Compiled, edited and constructed by Al Dillette   Updated every Sunday at 2 p.m.

Volume 1 © Al Dillette

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This site is being edited and compiled from Curaçao, an island in what is called the Dutch Antilles. This tourist island is the site of the Caribbean Island Swimming Championships (CISC) where my daughter Alana is part of The Bahamas swim team. We have always tried to keep her and all the children engaged in some sort of sport or extracurricular activity in the hope and expectation that by keeping them fully engaged they will grow up more rounded and directed citizens of their country. They have all done well in their chosen activity, and we are down here to observe her in the sport of swimming.

Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell has gone to Georgetown, Guyana for the annual Heads of Government conference of Caribbean leaders. He is accompanying the Prime Minister Perry Christie at the meeting. This is the first time that Mr. Christie is appearing at the meeting and he was welcomed by his fellow Prime Ministers.

His opening address was well received by the delegates. He was described by Edwin Carrington, the Secretary General of Caricom as the "newest kid on the block". But what wowed the delegates was the fact that Mr. Christie put so succinctly what is at the heart of the Caricom issue: what is the relevance of the organization to the lives of the people of the region. While the organization has ambitious political and economic goals, most people agree that the people of their countries are not actually engaged in Caricom as relevant to their daily lives. Mr. Christie said that he could not advance the idea of Caricom any further in The Bahamas until there had been the fullest consultations with the Bahamian people. We comment below on the Caribbean Single Market Economy and on the Caribbean Court of Justice, and we have a journalist who contributes a few comments from Georgetown.

In the photo of the week, The Tribune showed in a picture by Felipé Major the parade of young men charged with the murder of Mario Miller, son of the Minister of Trade and Industry. We report on the story below.

Meanwhile at home: Cynthia 'Mother' Pratt is the Acting Prime Minister and she presided over her first Cabinet meeting. And the Commissioner of Police announced that crime is on the rise. We report on it all below. (ad)
 

Number of hits for the week ending 6th July at midnight: 34,177.  Number of hits for the month to 6th July at midnight: 47,715.  Number of hits for the year to 6th July midnight: 1,109,047.

A RIOT IN GEORGETOWN, GUYANA
    Jerome Sawyer, a reporter now of Island FM, happened to be on his way to the hotel to catch up with the Bahamian delegation when he saw the commotion. On Wednesday 3rd July there were a group of marchers led by Opposition figures in Guyana who were headed to the capital. They were Africans as Black people are called in Guyana. The march was peaceful until it reached the city. Then a breakaway group forced its way into the President's office and started according to the police to trash the office. Shots were fired by the police and two people ended up dead. Fires were set in the town. There were also sporadic reports of Indians being robbed and attacked on the streets.

The Government of Guyana that was in the midst of a conference of Caribbean Leaders that was dealing with governance and democracy had nothing official to say. But there were dark suggestions from them that violence would break Guyana apart. Caricom itself failed to intervene but for a weak communiqué condemning the violence but no engagement with the Opposition. Instead Caricom leaders, loving it seems the sound of their own voices, in a most inefficient manner engaged in an idle exercise about a Single Market Economy when some of them don't have the cash to pay their public servants. This was quite incredible in a situation where security was advising the Bahamian Prime Minister and the heads of delegations that they could not go out of the hotel for fear of safety.

Guyana is a cauldron of difficulties - economic, political and cultural. The political divide is Africans on the one hand who are in the minority and Indians who are in the majority. By sleight of hand and outright cheating the Africans were able to run the country under Forbes Burnham who is regarded as the architect of modern Guyana but who single handedly wrecked the country's economy. Mr. Burnham with the help of British Intelligence and the U.S. CIA was able to displace the Indian majority in 1964 and following that engaged in every corrupt practice to keep himself in power.

For Mr. Burnham's megalomania, Guyana is today a basket case. He is not highly regarded by today's Guyanese. With free and fair elections in 2001, following a Caricom brokered peace pact over disputed elections in 1994, the now President Jarrat Bagdeo (an Indian) won. Desmond Hoyte, Mr. Burnham's successor as Leader of the Africans, does not accept the results and there has been sporadic rioting and disorder ever since. The idea say the Indians is to scare Indians into thinking that the country is not safe. And it is working to some extent with Indians migrating and a lack of investment in Guyana combining to make the situation more difficult.

Some suggest that the Blacks run a psyche on the Indians who are afraid of violence being wrought against them; that the younger Indians are getting tired of it and will strike back. Indeed it is important to note the report that it was Indian guards who shot the protestors to death. The capital Georgetown is a charming city of wooden buildings on stilts with canals and a well built wall by the Dutch who settled the place before the English took over. V. S. Naipaul, the cranky Trinidadian writer, when he visited this place in the 1950s was charmed by it. All who come still are. It is a great pity that politics may destroy it. Indians and Blacks must get along and make this society work (cb)

MEN CHARGED IN MARIO MILLER MURDER
   Five men were charged in Magistrates Court in Nassau on Monday 1st July with the murder of Mario Miller. The matter seems to have been drug related.
   In addition to being charged with murder, Lamar Lee, alias Ricardo Miller 26 of North Andros, Ryan Wells, alias Pretty Boy, 21 of Rolle Avenue, and Anwar Seymour of Cunningham Close were charged with abetment to murder and conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs. Demarco McKenzie, 22, of Stapledon Gardens and Rian Miller, 22, of Primrose Street, face charges of abetment to murder and conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs. Lee, Wells and Seymour are charged with the murder and McKenzie and Miller with aiding and abetting.
   Darryl Bartlett, son of prosecutor Albertha Bartlett and her former husband Darryl Bartlett, was charged with being concerned with the other five in a conspiracy to possess an unknown quantity of cocaine with intent to supply. He was also pictured on his way to court. Mr. Bartlett is the grandson of former Commissioner of Police Gerald Bartlett. He was granted bail. The others await trial in Fox Hill. Typically one waits two to three years before a trail. Wells and Lee are said to have cried bitterly as they were jeered by the crowd on the way to court.

PM'S ADDRESS AT CARICOM
    Perry Christie was a hit at Caricom. He gave his maiden address at the conference of leaders of the Caribbean. He got an opportunity to meet with Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide. Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell is to follow up with a meeting in Haiti. The principal concern of Mr. Christie is that a line in the sand must be drawn with regard to the inflow of Haitian refugees

. You may click here for the Prime Minister's address.

 
 

CHARGING YOUNG MEN, THE SAME OLD STORY
This society should want to know what is wrong with the young men in the country and how we are going to solve the problem of mindless violence as a way to resolve conflicts. Yet again six young men have been charged with murder and drug charges. No one pronounces on their ultimate guilt or innocence but it sends shivers down the spines of every parent in the country raised in the 1960s who now have children of that age. They must each be asking the question, what went wrong?

In many cases, these parents did not like the strict regime under which they themselves were raised by parents who came to their maturity in the 1950s. The result was that when they raised their children in the 1970s and 1980s, they were more permissive. Children suddenly had democratic and participatory rights in the family. They also got pretty much what they wanted as the level of wealth increased in society. And so the amateur sociologist and psychologist in us says that this has bred a steady disrespect for authority, and an inability to control their anger and the inability to delay gratification.

How we are going to fix these problems is quite another problem. Clearly we are not going to be locking everyone up in jail. Cleary this pathology will not work itself out in the murder of an individual but it has implications across the spectrum of the Bahamas for productivity and reliability in the work place and the forward movement of society.

The emphasis must now be put on the young boys who are in primary school today, if we are to get a shot at reversing this situation. Otherwise, think of what we who were raised in the 1960s and came to our maturity in the 1970s face. We face a situation where the children we raised are disengaged from us, they haven't the spiritual connection to us and in our old age we may well face being an abandoned generation as the ones we raised go headlong into instant gratification without any thought of any moral commitment to help their older parents who gave them everything they wanted. .

FRED MITCHELL ON U.S. AMBASSADOR
   Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell has commented on the United States Ambassador and the number of interventions that he has been making about Bahamian society. He made his comments just before his departure from Nassau for the Heads of Government meeting in Georgetown, Guyana. He spoke in response to a question by Jerome Sawyer.

Minister Mitchell said: "Over the last few weeks since the Government has been in office, Bahamian citizens have expressed to me as Minister and through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs an increasing level of discomfort about the number of public interventions made by the Ambassador of the United States in The Bahamas. I have tried to indicate to the citizens of The Bahamas that we are a free country and we have no wish or desire to limit, nor would we want to stop him from going where he wishes to go in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and we also assume that he speaks for his country. However we cannot fail to take note of the level of discomfort that many Bahamians have expressed that some form of pressure is being put directly on the Bahamian people and on our institutions."

Mr. Mitchell said that the government had attempted to get clarification as to what the remarks made by the Ambassador meant and in what direction the remarks are headed. There was a formal call of the Ambassador on the Ministry. The Ambassador assured him that there is a level of respect for The Bahamas as a sovereign country and there is no allegation nor evidence of corruption against the judicial system of The Bahamas.

Mr. Mitchell continued: "Bahamian citizens ought to be aware that they have a role to play in the society and influencing how public policy is decided. The conduct of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas cannot always be done in public. It operates at several levels. We certainly have no wish to engage in a dialogue which might come off as being confrontational because our relations with the United States remain good. I have indicated on behalf of the Bahamian people the level of discomfort and we have been assured that relations from the U.S side are good."

Mr. Mitchell said that The Bahamas has displayed good faith in upholding the extradition treaty with the United States, one example of which was the extradition of Nigel Bowe to the United States on drug charges. Mr. Mitchell added: "We think that is one example of the strength of the judiciary in this country and the integrity of the people who run these systems. I think that the Bahamian people ought to use and exercise their right as citizens to express their views on various things as the Ambassador himself is doing."

RESPONSE TO THE U. S. AMBASSADOR
  The Tribune reported on Tuesday 2nd July that there was a radio programme on Love 97 hosted by owner Wendall Jones, about the United States Ambassador and his interventions in The Bahamas. It appears that Bahamians do not like it at all. Some 76 callers called in one hour and a half. Mr. Jones told The Tribune that normally the number of calls is 60. Mr. Jones told The Tribune that it seems that Bahamians are very nationalistic. The Tribune said that some called and said that the Ambassador was a meddler and was a busybody. Another caller said that the Ambassador has no moral authority to say what he is saying. Another said that the Ambassador has a problem with the new PLP Government. Said another: "All of a sudden he just started to jump and wave his big stick and he should respect our home, just like when Bahamians go over there, we have to respect their home." The U.S. Ambassador spoke at the College of The Bahamas graduation and that speech capped a number of interventions that caused the present furor. Sideburns the cartoon showed the Minster of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Ambassador. We show the cartoon from The Tribune of Tuesday 2nd July. If you want to see the full text of the Ambassadors remarks you may click here.

