From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
This week in the Bahamas Commentary by Elcott Coleby: Sept 14- 18
By Elcott Coleby
Sep 20, 2015 - 9:33:09 AM
Christie to offer again for leader at PLP’s November convention
All
speculations in the print and electronic media, social media, around
the cooler and in the barber shops came to an end on Wednesday when
Prime Minister Christie announced his intent to offer once again for
leader of the governing Progressive Liberal Party during its 41st
National Convention scheduled for the first week of November at the
Melia Resort. He made the announcement at a Town Hall Meeting in North Andros on Thursday.
Referring
to the large crowd on hand, the Prime Minister told the crowd that the
media should have been there to see the crowd and suggested that
speculations surrounding his leadership were “foolishness” designed to
distract his government.
“The radio stations say people tired of Christie. He should have been here
tonight
with you all. We have no time to be distracted by foolishness” said
Christie. He said he would go in as leader and come out of convention as
leader.
It is now clear that the Prime Minister will lead the governing Progressive Liberal Party into the 2017general elections.
A crowd of about 300 people showed up at the North Andros High School for the town hall meeting.
Delaware court dismisses Baha Mar Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition
Leaving
only the offshore call center, Northshore Mainland Services, with a
legitimate case in the jurisdiction of the United States, Delaware
bankruptcy court judge Kevin Carey dismissed the Chapter 11 petition
filed by the remaining fourteen Bahamian incorporated companies that
make up Baha Mar. He handed down the judgment at
noon on Tuesday, 15th September.
In
his ruling judge Carey opined that a continuation of the Chapter 11
proceedings in Delaware was unlikely to bring the parties back to the
negotiating table in the short term. He added that that the Baha Mar
creditors had “a legitimate expectation” that any solvency proceedings
involving the project would take place in The Bahamas legal
jurisdiction. This ruling was consistent with that of Bahamas Supreme
Court Justice Ian Winder.
Bahamas Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie welcomed the news which his government had sought through the courts.
“The
Government welcomes the decision today of the Delaware Bankruptcy Court
to dismiss the Chapter 11 proceedings against the Bahamian Baha Mar
entities. In so doing, the Bankruptcy Court agreed that the future of
the Baha Mar resort should be determined in the proceedings in the
Supreme Court of The Bahamas, in which Justice Winder has appointed
provisional liquidators” said the Prime Minister.
He reiterated the primary objective of his government.
“The
Government’s primary objective is and has always been to see the Resort
completed, opened and operating as soon as possible. The Delaware
Bankruptcy Court’s decision advances that objective and recognizes that
the interests of the Bahamian Baha Mar entities and their creditors will
be best served by the Bahamian proceedings and by negotiations”
continued Mr. Christie.
The
Prime Minister again invited all parties to join it in “cooperating
with the provisional liquidators to bring about a prompt resolution of
this matter in the interests of the Bahamian people.”
In its response, Baha Mar expressed disappointment with the ruling and said that the company is weighing its legal options.
The
Provisional Liquidators issued a statement essentially saying that the
ruling does not affect their Supreme Court mandate to craft the way
forward for Baha Mar.
The
opposition FNM said that only “time will tell” if the decision to
appoint Provisional Liquidators was the right one and the governing PLP
hailed the decision as a “major victory for the Bahamian people.”
Police concludes BEC bribery investigation
Some
nine months after the US Department of Justice reported that French
energy giant Alstom SA agreed in a plea bargain to pay $772 million to
settle bribery allegations involving several foreign governments, the
local investigation into possible bribery of a BEC board member was
concluded by the police and turned over to the office of the Attorney
General.
The settlement was announced on 22nd December 2014.
At
the beginning of the investigation, Bahamas Attorney General Senator
Allyson Maynard-Gibson pointed out that the investigation by the US
State Department took many years before it secured a conviction. She
also noted that the naming of a Bahamian official in court documents
does not translate into automatic prosecution in The Bahamas as due
process must be afforded the accused.
The Attorney General believes her team is nearing the completion of this due process
and once again called on the public to allow the government to do its job in concluding this issue.
“We are at the end of the road” said Maynard-Gibson.
“Allow
please the prosecutors, the excellent professionals, to do their jobs. I
want to reassure the public that we take this matter very seriously.”
This week in Parliament
Following is a short summary of the House proceedings on Wednesday, 16th September 2015.
In
the wake of the Delaware bankruptcy court ruling by Judge Kevin Carey,
dismissing the bankruptcy petition by fourteen Bahamian incorporated
companies that make up Baha Mar, Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry G.
Christie responded a second time in as many days, this time updating
House members on the government’s policy position regarding the way
forward for the stalled $3.5 billion resort on Cable Beach.
