Nobody should be surprised by the opinions expressed by
the Honourable Member for Marco City on the proposed Value Added Tax regime in
Parliament on Thursday, 21st February 2014. The Progressive Liberal
Party has a culture of tolerance for dissenting opinions.
Also, this is not unusual for members of Parliament on
our side as the party has had quite a few outspoken members on any number of
national issues. Some of the younger or new generation PLP leaders are trying
to find their way through the world of politics in an attempt to establish a
brand and some independence. They cannot be faulted for doing so - as a matter
of fact, the Prime Minister is so secure in who he is as a political leader
that...
Bahamian Politics
Branville McCartnery: Christie, Ingraham, & Co - Feb 17, 2014 - 7:31:20 PM
While our nation
suffers under the weight of the continued political leadership failures
of Mr. Ingraham and Mr. Christie; it is increasingly clear that today we
need new, strong leadership, unafraid to make the necessary changes
that can take our most precious resource (Bahamians) to the first world.
Mr. Christie’s defense of Mr. Ingraham, as partners in governance, is
critical to the cause of the failed state of our country under Christie,
Ingraham & Co. Mr. Christie has failed to keep any of his election
promises to the Bahamian people and is now reneging on plans to leave
office after two years. He has sold the Bahamian people a political
lemon. It is predicted that this failure by the partners to seek
competent successive leadership immediately will result in the implosion
of the PLP & FNM long before 2017.
Bahamian Politics
Bradley Roberts: The Good News Mid-Year Budget Statement - Feb 13, 2014 - 6:09:15 PM
On behalf of the Progressive Liberal Party, I am pleased to join my
colleagues in the government in lending my full support to this mid-year
budget statement and the efforts of the Minister of Finance and his
team at the Ministry to promote growth in our economy and increase
employment throughout the country. It is clear that the government is on
the right track. This budget statement is good news for the country and
we thank the government for its discipline, leadership and
resoluteness.
It is worth repeating, however, that this
government inherited a fiscal crisis by any objective measure where the
country’s recurrent revenue was under-performing by well over $200
million and capital expenditure exceeded the budgeted amount by more
than $200 million...
Bahamian Politics
Bradley Roberts: Butler–Turner lacks moral authority to open her mouth on Web Shops - Feb 12, 2014 - 7:40:17 PM
It is amazing how those whose houses are made of thin cheap glass could
find the unmitigated gall to throw stones. One such house of which I
speak is the FNM and the occupant is one Loretta Butler-Turner.
I
remind all and sundry that Butler-Turner sat around a Cabinet table and
approved an online gaming bill to legalize web shops as far back as
2010 - literally years before the referendum. Further, in a Cabinet
conclusion she and her colleagues conceded that the FNM government
legitimized web shops by accepting taxes and fees from them and that the
police lacked the resources to shut down such an operation.
News :
Bahamas Information Services Updates
Bahamas PM Christie Delivers Mid-Year Budget Communication - Feb 12, 2014 - 1:39:25 PM
 Nassau, Bahamas - The
Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie
delivered the Mid-Year Budget Communication today in the House of
Assembly. Mr. Christie’s presentation is below for review:
I want to open my
remarks on this occasion by focusing first on the economy and jobs, for
those are subjects that are very dear to our fellow Bahamians. Members
will be aware that, just last month at the Business Outlook Conference, I
shared my deep-seated optimism for our economic future, across the
various key sectors of the economy and the breadth and width of our
archipelago. As I laid out in detail in my speech that day, my
Government has worked tirelessly over the past eighteen months to
promote the further development and expansion of economic activity and
the attendant employment opportunities. As I will touch on shortly, the
economy is growing and unemployment is declining. We have clearly gotten
through the worst of the global crisis and the future looks very bright
indeed...
Bahamian Politics
Branville McCartney: A Colossal Waste of Time and Money - Feb 12, 2014 - 12:17:54 PM
In a recent statement
Mr. Christie basically admitted that he miss-handled the issue of the
“regularization” of web shops. He said he should have regulated the
industry rather than allow Bahamians to vote on the issue.
Moved
from its original date December 3rd, 2012 to January 28th, 2013, voters
overwhelmingly rejected the government’s offer to regulate and tax web
shop gaming with 50, 270 people voting against the “opinion poll” and
32,533 voting in favour of “regulating” the industry.
Recently,
Mr. Christie said he ought to have “moved immediately to regulate the
industry without going to a referendum and to articulate to the people
of the country that we were going to have enormous problems trying to
have an environment where web shop gaming is not regulated.”
Columns :
Letters to The Editor
Sharon Turner: Voting in a Democracy and the Seriousness of It - Feb 12, 2014 - 12:14:25 PM
 Dear Editor,
If
on Election Day the people vote a government out, but that government
refuses to leave - what does it make that government? If a union holds
legal elections and the union that loses refuses to leave office, what
does that make the defeated union? Think about this when paid public
spokespersons and members of the press seek to convince Bahamians that
their vote in last year's gaming poll is insignificant and does not need
to be respected by the government of the day. The critical issue with
respect to last year's gaming poll is not about numbers houses or
churches and religion - it is about what the will of the people in a
national poll held by the State means in a democracy, and how backwards
and defunct a "free" nation The Bahamas would prove itself to be if it
does not honor what that means.
Bahamian Politics
Branville McCartney: Failed Leadership Attempting to Keep Bahamas in Quagmire - Feb 11, 2014 - 12:02:06 PM
It’s sad that we hear
that our current Prime Minister says he will stay if his counterpart and
former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham return. This confirms that the
Prime Minister’s intention was to retire during this term or at the end
of this term. What does this say about politics in this country? How
does such a sad state of affairs reflect on us as a people?
Mr.
Ingraham had his time and Mr. Christie’s time is due and yet they
cannot release their grip on power. Why is this? You have to wonder!
Mr.
Ingraham repeatedly, time and again, said he would run for two terms
and two terms only! What happened? He completed a third and now wants a
fourth? Words from the past uttered, “no one woman can born a Prime
Minister”!
Bahamian Politics
Branville McCartney: The American Security Warning - Jan 29, 2014 - 3:48:51 PM
On Tuesday, 29th
January 2014 the U. S. Embassy in Nassau issued a warning to its
citizens residing in and traveling to the Bahamas to be aware of their
surroundings and remain on high alert to avoid being a victim of crime.
The warning stated that “armed robbery and violent crime remain major
threats facing U.S. citizens in the Bahamas…In the past eight months, a
number of U.S. citizens have fallen victim to armed robbery and two have
been murdered”.
This
warning was seen by millions of people around the world and indeed this
does not bode well for the Bahamas. It is destroying our number one
industry… tourism. This warning tells the world that we are an unsafe
country, point blank! Think about it, if you were to receive a warning
of this nature...
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