 

TRIBUNE SENSATIONALISM AGAIN
The Tribune's race with the weekly rag called The Punch to have more sensational headlines and more prurient stories was on again. This week an attempt to appear to be intellectual in its presentation on hanging and executions in the INSIGHT section of the paper on Monday 1 July. They even showed a picture of the trap door and holding room. The picture taken in 1968 shows a wooden object used to test the trap door. We quote Tribune Senior Editor John Marquis in his own words:

" … There [the execution chamber] the inmate is bound and hooded on the trap door of death, in front of the praying priest and a small group of august prison officials. His arms are bound behind his back, his ankles fastened tightly…(The ankles are fastened so that the feces expelled from the bowels at death don't drip out of the trousers, Ed.)… "Behind a small screen in one corner of the death chamber, the hangman checks the simple mechanism that will send a man to his doom. In one corner, on the day I visited the death cell (in 1968), there was a heavy wooden torso used by hangman to test the rope… 

"The day before the execution, the prisoner is assessed by the hangman for height and weight.The hangman then arranges for the rope to be suspended at a certain length, long enough to ensure a fatal drop, but short enough to avoid blood and gore.

"A rope adjusted too long for a heavy man can decapitate him as the trapdoor opens. A noose adjusted too short for a lighter man can leave him gasping for life at the end of the rope. It is the hangman's job to get it right because mistakes in the execution chamber make an already harrowing process even worse for those obliged to watch."

ROADWORKS COME TO A HALT
    Minister of Public Works Bradley Roberts told the press on Wednesday 3rd July that multi-million dollar works for the new road corridors in New Providence have come to a halt because the British firm that is involved in the work has gone bankrupt. Associated Asphalt's parent company is now insolvent in the UK and that has put the works in Nassau on hold. Mr. Roberts told the country to prepare for the worst.

This is bad news for this ill fated project that has been plagued by one delay after the next and by protests by truckers many of whom are still not paid. The project is being financed by the Inter American Development Bank and was criticized by the PLP in Opposition for being wasteful at a time when the economy was going into a tailspin. The Government now has to return to the IDB to determine where the project goes from now. Public Works Minister Bradley Roberts was to address the nation on the matter.

 
 

CHARLES CARTER ON BROADCASTING
    Charles Carter, the radio personality and former Foreign Minister who now owns the radio station Island FM, spoke out on Thursday 4th July about broadcasting. In his remarks he said that if the Government granted radio stations all national licences there would be no need for ZNS the publicly owned station and it should be closed down. There are many who say ditto, Mr. Carter and agree that there is no compelling need for a publicly owned broadcast station, which they believe has long since outlived its usefulness

THREE MORE MEN CHARGED
    Three more young men have been charged on drug conspiracy charges before magistrate in Nassau in connection with the murder of Mario Miller, the son of Minister of Trade and Industry Leslie Miller.

THE RUMOURS ON MURDER CHARGE DISMISSED
Last week without calling any names we reported that there was a rumour going around town, spread to the media by police sources that there was to be a person at a high level connected to the PLP that was to be charged with a murder. This week, the police dismissed the speculation about the arrest. The family of Joy Cartwright the former Manager of Club 601, told The Tribune of Friday 6th July that they were disappointed that there would not be a further arrest but they felt that the culprit would eventually be found. The story that we ran last week brought a tide of e-mail traffic expressing hope that the person who they had heard would not in fact be charged. With the police dismissing the rumour, all of us are relieved. 

END NOTE ON GUYANA
They simply don't have the numbers. And Indians will not continue to be passive in the face of Black attacks. It is clear that Desmond Hoyte, the leader of the Blacks and a former stooge of Mr. Burnham ought to step down and disappear into history. First, the President appears to be genuinely able to relate to Black people, having been raised amongst them. He is eating into the Black constituency, getting votes from Blacks that no other Indian leader has ever gotten. Secondly, the Opposition leaders in Guyana must come clean of their past misdeeds against the Indian population. But a word to a young friend, you do indeed belong to a tribe. But the future of a modern state cannot be grounded in tribalism, and it is up to you to discard the box into which some might try to put you. It is a powerful thing to escape one's history instead of being consumed by it. One hopes that he does not leave either. Many are saying that is the answer. But as you lift off from Guyana and see its vast lands and potential, you can only shake your head and wonder why it is not richer than it is. But everyone wishes Guyana well. V.S. Naipaul wrote his essay about Guyana in 1953 when it was known as British Guiana and it is sad to say that the racial discord that he found then, the ineptness of administration, is still there today in 2002. (cb)

B.S. NOTES FROM GENEVA’S FREEPORT… PLUS
In this new format, the former News From Grand Bahama is renamed as above.  This signifies the initials of our senior correspondent from the nation’s second city, with the ‘plus’ for the many other sources from whom contributions are accepted. Ed.
 

Oil On Troubled Sunland Waters - The Lutheran Bishop from Florida under whose diocese the church and school in Grand Bahama are administered has sent a mediator, reportedly to pour oil on the troubled waters at the Freeport school. This past week, the mediator met with Director of Education Mrs. Iris Pinder, herself no stranger to the educational system on Grand Bahama and attempted to reassure the ministry that the matters would be quickly brought into hand. At issue is the state of relations between the school administration, the school's board of directors, the parents and the teachers on the one hand and the pastor and chairman of the board on the other hand. The one side has complained at the high handed methods employed by the pastor and chairman.

Sunland Employees Reinstated - Soon after the appearance of the church-appointed mediator (see story above), the school vice principal Ms. Della Thomas and the school secretary, both abruptly fired lat week, were reinstated. The Parent Teacher Association held a meeting, described as the most well-attended meeting in the history of the PTA, during which several former board members spoke of being "forced out" or having to leave "in disgust" at the way the board was being run. Meantime, the Government's Superintendent of Education on Grand Bahama has said that unless the situation at Sunland improves, he will be forced to recommend that the school's grant-in-aid be withheld. Inside sources say that it now appears that the American Bishop intends that no such thing be allowed to happen.

Sickout At Barclays - Barclays in Grand Bahama has not escaped the ire of employees uncertain over their future after the coming merger between their employers and CIBC in the Caribbean. The vast majority of line employees at Barclays staged a sickout this past week, forcing the bank to reduce to a minimum the services offered. The sickout was timed to coincide with a large meeting of Barclays Caribbean area managers being held in Miami. We hope the bank gets the message. No institution can move forward faster than it is prepared to carry its employees.

Rape Warnings - Police in Grand Bahama suspect they have a serial rapist on their hands after two rapes and one attempted rape in the last week in Grand Bahama. The authorities are asking women to be extra careful in their movements.

Tommy T's Conclave - Tommy Turnquest, seatless leader of the FNM and his national officers held a two day conclave in Grand Bahama over this weekend 5-6 July at the Xanadu Beach hotel. Our truly friendly advice to Tommy: believe only ten percent of what they tell you. Political observers reporting for this website say that what was most interesting was who showed up, who did not show up and who stayed for only a few minutes before making an excuse. Interpretation: many former FNMs are returning to the PLP but refuse to openly acknowledge the move to their former party.

Congratulations! - Sincere congratulations to our friend Marva Moxey who has been chosen the new Chief Councillor of the City of Freeport. Marva campaigned on a non-political platform, promising to make the voice of Freeporters heard in the halls of power in this city. Well done Marva, and also congrats to Earl Godet and Jessup 'Sire' Johnson who stood by Marva despite threats from the FNM machine that she was a renegade... Knowledgeable politicos say Marva's campaign had hints of a certain professional polish that could not have come from within the FNM.... and maybe not from her street generals either. Things that make you go hmmmm!

Kingmakers Chagrined - The election of Marva Moxey as Councillor and her selection as Chief Councillor has reportedly chagrined the former Chief Councillor and his comrade kingmaker so sorely that files are said to have been removed from the City of Freeport's Council office. Calmer heads have apparently now prevailed and the files are said to be on their way back.Tsk. Tsk.

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The Government having just been elected on 2nd May did not think that it had enough time to properly organize an Independence show for the nation.  But that did not stop the people.   Everywhere one looked there were Bahamian flags, on the public buildings of course but on the cars and in the way people dressed.  It was truly a national day.  The feeling is that the PLP’s return to power has unleashed a fresh wind of nationalism.  On the eve of Independence Day at the ceremony at Clifford Park, it rained intermittently.  But the crowd never left.  They came armed with their umbrellas and broke them out whenever the rain came down.  By the time of midnight when the fireworks came, the air was crystal clear.

The Bahamas does not have a large resident diplomatic corps.  And so during the time of the national day, the non resident diplomatic corps visits The Bahamas to pay courtesy calls on the Government including the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister.  Among those visiting this year were the High Commissioners of Canada, Australia and Nigeria.  There were also the Ambassadors of Indonesia, Israel and Norway.

The photo of the week is one taken by Peter Ramsay.  It was the Foreign Minister with Sir Sidney Poitier, Governor General Dame Ivy Dumont and Prime Minister Perry Christie.  Ambassador Poitier was in town for consultations, and he attended the Independence Celebrations on Clifford Park to the delight of the crowd.

There was a spontaneous affection for the man who is by far the most famous of Bahamians.  One story: at the original Independence Day in 1973, Ambassador Poitier was the last of the official guests to arrive.  He made his way slowly around the periphery of the field and there was ripple in the crowd as he moved by.  Many thought at the time that it was part of the flair for the dramatic.  It turns out that he had not been told officially where to go and was feeling his way along, much to his embarrassment.  So this time, to avoid all of that he was picked up by the Minster of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell who accompanied him to the site of the celebrations, and he made his way officially accompanied.  Again there was the spontaneous joy from the crowd as they waved and shouted, and some even called him cousin and Uncle Sidney, various relatives ran out from the audience to hug him.  He addressed the audience in precise words that were concise yet moving: “I spent my early years in this country in Nassau and Cat Island and what I have learned and what I have been taught by my elders, by my mother, by my Bahamian father, my brothers and sisters, is what has carried me through the world to this point after 75 years of life.  It is a great heritage to have come from the stock of the Bahamian people.”   We have a photo spread of Independence pictures by Peter Ramsay.

We also report on the visit of the Foreign Minister, the Attorney General Alfred Sears, the U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas, J. Richard Blankenship and the Canadian High Commissioner to The Bahamas John Robinson to Exuma for Independence Celebrations there.

All in all the country seemed quite proud of what it had accomplished and even though there is plenty of complaining about the slow pace of the new Government, there still seems to be a great high from the results of the election of 2nd May.  Some said it seemed to us like with the PLP back in office there is a natural order to things and that a great weight has been lifted off our shoulders.  The country is broke, but we are happy.

Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 14th July at midnight: 16,500.  Number of hits for the month to Saturday 14th July at midnight: 30,015.  Number of hits for the year to Saturday 14th July at midnight: 1,112,547.

SHOTS FIRED AT PM’S HOME
    The Prime Minister and his wife were out to the official celebrations for Independence at Government House on the evening of 10th July.  The police were doing a routine check of his home in Cable Beach that is under renovations and presently unoccupied.  According to The Tribune, the Prime Minister now lives in a home next door while the renovations are being carried out.  As the police moved to search the premises of the construction site, shots were fired at the police.  The shots were returned but the persons escaped.  That caused an immediate increase of security around the Prime Minister's home.  The speculation is now that it was probably just a robbery attempt by someone who did not know where they were.  But no chances are being taken.
    According to friends of the PM, the Prime Minister and his family believe that security is intrusive and it prevents them from moving about freely with the people who are their friends and who support them.  The problem is that one often can't tell friend from foe these days, and it is better safe than sorry.  And so it is the Commissioner of Police who has to ensure that the Prime Minister and his family are safe.  Superintendent Marvin Dames who is the head of the Criminal Investigation Department promised to do just that.
 