“The
government is pleased that the bankruptcy court in Delaware shares the
government’s view that the future of the Baha Mar resort should be
determined not in or by a court in Delaware, but rather here in The
Bahamas by our own Supreme Court, especially now that the court here has
appointed a Provisional Liquidator” said Mr. Christie.
The Health Minister Dr. Perry Gomez
communicated to the House on the list of activities to commemorate the
combined Caribbean Wellness Day (CWD) and Caribbean Wellness Week (CWW)
and delivered an update on the government’s current preparatory work for
the introduction of National Health Insurance (NHI) in January 2016.
Extension of hours at poly clinics in preparation for NHI is as follows:
Agape Health Clinic – hours extended to
8pm
Elizabeth Estates Health Clinic – open from
8am to midnight as at the 5th October
Fleming Street Health Clinic – open from
8am to midnight at the 28th September
South Beach Health Clinic – open from
8am to midnight as at the 28th September
Flamingo Gardens Health Clinic – open from
8am to midnight at the 28th September
Eight Mile Rock Clinic – hours extended to 9PM
Rand Memorial General Hospital Practice Clinic – hours allocated from
4pm to
11pm
Minister
Gomez also advised the House of his ministry’s intent to officially
open two new health clinics in September – one in Adelaide and the other
in Fox Hill.
State Minister for Legal Affairs the Hon. Damian Gomez
led the second reading and committal of the Antiterrorism Amendment
Bill 2015 pursuant to chapter 107 of the Statute Laws of The Bahamas.
This bill is intended to further aid in the combating, prevention and
suppression of the financing of terrorism. Its passage into law
effectively completes the fulfillment of the Bahamas’ international
obligations under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267
and 1373 on terrorism and the anti money laundering and anti-terrorism
initiatives of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The Bill was unanimously passed in Parliament on Wednesday, 16th September 2015.
The Senate also met
on Wednesday to debate the suite of Intellectual Properties Bill. This suite of bills was unanimously passed in the Senate.
Nine Bahamian prisoners pardoned by Cuban government
On the occasion of the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Cuba during September 19 -
22,
the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba agreed to the release of
3522 prisoners. Nine Bahamians were among that number released on
humanitarian grounds.
While
the identities and the nature of the crimes committed by the nine men
were not released, the Bahamas Foreign Ministry indicated the category
of crimes that did not qualify for consideration under the pardon
agreement.
“With
few exceptions for humanitarian reasons” said the statement, “this did
not include persons sanctioned for the crimes of: Murder, Homicide,
Rape, Pederasty with Violence, Corruption of Minors, Theft and Illegal
Slaughter of Cattle, Drug Trafficking, Robbery with Violence and
Intimidation against persons in their aggravated forms, nor those crimes
committed against the security of the State.”
The men flew to Nassau from Cuba on Wednesday of this week.
The
Bahamas government thanked the government of Cuba for what it called
“this gesture of goodwill that stands as a symbol of our good and
cordial relations” and Bahamas Ambassador to the Vatican, HE Sean
McWeeny conveyed the country’s appreciation to his Holiness the Pope.
Co-chairs of Urban Renewal meet with the PAC
The
co-chairs of the Urban Renewal Commission, Algernon Allen and Cynthia
Pratt, met before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) at the House of
Assembly on Thursday, 17th September.
Commenting
on his findings from the interviews, the chairman of the PAC, the Hon.
Hubert Chipman, characterized the program as “disjointed” and
“interesting,” stating that Urban Renewal offices in Grand Bahama,
Eleuthera and Cat Island do not report to Nassau, the Urban Renewal
Foundation sits outside of Urban Renewal and expressed surprise that the
co-chairs have very little fiduciary responsibility for Urban Renewal.
“A
lot of things pass through Urban Renewal, the co-chairs have no
responsibility for Grand Bahama, Cat Island or Eleuthera – their
authority only goes up to $10,000. What we found very interesting was
the Foundation sits outside Urban Renewal, even though they raise funds
in the name of Urban Renewal Foundation” said chairman Chipman.
Speaking
with the media, co-chair Allen said that “from the perspective of the
commission, as co-chairs that all monies spent by us in seeking to
further the objectives, the aims of Urban Renewal, were spent
appropriately.”
For
clarity on the administration of funds allocated to Urban Renewal -
since this is just a government program and not a corporate sole - the
funds are managed and administered by the statute Chief Accounting
Officer in the Ministry which is the Permanent Secretary. The law
governing the expenditure of public funds is clear under the Financial
Administration and Audit Act.
Department of Corrections gets donation from US Embassy for K-9 Unit
To
strengthen its security protocol and its K-9 Unit, especially in
detecting smuggled contraband into the correctional facility, the US
Embassy donated a vehicle and gear to assist the Department of
Corrections to assist in its crime fight.
The short handover ceremony took place at the Department of Corrections on Thursday, 17th September.