SOMEONE IS OUT TO GET SOMEONE
    The campaign of selected leaks to the press mainly in The Tribune surrounding the murder of Mrs. Joy Cartwright are clearly political in nature.  You may click here for the previous stories on the subject of the allegations of murder against the son of a high level former PLP official.  Story one.  Story two.  In December of 1996, Joy Cartwright, the Manager of the nightclub ‘601’ was found dead in her home.  She had been murdered.  There is a suspect in jail awaiting trial.  But two weeks ago, the police started leaking information to the press that the son of a high level former PLP official was to be charged for the murder along with the person who is now in jail.  The matter was also referred to by the former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham his debate on the national budget.  He warned the Government not to delay in dealing with the charge of murder and money laundering.  After the high level leak to the press, the police then came along last week and said that the story was not true and that no one would be charged according to The Tribune "at this stage".  That left the door open that at some time a charge would be made.  Then The Tribune on Thursday 11 July carried a story that there is a 45 page indictment in the United States from a federal grand jury that links the man who would be charged, who is also a lawyer to a money laundering scheme, allegedly done through the setting up of IBCs at his firm where Mrs. Cartwright was one of the nominee directors.
    The indictment according to The Tribune links the murder of the woman to the money laundering.  The lawyer’s name is not called.  The Punch the national gossip rag, carried stories, with the pictures of the person who they say is to be charged blacked out on the front page.  This is a carefully orchestrated campaign by someone in the highest levels of the police force to try to force a decision it appears in the Government.  The rumour mill has been going apace, based on these leaks that there has been a recommendation on this matter before the Attorney General and they want the PLP's Attorney General to make a decision.
    The problem is that according to a former FNM backbencher, this matter was before the last Government, and the last Attorney General proposed to move, except he was stopped by the former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham who thought that the charge would be interpreted by the country as an attempt by the FNM to smear the PLP just before an election and it would backfire.  Now the political calculation of the FNM is that the PLP should be forced to deal with the matter against one of their own, and if the PLP refuses, the FNM will then scream cover up.  When you link all these stories, it is clear that that is what the FNM is all about.  PLPs should be warned.
 

APPOINTMENTS OF BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
    The appointments of FNM board members came to an end on 30th June 2002.  There is criticism enough that it was taking too long for new boards to be appointed.  The Boards have still not been chosen for the Government Corporations.  People who are PLPs look to these appointments as a signal for the direction of the new Government.  It is also a means a spreading of power around to party supporters.  There are appointments to the telephone company, the electricity company, the radio and television station, the Central Bank, even the Bank of The Bahamas.  None of these have been appointed and the complaints are louder.
    There are complaints of indecision and the fact that it is taking too long.  Then there are rumours all about the political community about who has been appointed to Boards and the fact that so many old line PLPs might be included on the list.  That say the critics will send a devastatingly wrong message to the country about the direction in which the new PLP is going.  There is no word from the Government.  But from the systematic campaign of leaks, it is clear that persons within the PLP are unhappy about these choices and not the least of these are backbenchers already unhappy about the fact that Parliamentary Secretaries have not been appointed and that they have been left out of the Government’s decision making.
 

THE STAFFORD SANDS TEN DOLLAR BILL
    Every time you go into a store these days, you seem to be getting more and more of the ten dollar bills with the picture of the racist former Minister of Finance Stafford Sands on the money.  PLP leaders had promised that this bill would be withdrawn from circulation.  They have not followed through on the promise.  The Central Bank Governor knowing what the situation is should not have continued to issue the notes but should have withdrawn them.  This is rubbing it into the nose of the Government.  The Government itself needs to act if it is not to let down its supporters who voted to ensure that this sort of stuff does not happen.
 
 

LIFE AT THE MARITIME AUTHORITY
    Two Bahamian women have been victimized by the Director of the Maritime Authority, so says the scuttlebutt out of the office in New York City.  The Bahamians are discriminated against in hiring and in opportunities.  They are kept from getting to have the experience, and once when some Bahamians showed up to an official reception, the people there were shocked that there were Black Bahamians at all, because all they kept seeing at official meetings were Englishmen.  The Bahamas Maritime Authority is the public corporation owned by the Bahamas Government that runs the ship registry for The Bahamas.  It has been run by Englishmen out of London since its inception.  No Bahamian has ever run the authority, and successive Bahamian Governments: the first PLP, the FNM and now the new PLP seemed unwilling to do something about the lock which the English have on the Authority's business and positions.
    The present managers of the Bahamas Maritime Authority seem intent on keeping Bahamians out of the loop and the Bahamians complain that they can’t get the ear of the Government; that these people are wasting the tax payers’ money and not getting the business on our behalf.  Said our informant: “These people seemed to have duped from the Prime Minister on down that they are indispensable.  And yet one of the Board members has a host of large ships that he does not have on the Bahamian registry and refuses to register them because he claims that would be a conflict of interest, even though the Board can wave a conflict.  But the plain fact is that most of our business comes by word of mouth and direct to the office by fax or e-mail.  There is no magic to the English running the establishment.  It is yet another example of how our Independence means nothing.  The PLP must show that it supports Bahamianization at the Authority and it is not business as usual.  The PLP can't continue to support what is blatant racism," the source continued.
 

MORE ON ROAD FIRM COLLAPSE
    We reported last week how the firm Associated Asphalt has gone out of business in The Bahamas as a result of the bankruptcy of its parent company.  Associated Asphalt is the company that was given the contract to construct the new roads in New Providence at a total cost of fifty two million dollars.  The good news is that it appears that the money is still there to be able to complete all of the works.  The bad news is that the project already behind schedule has now come to a stop.  The Minister of Public Works Bradley Roberts is conducting an investigation into the matter to see whether or not the FNM Government and its advisors knew or ought to have known that the firm should not have gotten the job in the first place, since the firm lacked the experience and capacity to do the work.
 

U.S. AMBASSADOR VISITS EXUMA
    The Attorney General Alfred Sears and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell were the hosts of Richard Blankenship, U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas in Georgetown, Exuma.  Also joining the party was Canadian High Commissioner John Robinson.  The reason for the visit was to attend the Independence Celebrations in Exuma.  There was a flag raising ceremony at the Roker's Point School.  Following the ceremony the entire party took a tour of the Emerald Bay development that is expected to increase the number of hotel rooms in the island by some 500 and a casino is also expected.  The site of the new construction is Ocean Bight, a beautiful beach area in the centre of Great Exuma.
    The visiting group spoke to both management and employees.  There is work to be done on community relations as well as improvements to the housing conditions of the men who work there. The Member of Parliament for Exuma, Deputy Speaker Anthony Moss accompanied the group as well.  Following the tour of that site, the group went to the counter narcotics base of the United States and Bahamian Governments near the old Georgetown Airport.  There the group received a full briefing on the activities of the counter narcotics efforts known as OPBAT.  The soldiers indicated that they were tracking a suspicious ship and that they hoped to take action against it once it became clear that their suspicions were justified.
    The next day the OPBAT force intercepted the ship and confiscated the largest find for the year, a find that doubled the amount of drugs found up to this point in the year.  The total amount of drugs confiscated: 2187 pounds, with a street value of 33 million dollars.  The photo shows the Ambassador beating the goatskin drums at the Junkanoo celebration after the ceremony.  There is also a photo which shows part of the party at the Independence Celebrations from left: Commissioner Alexander Williams, Foreign Minister Mitchell, High Commissioner Robinson, an unidentified Exuma resident, Anthony Moss MP, and Ambassador Blankenship.
 
 

INDEPENDENCE PHOTOS

    We present a spread of Independence photos by Peter Ramsay.  These include a resplendent photo of Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt in her African native dress for the occasion and Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell in bowtie as he greeted the High Commissioner for Nigeria (this BIS photo by Lorenzo Lockhart).
 

THE STORY ON AIDS
    Health Minister Dr. Marcus Bethel is winging his way back from Barcelona, Spain but it must not be too happy a memory at the World Aids conference.  The story is not good.  The disease has taken hold now on every continent and shows no signs of abating.  Largely because of the prejudice of the central community against homosexuals, the disease was allowed to take hold in the general population and now there is great deal of trouble trying to break its spread.  Nelson Mandela, the South African national hero and former President, spoke at the conference and indicated that AIDS had already killed more people than all of the wars fought by man kind up to this point.  That is a poignant statistic.
    In The Bahamas, the conference revealed according to The Tribune of Friday 12th July that as a result of AIDS, the life expectancy of Bahamians has fallen by some eight years from 74 years to 66 years.  It is wiping out our population of people between the ages of 15-44.  The Minister went to Barcelona to sign an agreement with the drug companies to enable the anti viral drugs now on the market to be sold at a cheap price.  The price will now come down from ten thousand per year to just about one thousand per year.  But in many developing countries that is still too high a price to pay.
    The saddest story in this region is that the program to stop the transmission of AIDS from mother to child is not as comprehensive as it ought to be.  This column has repeatedly said that it appears that the only way forward is behavior modification until there can be some cure found for the disease or the disease can become manageable like diabetes.   But the society continues to refuse to have frank conversations on the disease.  The society still cannot talk openly for example of people who have died of the disease, and so the normal way one learns lessons about disease and death, quite apart from information from a doctor, that is by word of mouth is not operating.  That is the saddest situation indeed.
 

HARVEY TYNES’ AWARD
    The Free National Movement government should have settled the matter of Harvey Tynes against Police Officer Barr and others who unlawfully assaulted, arrested and embarrassed the Queen’s Counsel back in 1988 at the Nassau International Airport’s general aviation section.  Mr. Tynes was first awarded  $255,505 by the then Supreme Court Justice Joan Sawyer for the damage.  The Government refused to pay and appealed and appealed.  Now they have run out of appeals and the Privy Council has sustained the reduced award of $190, 405.  That must now be paid by the PLP Government at a time when cash flow problems are quite serious.
 

BLANKENSHIP CLARIFIES
    The U.S. Ambassador told The Tribune that the remarks that have exercised the ire of so many Bahamians especially those at the College of The Bahamas (see last week’s story) graduation were taken out of context, and misread by many people.  He affirmed in the interview that the relationship between the countries was close and the relationship between the Foreign Minister and himself was friendly.
 

TOMMY CAN’T MAKE IT
    Hubert Ingraham, the former Prime Minister is now driving his own car.  He is all over the place from one watering hole to the next.  Tommy Turnquest, the Leader of the FNM (outside the House) was up in Grand Bahama trying to bull skate the public that he has a grip on his party.  He announced at their special conclave that he got the unanimous support of the party.  Ha Ha! Said the voices as soon as they came out.  There is a bet now that he won’t get past the convention in the fall.  And they say about Tommy, he is like a turkey just before dinner.  That boy is done.
 

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE IN TROUBLE
    A strike is said to be near at the Department of Agriculture.  The staff are saying that the Minister has come and been high jacked by the same FNM interests that controlled the Department before the PLP came to office.  The attempt to meet the Minister has failed and he reportedly told one staff member in a meeting “I don’t take advice from junior staff”.  There is an old saying: “If you don’t hear you will feel.”
 

Back To The Top
 

THE DRUG FIND

    The OPBAT exercise operating out of Georgetown, Exuma has made a huge find.  The men working from helicopters over Rum Cay in the southern Bahamas confiscated a ship with 2,187 pounds of cocaine.  The find was shown off to the public at a press conference at the Oakes Field base of OPBAT in New Providence.  Present were the Attorney General, the U.S. Ambassador, the Foreign Minister and the Minister of National Security.  Two persons were apprehended and are now being questioned about the catch.  The photo shows from left National Security Minister Pratt, Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell, Attorney General Alfred Sears and Ambassador Blankenship.
 

REFUGEE CRISIS
    Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell told the press conference at OPBAT’s Oakes Field base on Friday 12 July that there is a burgeoning refugee crisis that requires urgent attention and perhaps a visit by him to the Haitian Government.  The assets of OPBAT were able to spot from the air one day last week five vessels approaching Long Island that appeared to be Haitian vessels.  Because the terms of the OPBAT exercise do not include refugee interdiction nothing could be done beyond alerting the local authorities in Long Island.  The Foreign Minister believes that the OPBAT operation should now be extended to include the interdiction of vessels even if they are simply suspected of refugee smuggling.  There is some evidence that refugee smuggling is increasingly tied to drug smuggling.  In any event, the Government of The Bahamas has authorized the expenditure of monies to deal with the crisis in Haiti on an emergency basis.
 

A CLASH OF WILLS IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE
    Ministers are said to be increasingly complaining about the public service that appears not to understand the wishes and goals of the new Government.  The Cabinet is said to be leading a new initiative for public sector reform.  The Prime Minister has made it an urgent priority.  One example is the continued resistance in the public service to settling the Air Traffic Controllers problem.  Notwithstanding ministerial directives, the Public Service continues to resist the possibility of a settlement said sources, but Ministers are resolute that it must be settled before the end of August with a return to the status quo ante.
 

B.S. NOTES FROM GENEVA’S FREEPORT… PLUS
In this new format, the former News From Grand Bahama is renamed as above.  This signifies the initials of our senior correspondent from the nation’s second city, with the ‘plus’ for the many other sources from whom contributions are accepted. Ed.

Christie’s GB Talks - Prime Minister Perry Christie was in town this past Friday for an official visit.  The formal reason for the trip was said to be meetings with executives of the Grand Bahama Port Authority over the matter of tourism in Grand Bahama.  However, our sources say that the Prime Minister also used the trip to meet widely with PLPs in Grand Bahama.  No sight this time of any of the newly converted local FNMs who were everywhere during Mr. Christie’s previous two visits.  Insiders say we are to expect an early announcement on new leadership at the Office of the Prime Minister in Freeport.

More On Tommy’s Conclave – The political knives are being sharpened among the FNM in Grand Bahama (see above story ‘Tommy Can’t Make It’).  Each of the various FNM factions were eager to inform this site about the real interpretation of last week’s FNM conclave staged in Grand Bahama by FNM leader (outside the House) Tommy Turnquest.  “It would be easier for Brent Symonette to win the leadership in convention than Tommy”, said one.  “Most people were there just to see who was on whose side, but no one seemed to be truly on Tommy’s side.”  Another informant candidly revealed: “It was surprising that all Dion (Foulkes, former Minister) did was to watch and it is never a good sign when Dion is quiet.”
 

Nobody Told Della - This past week dismissed Sunland School Vice Principal Della Thomas published a letter to the editor in The Freeport News revealing that while she had heard that she has been reinstated to her job, no one had yet told her anything.  Ms. Thomas was fired in a conflict between the school’s administration and the chairman of its board over the lack of funding for the school.  Charges of insensitivity, a lack of understanding of the church’s role in education and even charges of racism have been leveled against the board chairman.  Last week we reported that the governing Lutheran Bishop in south Florida had appointed a mediator to calm and settle the dispute.

Private Church Schools As Ministries – Also this past week, a statement from the Lutherans publicly announcing Ms. Thomas’ reinstatement as an apparent gesture of goodwill still appeared to point the finger of blame for the lack of school funding at the school’s administration.  One seasoned community leader who has served on several private church school boards told us: “Anyone can tell you that church schools do not make money.  In order to make a profit, you must have a certain enrollment level.  In order to have that enrollment level, you must compromise on class size and face losing the qualitative educational advantage over the public schools, which makes no sense.  In order to stay competitive with the public schools for teachers, salaries must remain close.  It’s a ‘catch-22’…  The answer is that churches have long accepted that schools are a part of their ministry and not profit centres.”  Perhaps the Lutherans ought to group together with other churches and negotiate with Government for some increase to the grants-in-aid.
 

Bhicam Cuts A Deal – Motherwell Bridge Bhicam, the Bahamian engineering firm which was facing being put out of business by suspect practices at Freeport Container Port has signed a deal for the sale of its maintenance division to the Container Port.  Bhicam principal Larry Russell appeared in the Freeport News shaking hands with Chris Gray, Chief Executive Officer at the Container Port.  This site had reported on the impending injustice of the Container Port arbitrarily hiring away all Bhicam’s staff after terminating the company’s long term maintenance contract.  Insiders say that since the change in Government, the Container Port realised that the PLP would simply not stand for it.  Under the previous FNM Government, not one of the six FNM MPs on Grand Bahama was prepared to support this Bahamian businessman.

What’s Up Minister? – Our senior correspondent has been “inundated with queries from curious Grand Bahama politicos” on what the Foreign Minister was up to in Exuma... “Fred Mitchell, (Foreign Minister) Alfred Sears (Attorney General) the Canadian High Commissioner and the American Ambassador – all in Exuma for two days?  Just to tour a project?  We just don’t buy it.”  As unlikely as it may seem, we at this site have (for the moment) to take the Minister at his word that he was just inspecting the project... However, it is one of those things that make you go hmmm...

Happy Birthday Maurice – Our friend attorney Maurice O. Glinton celebrated his birthday on Thursday 11th July.  Maurice was out of town on the day, so it was not until Friday 12th July that he turned up – as usual – for lunch in Kristi’s, the local eatery favoured by the political crowd.  It was quite touching.  The table usually reserved for the noisy political crowd had been set with a cloth, all regulars banned for sitting until the birthday boy had arrived.  Whereupon a cake was lit with candles and the staff gathered to sing the birthday song.  A normally voluble but now deeply moved Maurice could only manage “These are my people… these are my real friends.”

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That is absolutely correct.  The former Prime Minister throughout his presentation on Wednesday 17th July had to be reminded by the Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell that he was indeed a former Prime Minister and that his insults and crass behaviour were unbecoming of such a position.  Mr. Ingraham responded by saying to the Foreign Minister that he does “…not need any rookie MP to tell him what to do”.  He later had to withdraw the remark but his conduct went downhill from there.

In his intervention on the BaTelCo's privatization, he insulted his own side by saying that he was not a part of their team, and that he only came to the House to make interventions to further his own ideas.  To the extent that it helps them, he said it was fine, because he still believed that they were a better team to lead the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Further, he indicated to the backbenchers who were heckling him that one never knew, he might just change his mind and decide to get back into politics.  He said that he had nothing to do these days and plenty of time on his hands.  Then looking at the Foreign Minister he said that he would be starting a web site soon.  He is trying to get the name hubertaingraham.com.  He said that at the moment someone in India owns the name and he is fighting to get his name back.

Then in a contrived dispute over what time the House was going to close, and as the Speaker was moving a motion for the House to go beyond the 7 p.m. normal adjournment on Wednesday 17th July, Mr. Ingraham without finishing his speech, packed up his bags and left the chamber in mid speech.  He managed to insult the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the House and half the front bench.  It was simply an appalling performance.

It has been said here many times before: “You can’t put a goat on a board floor else it will prance”.  That proves true for Hubert Ingraham time and time again.  He is absolutely contemptuous of the whole process, the whole parliament.  It means that political pressure will be mounting on Prime Minister Perry Christie to move against him by taking away the pension he now enjoys unless he agrees to step down from the House of Assembly.  It is the same condition that he imposed on the late Sir Lynden Pindling.

This week we had a lot of e-mail traffic about various stories and we would like to share some of those responses.  In particular we were interested in an e-mail to us about the story on the son of the former PLP politician who it is rumoured is to be charged for the murder of Joy Cartwright, even though someone else has already been charged.

Then we report that Ministerial action may be coming against the person who runs the Bahamas Maritime Authority where there is continued talk of racial discrimination against Bahamians.

The photo of the week is the presentation of the Baton of Honour to the best recruit Harry Dolce in Squad A of the Royal Bahamas Police force.  You will notice that the last name is Dolce, not an anglicized name, which is what the traditional Bahamian last name is.  This is a portent of things to come in The Bahamas, and right now the Foreign Minister is packing is his bags for Haiti where he is hoping to meet President Jean Bertrand Aristide to follow up on the Haitian promise to cut down on the number of refugees coming to this country.

Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 20th July 2002 at midnight: 22,779  Number of hits for the month of July ending Saturday 20th July at midnight: 52,782  Number of hits for the year ending Saturday 20th July at midnight: 1,573,785

CHRISTIE UNDER FIRE AT PLP COUNCIL
    The troops are getting restless or so it seems.  Some were rowing about the fact that the FNM still seems to be in control of the organs of the Government.  Sounds familiar.  It was the same complaint that Hubert Ingraham had to answer to during the days of the FNM.  The PLP was still in charge, his critics said.  One person reported to the PLP’s Council meeting on Thursday 18th July that she was coming into the Customs' Hall at the Nassau International Airport when she was asked by the Custom's people: “When is the PLP going to take over the Government?”  The Council members are also sore about the fact that Boards and Committees have not been announced by the Government.  And some of them expressed concerns about the Prime Minister's rationale for keeping FNM appointees in power.
    While speaking in the House of Assembly he said that he did not want to go down in the record books as having behaved in the savage manner in which the FNM behaved when they came to office.  He said that he and his colleagues felt for their safety in 1992 when they came to Parliament’s first opening under the FNM.  The Governor General Sir Clifford Darling was sent away and not permitted to read the speech from the throne in 1992.  And the Prime Minister said that he felt proud to see Dame Ivy Dumont the now Governor General read the Speech from the Throne even though she was an appointee of Hubert Ingraham and the FNM.  He said that he wanted to show the FNM how one behaves.
    The PLP Council was hearing none of it.  The mood was that the people had changed the FNM for the PLP and the PLP needs now to exercise that mandate.  PLPs are complaining that there are no jobs and that the Government is insensitive to their plight, almost 90 days after being elected.  This was not a welcomed message as the Prime Minister was on the eve of celebrating his 25th anniversary as a Parliamentarian on Friday 19th July.
 