Director
of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the US
Embassy, Kristin Gilmore, believed the donation to be a testament to the
strong relations that exist between the United States and The Bahamas
and that the gear is necessary for training purposes as the department
prepares for worst case scenarios.
Receiving
the vehicle and gear was Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr.
Bernard Nottage who thanked the embassy and underscored the increasing
importance of K-9 Units in the fight against crime.
“Dogs
are an increasingly more important part of our security and the prison
has been a leader in this really and in fact now that we are introducing
a K-9 Unit to the customs department, the prison is seeking to help to
train them and prepare them for this job.
“At
our airports, at our docks, at our marinas we are satisfied that from
time to time there is contraband coming in and what we are most
concerned about is the drugs, the guns and the ammunition” said the
Minister.
In passing…
Cuban Ambassador HE Ernesto Soberon Guzman paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of the House
on Wednesday
morning before the House convened. HE Guzman was returning home after a
four-year tour of duty that he described as being like home because of
the many cultural similarities. House Speaker, the Hon. Kendal Major
presented Mr. Guzman with a book authored by the late Dr. Myles Munroe
as a gift.
Under
the direction of the inimitable Cleophas Adderly, the Bahamas National
Youth Choir celebrated 25 years of developing, promoting and exporting
Bahamian art and culture. They held a concert in the foyer of the
Central Bank of The Bahamas on the occasion of the Official Opening of
their 25th Anniversary art exhibition at the Central Bank of
The Bahamas. In attendance were the Youth, Sports and Culture Minister
Hon. Dr. Daniel Johnson and the Governor General of The Bahamas, Her
Excellency Dame Marguerite Pindling. The art exhibition opened on the 17th September.
Our latest class of legal professionals from the Eugene Dupuch Law School will participate in graduation exercises
on Saturday evening at
6pm at the Melia Resort on Cable Beach. Congratulations guys.
Safety
and Security staff at the Lynden Pindling International Airport
received their certificates on Friday, 18 September upon the completion
of an intensive two week course in x-ray screening techniques and
quality control conducted by the United States’ Transportation and
Security Administration (TSA). The closing ceremony was held at the JL
Building on Blake Road.
“I
see myself running for political office in 2017” said Public Service
Union boss John Pinder. He said that whichever party he joins must adopt
the “firm and feasible” national plan he is currently drafting.
As
the Ministry of Tourism continues its efforts to strengthen its
co-branding and sports tourism initiative, twenty-four Miami Heat
dancers are in town this week for photo shoots and to provide invaluable
exposure for and promotion of The Bahamas. This is part of the
five-year promotional agreement the Heat signed with the Ministry of
Tourism in 2013.
The
training and preparation for the launch of National Health Insurance
continued this week with a workshop for health professionals at the St.
Joseph’s Parish Community Center
on Thursday.
One of the principal focuses was the discharge process. A baseline
study conducted at each of the country’s public health facility revealed
that patients felt the discharge process was too long, especially the
form and patients wanted for information about their health status. Dr.
Philipe said that the solution was an integrated health care system
inclusive of Discharge Plan Portfolio forms where patients can be
tracked in real time whether they were in of the hospitals or at any of
the satellite health clinics.
A
retirement reception was held on Wednesday, September 16, for Basil
Rahming, retired Deputy Controller of the Road Traffic Department and
former Senior Police Officer. The event was held in the Conference Room
of the Administrator's Office. Mr. Rahming was recognized and thanked
for his contribution to not only the traffic department, but the Grand
Bahama Road Safety Committee as well.
With the recent graduation of 200 young persons from the National Training Agency on Wednesday, 17th
September at Holy Trinity Community Center, the total number of
graduates from the jobs readiness and skills training program now stands
at 2,000. The programs offered are endorsed by the reputed City and
Guilds of the United Kingdom. Delivering the keynote address to the
fourth cohort was Labour and National Insurance Minister the Hon. D.
Shane Gibson who delivered this direct and simple charge: “I can assure
you that if you continue to work hard, you will continue to be
successful. Hard work is the key to success.” Well said Minister.
Paul
Vahldiek and the Deep Water Cay Holdings Limited donated to the Royal
Bahamas Police Force an 18' Marquesa Police Patrol Boat on September 17
to assist in providing 24-hour policing at the eastern end of the
island. The Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville
accepted the gift on behalf of the Minister of National Security, the
Hon. Dr. Bernard Nottage and Commissioner of Police, Ellison Greenslade,
who could not attend. The ceremony took place at the East End Police
Station.
About the author: Elcott Coleby is a Deputy Director at the
Bahamas Information Services. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in
Chemistry (B.Sc) and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA). He provides
frequent commentary on public policy and communicates the works of the
government. Address all comments to the following email:
egcoleby44@gmail.com
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