THE WOES OF BATELCO
    BaTelCo, the Bahamian telephone monopoly is very much in the news.  The Government moved this week to pass a resolution and a set of vesting orders which place the assets of BaTelCo that relate to telecommunications into the new Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited, a company which is owned one hundred per cent by the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.  It also vests the land not related to telecommunications in the hands of the Treasurer.  It further vests the regulatory functions of BaTelCo into the hands of the Public Utilities Commission.
    It was a spirited debate in the House as members made their views known in opposition to the so-called sector policy espoused by the Free National Movement.  MP after MP including those on the Government's side urged the Government to include Bahamians in the purchase of BaTelCo.  The Prime Minster pointed out to FNM MPs that he had said time and time again in opposition that he did not oppose the privatization of BaTelCo but wanted to be sure that Bahamians were included in the privatization of the company. 
    Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell said that he could not be a part of any wholesale transfer of the assets of BaTelCo to foreign owners.  This sentiment was also echoed by Independent Members of Parliament Pierre Dupuch and Tennyson Wells.  The latter two are former FNM members who broke with their party and were elected to office as Independents.   The FNM was unrepentant and stuck with their strategy.  The privatization of BaTelCo it was revealed cost BaTelCo some 131 million dollars to the end of May.  There has been some 23 million dollars spent on overtime payments between 1999 and 2001 to compensate for the 1000 employees that were let go from the Corporation in what the Government at the time heartlessly called a separation exercise.
    Unrepentant in the whole exercise was Hubert Ingraham who defended the decision saying that despite all the criticism, BaTelCo made more money than ever in the years that he was Prime Minister, some 113 million in total profits, more than half of them made since separation of the employees.  Critics were quick to point out that this was due not to good management but the fact that cellular phones, a technology that was barely in use in 1992, had come on-stream and accounted for significant new revenues for BaTelCo.  Bradley Roberts, the Minister for Public Works described it “as a BaTelCo Holocaust”.  Christie photo (top) from Guardian by Donald Knowles; Dupuch (left) photo from Tribune by Omar Barr; Wells photo (right) from Guardian.
 

INGRAHAM ON BRADLEY ROBERTS
    There were some pretty tense moments during the House debate on BaTelCo on Wednesday 17th July.  The former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said, “cursed be the day” that the Prime Minister appoints Bradley Roberts to be the Minister for BaTelCo.  He implied that Mr. Roberts would use his Ministerial office for personal gain at BaTelCo.  He had to withdraw the remark after the Minister challenged him to produce any shred of evidence that he was involved in anything that would cause the Minster to have doubt cast upon him.  Mr. Ingraham could not and he withdrew it but until being castigated by the Prime Minister for his conduct.
    Mr. Ingraham charged that the Minister for Works had called a meeting, even though he was not the Minister for BaTelCo and had chided the staff of BaTelCo for their performance.  Mr. Roberts denied chiding the staff.  The Prime Minister said that any Minister in his Government could request information from any persons who are public officers.  Further, he said that Mr. Roberts engaged in an activity that was no different from Mr. Ingraham who had in an unauthorized fashion been accessing public servants obtaining information from them and using it in a manner that suggested that he had spies in the public service.
    The high point of the insults came when Mr. Roberts from his seat told Mr. Ingraham “I curse the day your mother gave birth to you.”  Well that will hold him.  The debate took place on Wednesday 17th July.
 

INGRAHAM JACKASS OF THE WEEK
    It was a performance by an ignorant and boorish man.  He has time and time again reinforced this view among decent people.  Many people are now deeply ashamed for having ever supported him to become the country’s leader.  He turns out to be someone not too far from being a crook.  The use of the Pension Act to protect himself while denying his predecessor rights to which he was entitled qualifies him for that.  He has yet to satisfactorily explain to the Bahamian public why he chose single handedly to give the Cable Bahamas Franchise to a company that according to Pierre Dupuch, the MP for St. Margaret’s was owned by a broke foreigner and caused the man to become rich off Bahamian assets, while denying Bahamians the right to own the cable company.  He single handedly charted the privatization policy that has caused so much human heartache for so many, and ruined a perfectly good telephone company.  No one can deny that now is not the right time to sell BaTelCo with the market for telephone stocks as flat as a pancake.  Hubert Ingraham is to blame for that.  His single minded bullheadedness and his crude behaviour in the House, waling out on the Deputy Speaker, like a goat on board floor, can only qualify him for the singular honour in this column of JACKASS OF THE WEEK.
 
 

TOMMY TO STEP DOWN
    Tommy Turnquest becomes a more remarkable man every day.  After emerging from a political conclave in Grand Bahama some three weeks ago, he claimed that he had the full support of the FNM.  Many people laughed at him because he is the Leader of the FNM but has no seat in Parliament and must accept a seat in the Senate appointed by Alvin Smith who is the Leader of the Opposition but not the leader of any party.  This weekend he was into a conclave again at the Loyola Centre in Gladstone Road in New Providence.  The FNM met under the theme:  “The Way Forward”.
    The way forward obviously cannot be the way backward and someone from the press put the inevitable question to Mr. Turnquest.  He was asked: “Are you prepared to step down if it is necessary for the survival of the FNM?”  Mr. Turnquest told The Tribune that he would step down if required.  Said he: “I’m not selfish, I’m not selfish at all, whatever is in the best interests of the party, I am willing to go along with.  If me stepping down is what they think is in the best interest of the party and the only way to move forward, then I’ll do that.”  Well there’s a start.
    Meanwhile in the House of Assembly on Thursday 18th July, the Prime Minister was pointing out to Alvin Smith, the Leader of the Opposition and MP for North Eleuthera, the problem we now have with the anomalous situation of the Leader of the Opposition not being the Leader of the Party.  Mr. Smith can make no decisions and always has to refer his decisions to Mr. Turnquest.  The Prime Minister was answering the criticism of Mr. Smith that the PLP has not appointed the Blue ribbon Commission to look into constitutional reform. The Prime Minister said that part of the reason it has not been appointed is the Opposition is unable to supply the names of FNM nominees to the Commission.
 

THE LOAN GUARANTEE SCHOLARSHIPS
    The news is not good.  The Minister of Education Alfred Sears had already announced that the loan scholarship guarantee programme was in trouble with the FNM having used up all of the money for the scheme.  The news on the radio was that the scheme was going to be severely reduced if not altogether put on hold until next year.  The Minister also announced that he intended to pursue those people who had defaulted on their obligations to the Government under the guarantee scheme.  The PLP’s Council was not happy about the announcement.
    The view of most PLPs is that the Government had better find the money to give the scholarships to PLP children.  Their view is that FNM children were helped by the FNM and now it is the PLP’s turn.  It is not the role of the Government to disappoint the many young people who voted for it by cutting off the scholarships.  Many young are already turning off the PLP saying that they can’t see the sense of changing to a Government that does not want to take care of them.  Well that’s how it goes but this is curable and the Government must clearly think again.  Ministers are privately thinking that the Government must start a public works project or raise significantly the amount of money in social services.  Too many people in the country are now going to bed at night with no food to eat.
 

HAITIANS ORGANIZE IN THE BAHAMAS
    No doubt the hackles of Bahamians will be raised by the front-page story and picture of Michael Pierre who describes himself as the leader of ‘Haitian-Bahamians against Racism’.  Mr. Pierre told The Nassau Guardian in its Saturday 20th July edition that he and others like him are fed up with discrimination against Haitian-Bahamians.  He is upset that the law does not give citizenship to persons born of Haitian parents in The Bahamas.  He says that those persons are Bahamians and that our laws have rendered them stateless.  He is wrong on that latter fact.  Those persons have Haitian citizenship.  This is a time bomb, because the resentment grows daily of the Government’s policy on illegal immigration and now this new organization is the first indication that those in that position intend to confront Bahamians directly on the subject. Urgent Government and social action is needed if social strife is to be avoided. Guardian photo.
 
 

FOREIGN MINISTER IN MIAMI
    Fred Mitchell, the Minister of Foreign Affairs is in Miami to attend the annual Independence Service for Bahamians in South Florida.  The service is to be held today at St. Agnes Episcopal Church in Miami at 4 p.m.  All Bahamians in South Florida are invited to attend.  A reception will follow.
 

WASTED POLITICAL CAPITAL
    The critics of the Prime Minister are saying that he should not waste valuable political capital defending the appointments to Government Boards of persons who were close to the old PLP and are symbols of a bygone era.  The Prime Minister has been criticized for taking too long to make the appointments and further putting in place the old guard of the PLP, which many believe is an insult to the new PLPs.
    In his defence, the Prime Minister believes that valuable experience is reposed in many of the people who were involved in the old PLP.  Many of them assisted in the campaign for the return of the PLP both with money and with manpower.  Secondly, he believes that in some technical areas like BEC and BATELCO the voice of experience ought to be used.  But the din continues.  We suspect that it is largely because the share of the pie that many thought would come immediately has not come, and few are willing to wait to get their share which is coming.  One remembers this syndrome from the story of the children of Israel who wanted to get out of captivity but were only happy for a short while in the desert.  They forgot about freedom and thought that it would be better to go back to Egypt.  But it is clear that it was the young people who voted Mr. Christie into office and some symbol of their participation has to be given. Perhaps it will come when the Parliamentary Secretaries are sworn in as early as next week.
    The Boards will be announced and it will be seen that despite some names from the old PLP many people who are new PLPs are included on the list.  The question is patience.  Young people are impatient and some are already saying perhaps they ought to line up with the FNM since they are the alternative to the Government in 2007.  The PLP has to watch it.
 

RESPONSES TO PREVIOUS COLUMNS
    The stories from last week and the week before (Story one.  Story two.) on the allegation that there may be a high level police leak trying to discredit the PLP by bringing charges against the son of a former high level PLP for the murder of Joy Cartwright brought this response from a reader:
    “Here it is a female has been lying in her grave for the past eight years and the greatest concern seems to be the alleged or purported assailants political persuasion?  Is there no concern whether these ‘leaks’ as they are called have merit?  The police now carry the blame for something that is to a great extent public record in the American justice system.  The government’s hand can never be forced by the police; if it is seen to be forced it is to do something that is prudent and just.  To say that the police forced the government to me suggests that the police are involved in a massive conspiracy to frame someone.  On the other hand if the police possess and are aware of information and evidence linking someone in some way to murder then shouldn't it be a natural progression that someone is charged?  Your article is totally confusing to me.  It lacks soundness because the premises are not true."

We thank the reader for his comment and reply that he is absolutely right that, if it is correct and the Government is in fact suppressing the charge, a way needs to be found to get the information out into the public and force the Government to act.  However, one has to ask oneself: why did the police not pressure the previous Government in the same way?  Since the matter was obviously before the previous Government, they apparently did not make  the charge, so the presumption has to be that there was not enough evidence.  That is why many people believe something is fishy.

East Indians or Amerindians?
    One reader wanted to know whether in our previous column on Guyana when we referred to the cleavage between Indians and Africans whether we meant East Indians or Amerindians.  We meant the descendants of Indians brought in as indentured servants after the freeing of the African slaves throughout the British Empire in 1834. The East Indians in Guyana now outnumber the African population.  The Amerindians or the descendants of the Arawaks that once lived in The Bahamas number about 75,000 but have very little contact with the main society that lives on the coast of Guyana.

Our Writing Style
    Another reader criticized our writing style saying that the writing was not strictly grammatically correct.  He said we should not start a sentence with a conjunction.  Of course by strict English grammatical rules you should not start a sentence with a conjunction but this column is writing in a particular style and we are allowed for the purposes of the style to write outside the normal rules.  It should make the language more conversational and biting.  The writer later accepted that view.

Old PLP’s On Boards
    Another reader had this to say about the reported decision of the Prime Minister to put old PLPs on Boards:
    “It was really interesting to see how the noisemakers are criticizing the PM' s choices of Board Chairmen.  This is even prior to the announcements being made on who these gentlemen are, and what their roles should be.

    They called them 'old.'  Yet they seem to have forgotten how old Albert Miller is, or Barrie Farrington, or Arthur Barnett, the former Chairman of BaTelCo, who could not even turn his head.  Arthur Barnett had absolutely no business experience, yet no one complained.

    In the Guardian of 17 July on page 12 in the business section, there is a caption, ‘Troubled companies turn to retirees to help lead’ talking about how top companies (Ford etc.) are using retired former executives with productive experience to get their companies out of difficulties.  In my opinion, it is smart for the PM to use these gentlemen, while at the same time, training younger PLP's to take over in a few years.  Experience does indeed count."

Editor’s comment: He has a point but see story 'Wasted Political Capital' above.
 
 

EMERALD BAY, EXUMA
    An investigation has been ordered by the Minister of Immigration into allegations against the Department of Immigration of the selling of work permits for foreign labourers working on the Emerald Bay project in Ocean Bight, Exuma.  The working conditions at the project are also not what they ought to be and the Department of Labour has been called into to investigate.  There was a report this week that 100 persons were dismissed by the Company following drug tests administered, including tests for alcohol.  Most people think this is a scam on the part of the company to get rid of Bahamians and say to the Bahamian Government that no Bahamians can be found and then bring in foreign labour.  The Bahamian workers say that the tests while given to foreign workers resulted in those workers being given an opportunity to go away and dry out and try again.  No such opportunity was allowed the Bahamians.
 

MINISTERS’ TRAVEL
Foreign Affairs Minister at Independence Celebrations for Bahamians on 21st July in Miami.

Alfred Gray, Minister of Local Government; Vincent Peet, Minister of Immigration; Allyson Gibson, Minister for Financial Services and Investment; Bradley Roberts, Minister of Works
And Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt, Minister of National Security and Deputy Prime Minister were all in Exuma on Friday 19th June to inspect the developments at the Emerald Bay Project.  This was the same project visited by Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell and the Attorney General on 10th July.

Glenys Hanna-Martin, the Minister for Transport has just returned from a private visit to Cuba.
 

CONDOLENCES TO

Sonia Hamilton on the death of her aunt Naomi Taylor Caesar.  Once known as the ‘Jungle Queen’, Mrs. Caesar was a well-known fire dancer in the early days of post-war Bahamian tourism.  She later became a street preacher known as ‘Sister Nay’.  Mrs. Caesar was 89.  She is also survived by one adopted daughter Debbie Brown and two brothers, Bertram and Walton Taylor.

A. Missouri Sherman-Peter, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the passing of her oldest brother John Sherman, the retired Fire Chief.  Mr. Sherman died at 80 years old died after a short illness.  He was the oldest sibling in a family of 16 children that included Dr. George Sherman.
 
 

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ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
    The Tribune reported in its business section on Friday 19th July that the Royal Bank of Canada is to set up a trust arm for Bahamian dollars.  Right now most banks just have trust business in foreign currencies.  The Royal will be the second bank to do so, following a decision by the Bank of Bahamas last year.  Ross MacDonald, the Royal Bank’s Vice President in The Bahamas, told The Tribune that The Bahamas did not represent a huge market for trust products but the business opportunities were worth exploring.  He told The Tribune: “We think that this will be an option for Bahamians.”  He said that the Bank’s customers were looking for a service that would allow them to easily pass on their assets after their death.  “In such cases, trusts work well,” he said.  This column hopes that the expansion of services by Royal now means that the downsizing that was reported in an earlier column has stopped and that the bank’s employment practices in that regard toward its human capital are as innovative and sensitive as its businesses practices.
 

CONGRATULATIONS

    We say congratulations to Father Silvan Bromenshenkel O.S.B. who is a former headmaster of St. Augustine’s College and Prior of the Monastery of St. Augustine’s in Nassau.  He celebrated on 11 July 2002 60 years as monk.  Since retiring Fr. Silvan lives at the Monastery in Collegeville, Minnesota.
 

ANGLICAN ORDINATIONS

    The Anglican Archbishop Drexel Gomez will officiate at the ordination of Mark Fox, classmate of Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell.  Mr. Fox served as a Customs Officer from 1969 to 1974.  He is presently assigned to St. George's in Nassau.  Also to be ordained is Scott Brennen (pictured).  The ordination will take place on the feast of St. Mary Magdalene on 22nd July at Christ Church Cathedral, Nassau.

CHRISTIE ON SHOOTING
    Leader of the Opposition Alvin Smith called in the House for a report to the House by the Government on what happened at the Prime Minister’s home on 10 July when an exchange of gunfire took place.  The incident was acknowledged by the PM in a story printed in the Nassau Guardian Saturday 20th July.  The Prime Minister thanked the police officer who protected his home during the recent burglary attempt.   Mr. Christie said that while he was attending the Independence Day celebrations at Government House, an officer on duty at the house heard noises coming from the adjacent residence, which is being repaired.  After investigating, the officer despite being fired upon was able to effect a successful arrest of the intruder.  The MP said of the officer: " I suffer for him, because it must have been a very frightening experience for any person, no matter the extent of their training, to be exposed to...  I simply say that the police, as a precaution, have advised me that it was necessary for them to add to the security at the residence that I am now living in, pending complete renovation being conducted at my home."
 

B.S. NOTES FROM GENEVA’S FREEPORT… PLUS
In this new format, the former News From Grand Bahama is renamed as above.  This signifies the initials of our senior correspondent from the nation’s second city, with the ‘plus’ for the many other sources from whom contributions are accepted. Ed.

Mortgage Auctions - Banks and insurance companies are moving with a sudden new speed in offering delinquent properties for auction.  Large print ads are now not uncommon with scores of listings of homes and businesses for sale at auction.  Many observers suspect that the financial institutions are using the period of transition in government to their advantage notwithstanding assurances to the former government to “work with mortgage holders” following the events of September 11 in the U.S.   Perhaps the Minister responsible for Finance ought to inquire as to whether that undertaking was specific to the former Government only.

25 Bahamians Laid Off – The Grand Bahama Ship Care Facility has laid off 150 people, 25 of them Bahamian.  The company said a slow down in business had forced the move in order to remain viable.  The jobs were said to be high pay scale positions.

FCP Men Denied – Inside sources have reported that Freeport Container Port executives Gary Lempke and Mauricio D'Orfeo have been denied renewals of their work permits by the Department of Immigration.  Months ago, we reported on a source who said "Whampoa [the Chinese-Anglo conglomerate which owns the container port] operates all over the world with a very low and successful profile, but these guys [Lempke and D’Orfeo] have so upset Bahamians at all levels in Grand Bahama… Whampoa (isn’t) going to let a few heavy handed local managers upset their overall picture...”  Some reports say that a high-level Bahamian manager at FCP is attempting to intercede on behalf of the two expatriates, but “… it won’t work because Bahamians are glad to see them go and we’re not sure even the big bosses overseas support these two.”

Oasis F&B Man Going – In a move apparently aimed at combating its reputation as a ‘plantation’ the Royal Oasis resorts, formerly Resorts at Bahamia and also formerly Princess Hotels, has accepted (some sources say insisted upon) the resignation of Food & Beverage Director Charles Golf.  Mr. Golf, whose contract is at an end this month was constantly accused of “insensitivity” toward Bahamians in his management style.  Insiders say that, given the background, the company was simply not prepared to fight for a renewal of the Director’s work permit in the new political climate.

BaTelCo Talk – Politicos across Grand Bahama were all talking about the pros and cons of the BaTelCo deal this week.  The House of Assembly intervention by former Prime Minister Ingraham has caused widespread speculation that there may be a hidden FNM/Ingraham agenda behind the sale.  Our senior Grand Bahama correspondent (bs) opines “Most Bahamians are of the view that if it can’t be sold to Bahamian entity it ought to stay in the hands of Government… It’s not enough to say that this is the sort of thing which is necessary if The Bahamas wants to be a part of WTO AND FTAA… the Christie Government would do well to tread cautiously here before selling off BaTelCo which we know will make a record profit this year.”

Americans Die In Plane Crash - 6 Americans visitors to Grand Bahama have died in a plane crash off West End.  Reports are that the plane disappeared from Miami radar early Saturday morning on its way back to West Palm Beach.  The US Coast Guard has recovered three bodies so far from wreckage 9 miles off West End in one hundred feet of water.  It is believed that the other three occupants may still be inside the downed aircraft.

Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl+home to return to the top of the page.

Upon their return, the pair said that the talks had been fruitful in their terms, but the question remained what concrete steps would be taken following upon the expressed willingness of the Haitian Government to curb the illegal migration.

Most commentators were quick to point out that the Haitian Government always puts on a good show when they entertain foreign guests in their capital.  But the problem always is follow up.  This is particularly problematic when one is dealing with the Haitian Government’s effectiveness in the north of the country where the Haitians migrate to The Bahamas.

The Bahamas wants Haiti to agree to allow intelligence officers from the Defence Force into Haiti in order to scout who is involved in the smuggling there and stop it at source.

Haiti is some 90 miles to the south of the Bahamian island of Inagua.  It takes about two hours to fly there from here in a prop plane from Nassau.  The sailboats take the slow journey across the ocean past Inagua and up the Bahama chain into Nassau.  Most are thought to be on their way to the United States.

Last year The Bahamas repatriated some 6,000 migrants.  This year already some 3,000 have been repatriated.  Each trip costs the country $30,000.  And so it is quite an expensive and difficult business.  What has caused alarm in recent weeks is the fact that the stream of refugees seems to have increased.  The Prime Minister was determined that something be done and so the hastily arranged trip was planned and undertaken.

The Foreign Minister said that within one week, The Bahamas has agreed to provide a framework to move forward in a step by step way to try to alleviate the difficulties.  We report further on the matter below.  The Foreign Minister also attended the annual Independence Day service for Bahamians in Miami on Sunday 21 July.  The service was held at St. Agnes Episcopal church in Miami.  The preacher was the Venerable Archdeacon Ranfurly Brown.

And this week we have a special on impotence and the use of high blood pressure drugs in men following an interview by a special correspondent.  It should be interesting reading for those turning 50.

Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 27th July to midnight: 12,212.  Number of hits for the month ending Saturday 27th July at midnight: 54,244.  Number of hits for the year to Saturday 27th July at midnight: 1,585,997

FOREIGN MINISTER IN MIAMI
    Fred Mitchell, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell travelled to Miami to be with Bahamians in Miami for the celebration of the 21st Anniversary of Bahamian Independence. The service of thanksgiving was organized by Bahamian Consul General Vernita Johnson.  The service was conducted by Rev. Canon Richard L. Marquess-Barry, a priest of Bahamian ancestry with links to Eleuthera.  The church that seats 1800 at capacity had 700 persons there.  The staff of the consulate were surprised at the attendance.  This year seem to be larger than ever before.  Some suggested that it is the return of the PLP that has caused this explosion of patriotism.  The Minister used the occasion to speak to the Bahamian community about initiatives that he plans on visas with the United States.  He is looking for a visa abolition agreement with the United States.  He also expressed concern for the number of persons who are being rejected by U.S. authorities who have been crime free for a number of years and can’t get the privilege to fly to Miami.  You may click here for the full address.
 

SPENDING VALUABLE POLITICAL CAPITAL
    The Parliamentary Secretaries are to be sworn in by the Governor General on Monday 29th July at 11 a.m.  There is great relief in the backbench of the PLP.  The names being tossed around: Ron Pinder MP for Marathon, Health; Mike Halkitis MP for Adelaide, Finance; Veronica Owen MP for Garden Hills, Education; Agatha Marcelle MP for South Beach, Tourism; John Carey MP for Carmichael, Public Works; Ann Percentie, MP for Pineridge Office of the PM - Freeport.  Perhaps the din of complaints about a do nothing Government will die down as the swearing in takes place.  The Boards and Committee appointments will be next.
    Throughout the week, there has been a hue and cry over the fact that three weeks after the appointments were promised, no appointments of Government Boards and committees.  This has the private sector complaining that no decisions are being taken and so normal commerce is not carrying on.  The Tribune got into the act this week in its editorials attacking the Prime Minister for being indecisive and saying that it was clear that the Prime Minister and the PLP were not ready to govern.
    The undercurrent is still there from the political enemies of the PLP and to some extent PLPs themselves about the fact that this was supposed to be a new PLP and that names being bandied about for the new Board appointments show that the old PLP is back with a vengeance.  Many question why the Prime Minister wishes to expend valuable political capital defending these appointments.  On the other hand, there are those who say that this is a tempest in a teacup.  He ought to make a decision and then move on to the next thing.  One thing is clear, the decisions of the Government can’t solve all the problems within the three months that the PLP has been in power.  It is clear also that the honeymoon is over and when Parliament resumes after the summer recess in October there can be no excuses for a plan of action to be executed.
 

THE AMBASSADOR IN OUR AFFAIRS AGAIN
    A huge row has broken out in the press between the United States Ambassador J. Richard Blankenship and a private citizen named Sean Hanna.  Bahamians were miffed again at the Ambassador’s intervention in a comment made by a private citizen about the conduct of the affairs of a bank called Al Taqwa Bank.  The Americans have designated the bank as one that assisted in the flight of terrorist money around the world.  The bank is said to be owned by the brother of Osama bin Laden who the Americans accuse of master minding the bombing of the world Trade Centre building in New York last September.
    One is not quite sure how the whole row started but on Wednesday 24th July Sean Hanna, the son of former Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Hanna and sister of the Minister of Transport Glenys Hanna Martin, was asked in his capacity as an attorney for the bank what his reaction was to the bank being placed on the list of terrorist organizations by the Americans.  Mr. Hanna responded that the American allegations should not be given any credence.  Mr. Hanna said that Youssef Nada, with whom he has remained in contact, and other bank officials were the victims as the US sought to justify its policies in the war on terrorism.  Mr. Hanna said of the recommendation by John Ashcroft, U.S. Attorney General, to list the Bank as a terrorist organization: “If you are going to accuse someone of doing something heinous, you should be prepared to substantiate it, and if you don’t do that, it’s a very bad thing.”  The
    Tribune went on to say as follows: “Mr. Hanna said that he had conducted business with Mr. Nada and his colleague for at least 15 years before the bank decided to give up its Bahamian licence in 2001, and hadn’t any reason to believe they were linked to what Mr. Ashcroft was claiming.”  That spurred the U.S. Ambassador into action in a shockingly frank response to the intervention of a private citizen.  A press release was issued the next day in The Tribune.
    The Embassy said that it was disturbed by Mr. Hanna's response.  The release asserted that there was credible evidence which cannot be revealed because it might compromise ongoing investigations.  The Tribune said of the Embassy’s statement: “The Embassy urged Mr. Hanna to think long and hard about what he says on behalf of Al Taqwa Bank, about how much he really knows about the origin and destination of funds that flowed through it and related organizations… Our first responsibility is to do everything in our power to prevent another vile and treacherous attack, such as happened on 11 September, from happening again.  We will not now, nor will we ever shut up on this issue.”  Many Bahamians felt that the Ambassador had overreached himself again.  Mr. Hanna took the matter as a threat to him, and those who know his personality said that it is not likely to lead to his shutting up either.  Some Bahamians were concerned for his sister, the Minister, but no official complaint has come from the Americans on either.
    For the moment the Bahamas Government seems to be just watching from a distance with a wary eye.  It has a responsibility to protect its citizens from unfair attacks from foreign countries while at the same time managing the relationship between the U.S. and ourselves for the greater good.  People are worried that the U.S. is using its authority and power to stifle free expression in the name of fighting terrorism.
 

PETER BETHELL DIES

    The former Sports Minister and founder of the Bahamas Games Peter Bethell has died at the age of 51 following a long battle with cancer of the esophagus.  He is survived by his wife Cheryl, a prosecutor at the Attorney General's office and an infant daughter in addition to a son from a previous marriage.  Mr. Bethell was a chain smoker.  He was widely hailed as a loved colleague despite differences that emerged between himself and the PLP when in 1997 the new leader of the PLP did not nominate him for the Senate despite his being elected Deputy Leader of the PLP.  He dropped out of PLP politics and flirted with supporting the Coalition for Democratic Reform, the Party of Dr. Bernard Nottage whom he supported for Leader in the 1997 fight.  Nevertheless at the time of his death all had been forgiven and Prime Minister Christie and a slew of PLP Ministers especially Vincent Peet were regular visitors to his bedside.
    Some hard feelings are said to have emerged in his death by his family who claim not to have been allowed access to their brother during his illness and death.  This is the kind of normal guff one hears at deaths especially involving a young and protective widow.  But many people held great affection for Mr. Bethell.  His sports colleagues in baseball, softball and basketball hailed him as quiet hero.  They were grateful also for his starting The Bahamas Games that continue today.  Memorials are scheduled for Nassau and for Freeport.  The Prime Minister paid tribute to Mr. Bethell as friend and colleague and is expected to deliver a tribute at the funeral on Wednesday 31st July at the Christ Church Cathedral.
 
 

PEACE IN THE WOMEN’S BRANCH?
    You may have been following the stories in this column about the split in the women's branch.  The nub of the matter is that while Minister of Transport and former Women’s Branch Chair Glenys Hanna Martin was off on official business in Greece, elections were scheduled by Vice Chair Rohann Rolle and a new slate of officers was elected.  It rained cats and dogs on the day and so barely a quorum was there to take the vote when normally the meeting would have been packed.
    Senator Paulette Zonicle who had ambitions to become the Chair was furious and started another Party movement of ‘professional’ women.  They tried to bring the matter several times to the floor of the PLP Council but it appears that Bradley Roberts, the National Chair, has stopped it once and for all.  Last Sunday 21st July the new officers were officially installed by the Chairman of the Party Bradley Roberts.   The Nassau Guardian showed a picture of former Chair Glenys Hanna Martin all smiles with Minister Allyson Maynard Gibson and Mr. Roberts.  Senator Zonicle and her professional women are said not to be happy about this and some reported that she stormed out of the last Council meeting when her attempt to raise the issue was trashed by members present.  Things that make you go: hmmm! Guardian photo by Patrick Hanna.
 

POVERTY SURVEY
    The poverty survey commissioned by the former administration of The Bahamas is said to be almost completed and the results will be available at the end of the summer.
 

FNM TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL CANDIDATES
    You guessed it.  The FNM’s conclave held last week was all sweetness and light.  The Chairman of the Party Dwight Sawyer told The Tribune that the conclave held in Nassau last week at the Loyola Centre for people to vent was a great success.  The party has decided that when the House comes back for the recess it will have reorganized itself to such an extent that potential candidates will be identified for the seats that they lost in the last general election.  In that regard they will be trying to take a page out of the page of many PLP candidates who stayed in the constituencies particularly like Fox Hill (Fred Mitchell) and Yamacraw (Melanie Griffin) even though they were defeated, they stuck in and defeated the persons who defeated them.  The PLP should know this and therefore the party representatives should stay close to their people.
    One straw in the wind is that PLP leader Perry Christie no longer intends to step down as leader as he promised during the campaign up to the election.  It now appears that he will run for a second term.  The PLP will of course have to avoid the internecine warfare that erupted in the FNM over the issue of succession.  Just a note, the Jamaican majority party led by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson is said to be studying how the PLP won the Government from Hubert Ingraham and was able to reverse a landslide so quickly.  They say they want to use the election in The Bahamas to ensure that the election is not lost by their party in Jamaica.  Polls in Jamaica give the opposition Jamaica Labour Party a sight edge in the next election due this year in Jamaica.
 
 

KEEPING SAYS THAT HE WAS NOT BROKE
    Chief Executive Officer of Cable Bahamas Philip Keeping has come back roaring in to a charge by MP Pierre Dupuch that he was broke when he came to The Bahamas to start Cable Bahamas.  The deal by Hubert Ingraham to give the contract to Phil Keeping’s Cable Bahamas has been much criticized on many sides as being corrupt.  The former Prime Minister gave the deal to Mr. Keeping in the face of opposition from Bahamians from across the spectrum.  Most people believed that Bahamians should have gotten the contract.  Mr. Dupuch was speaking during the debate on BaTelCo when the House last met.
    Mr. Keeping told the Nassau Guardian that Mr. Dupuch did not have the slightest idea what he was talking about and that he was not broke when he started Cable Bahamas.  He claimed to have started Cable Bahamas with millions of his own money.  No one of course buys that story.  The wide belief is that Mr. Keeping was broke and came here hustling for a cable licence that eventually he got by fair means or foul from Hubert Ingraham's administration.  He made a fortune some think for himself and a silent partner whose name we will not call.  But as they say: you whistle and I’ll point.

THE CHICKEN WAR
    Alfred Gray, the Minister of Agriculture seems to have gotten himself into an unnecessary pickle by entering on behalf of Bahamian producers what we call here the “Chicken Wars”.  Under the law in The Bahamas, there is a protective tariff on imported chicken.  It is prohibitively high to protect local producers like Gladstone Farms.  Their consultant Godfrey Eneas has been in the press during the week predicting a dire end for the poultry industry in The Bahamas.  He said that Gladstone Farms was about to close its door unless some effort was made to move against those violating the tariff protection.  It can be circumvented lawfully by getting an import permit from the Ministry of Agriculture.  School’s out and chicken is the favourite food of Bahamian men, women and children.  The cheaper the chicken the better. 
    No one could quite figure out why the Minister sought to get into the debate defending producers that most people feel are inefficient and can’t produce chicken of the requisite quality in sufficient quantities at a cheap price.  Mr. Gray told the press that he intended to move with vigour against those who were violating the Ministry's rules.  That ought to go over big with the crowd at Bamboo Shack.  At week's end, it appeared that peace was emerging in the industry as talks are said to have gone well with the Minister over how to go forward.  Meanwhile his staff are still complaining that he is a little too pompous for their liking and has swallowed the FNM's gaggle of advisors hook line and sinker.  Some have sought to see the Prime Minister to complain. Guardian photo of Minister Gray, Bahama Journal photo of poultry farming in The Bahamas.
 

ANGLICAN ORDINATIONS

    The Anglican Archbishop Drexel Gomez could well have said to the Roman Catholic Archbishop Lawrence Burke eat your heart out his week as he ordained six new members of the clergy as priests in the Anglican church: mature young men and young men.  It still shows that the priesthood is an attractive vocation to enter.  The men who were ordained are Fr. Mark Fox, Fr. Mario Conliffe, Fr. Jonathan Archer; Fr. Scott Brennen.  The ordination took place at the Christ Church Cathedral in Nassau on Monday 22nd July.  The sermon was preached by Archdeacon Ranfurly Brown who stunned the church and his fellow priests by warning the new ordinands that their colleague priests in his words were “a bunch of cut throats”.  Things that make you go: hmmm!  Two men were ordained in Freeport, Grand Bahama at the pro cathedral Christ The King on Thursday 25th July, Fathers Kirkland Russell and Hugh Bartlett.  Congratulations to them all. The Archbishop is pictured with the ordinands from The Tribune's Religious section Thursday 25th July.
 
 

BERNARD NOTTAGE SPEAKS
    Dr. Bernard Nottage who is the leader of the Coalition for Democratic Reform (CDR) has not been heard from since the 2nd May General Election.  His third party was soundly trounced in the General Election, with all of its candidates losing their deposits to the Treasury, including himself.   Everyone was asking: Where is he?  He has now emerged and spoke exclusively to The Tribune.  The interview was published in The Tribune Friday 26th July.  We publish here in his own words:

“The lamentable thing today is that there is no effective Opposition in the country.

“The opposition in the House of Assembly, I believe, is going to have a great deal of difficulty asserting themselves in the Parliament.

“I’m not persuaded that they have the kind of commitment to a vision of the governance of The Bahamas that will garner support of the public.  I haven’t heard it expressed.

On Tennyson Wells and Pierre Dupuch: “They are seasoned politicians who have quite clearly stated their visions of how the country could develop, but they are really there because they were prepared to make a deal with the PLP not oppose them.  And so to some extent, I think they are both compromised.  I don’t know how effective they can be as opposition voices in Parliament.  Although I certainly respect them and their views, I think that the FNM found itself in Parliament in a sort of leaderless position and took the path of least resistance….

“It is so disappointing that Bahamians ended up with another Parliament of the same complexion, in the sense that the PLP has 29 of the 40 House seats, which is more than enough to ignore what the opposition says or does if they are inclined…”

Dr. Nottage said that his former constituents have been calling home expressing regret at voting for his opponent: “from the day after the election, people started calling to say how disappointed they were and how sorry they were and how they didn’t know this was going to happen.  People stop me on the streets all the time, people call me at home or at my office and people have even started to call or complain about those who were elected…

“I thought prior to the election that our electorate had reached the stage where they were going to vote based on issues rather than on parties.  But I have to confess that it is clear to me that people didn’t really vote on issues.  Once they got caught up in the frenzy, they voted based on party.

“I have no plans to retire from politics…

“It is clear that the PLP did not expect to win.  I would have thought that had they expected to win, they would have been more prepared after this first session.”
 
 

RICK FOX FOR THE BAHAMAS

   The President of the Basketball Association Ricardo Smith has a great facility for causing offence where none is necessary.  And it appears that he may have done so in the matter of Rick Fox attempting to play for The Bahamas.  Mr. Fox has sought to make amends with the Bahamian public for playing with the Canadian team in the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain in 1996.  The start of that was to be the Caribbean Basketball Championships in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands this summer.  He didn’t make the team.  The Bahamas finished third in the series.  Mr. Fox could not play because the International Olympic Committee would not clear him to play because he played for Canada in the World Championships of 1991.
    Ulric Fox, the father of Rick and owner of Holiday Ice, said that the fault was the local association.  They had the responsibility to ensure that he was clear to play.  He said that Mr. Fox is now trying to expend his own money at an arbitration case in Geneva, Switzerland.  Mr. Fox said that his son wants to play for The Bahamas and said it is not true that he never intended to play for The Bahamas.  Trust Mr. Smith to insult gratuitously.  Mr. Fox Sr. told The Tribune of Friday 26th July: “That is not true and I know better than that.  They know exactly what went wrong.  The person who didn’t do their job, they are the ones that need to correct that.”  Sounds like Mr. Smith needs to think again. Guardian photos of Rick Fox and Ricardo Smith.
 

COMMONWEALTH GAMES BEGIN

    The Bahamas team has marched in the opening ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games.  The Games opened in Manchester, England to what Bahamians called a cold and teeth chattering climate on Thursday 25th July before Her Majesty the Queen.  The team was resplendent in their aquamarine jackets and they held up the show as they stopped to look for Minister of Sports Neville Wisdom in the stands.  It was only when they found him and he waved back with the Bahamian flag that they moved on.  Missing from the march past was the swim team.  The Tribune launched an all out blitz against Vincent Wallace Whitfield, the controversial President of the Swim Federation.  Julian Lockhart The Tribune's writer, blamed Mr. Wallace Whitfield for the fiasco saying that he was looking out for himself by flying direct to London but arranging for the swim team to fly via the U.S. starting early in the morning with long layovers in Miami and in New Jersey.   There is a move afoot to dump Mr. Whitfield.  The claim that this is the third act of selfishness in which he has been engaged as President of the Federation.  Some even say that the editor of this site may be priming himself to run for the office.  Two of his children are top notch Bahamian swimmers (cb).  Late word in:  Debbie Thompson and Sevatheda Fynes of The Bahamas placed first and third in the womens 100 metre final in the Commonwealth Games.  Gold medalist Thompson is shown winning her earlier heat at the Games in this Tribune photo.  Tim Aylen's photo of Team Bahamas was shown in the Guardian.

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CONGRATULATIONS TO SHAMAR SANDS

    The teams are back from the Junior World International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) meet in Sudbury, Canada.  The star of that show was Shamar Sands who became the country’s second medalist ever in those games.   His picture was all over the newspapers, and most people feel if he stays on track he will go far.  But many have seen the fire before, the likes of Andrew Tynes or the late Joey Wells, a blaze of talent destroyed by disease or lack of discipline.  We wish Mr. Sands well.  The Nassau Guardian showed a picture in their sports section of Mr. Sands being greeted at the airport in a Patrick Hanna photo on Tuesday 23rd July.  He was met by the first medalist at those games from The Bahamas Eugene Greene.  Both are students of St. Augustine's College in Nassau.  Missing from the IAAF games for the second time due to an unfortunate sprain at a race in Kingston, Jamaica is Grafton Ifill III.
 

A VISIT TO HAITI

    The picture from Peter Ramsay shows the Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell and the Minister for Immigration at a news conference shortly after they arrived at 9 p.m. on Thursday 25th July at the Millionaire Terminal at the Nassau International Airport.  They travelled on a Beechcraft King Air 7 seater.  The journey was one hour and fifty minutes.  While there the Ministers met with Foreign Minister Philippe Antonio of Haiti and Jean Bertrand Aristide, President of Haiti.
 

THE FOREIGN MINISTER AT WORK

    The Ambassador of Portugal his Excellency Joao Alberto Bacelar da Rocha Paris presented his credential to the Governor General Dame Ivy Dumont on Thursday 25th July.  He is the first accredited ambassador of Portugal to The Bahamas.  Portugal has an Honorary Consul here Robert Arnold who resides in Lyford Cay and an honorary Vice Consul.  This was the first for the Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell and this photo appeared in the Nassau Guardian.  The Ambassador also paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Perry Christie and was feted at Government House.  Peter Ramsay photos.

A MESSAGE TO THE CUBAN CONSULATE
One of the most powerful lobbies in the country is the Cuban consulate.  They must have a link in every Bahamian home, especially the men young and old who go there for what we shall call recreation.  The Cubans had a party on 26th July to celebrate their revolution.  Noticeably absent from the reception was Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell.  But noticeably present was former Foreign Minister Janet Bostwick.  The Cubans had her address the gathering as if she were the Foreign Minister.  Perhaps they would remind themselves that it was Janet Bostwick herself who threatened the Cuban Ambassador to The Bahamas when he met with Opposition Leaders including her now successor Fred Mitchell.  A word to the wise is as they say sufficient.
 

HAIL TO THE POPE
It is a remarkable sight. Millions of young people, screaming and emotionally charged up by the words and the presence of an 82 year old man whose words are not well enunciated.  It is quite remarkable.  It is a tribute to the message.  It is a tribute to an excellent public relations machine.  The whole bit about priestly scandals now seems very much in the background.  The Pope, currently on a multi-nation tour, is currently in Canada.
 

MINISTER’S TRAVELLING
Alfred Sears, the Attorney General is in New York on a private visit.

Vincent Peet, the Minister for Immigration is Atlanta and Orlando on a private visit.

Leslie Miller, the Minister for Trade and Industry is on an official visit to North Carolina to view a potential business investment.
 
 

CITY MARKETS STRIKE

    There is a strike at City Markets stores in Nassau.  The line staff’s   walked off the job in protest over the slow pace of the negotiations.  Acting Minister of Labour Fred Mitchell has called the parties to a meeting later today to see if there is some room for forward movement. Bahama Journal photo by Kishno Jones.

A STORY ON IMPOTENCE
(by Claire Booth)
     For Bahamian men, and indeed who knows, all men, the ability to “get it up” as they say is something they wish to take to their graves.  One man describes the crisis in his marriage once he had a heart attack and the doctor put him on some medication that caused him not to be able to have an erection.  His wife was upset for weeks.  And he did not know what to do.   But the fact is that hypertension and its effects like kidney failure, stroke and heart attack are a leading cause of death in The Bahamas.  It is often attended by diabetes.  And so many more men than you think in The Bahamas have that problem.  Many court disaster by refusing to take their medication.

    Our informant turns fifty one this year.  And he was depressed.  He had never had the problem.  His wife is trying to understand but the more she is sympathetic, the more he is depressed.  How could it happen to him?  What kind of medication could this be?

    But the doctors are clear that if one medication has that side affect, then you can try other medications until you get the right dosage or medication that will allow you to have a more or less normal life.  Many just think that it’s a gift that they have to give up.  Many don’t bother to try.  They are too embarrassed to speak to their friends or to their doctors.  And one supposes that it is better safe than sorry.

    The problem is that he now has a crisis in his marriage that will require some negotiating and adjustments and at 50 it is not easy to do this.  But it is clear that help is available so that men can continue to have the best of both worlds.  He told us that he felt that the world had crashed in, like he was just not the person he used to be.  Perhaps he is right but modern medicine has made it possible to continue to have a full and healthy life even if one has to make adjustments for high blood pressure.

    We urge all men to see their doctors with the following: a prostate check every year including a digital check and a psa  blood test; a colonoscopy every two years; and regular blood pressure checks, watch your weight and exercise.  It can help to make the quality of your life much better.
 

B.S. NOTES FROM GENEVA’S FREEPORT… PLUS
In this new format, the former News From Grand Bahama is renamed as above.  This signifies the initials of our senior correspondent from the nation’s second city, with the ‘plus’ for the many other sources from whom contributions are accepted. Ed.

BJ To FNM? - Coalition for Democratic Reform CEO (leader) Dr. Bernard Nottage has been in the news this week. (See story above)  The resurfacing of Dr. Nottage after May's election loss has fuelled rumour and speculation in Grand Bahama that the FNM may be preparing to court him for a role in its lagging leadership.  Our senior correspondent reports that the mood among politicos of the CDR is grim.  "If BJ goes to the FNM we wish him God speed but we're ain't going with him, especially to a party that's about to break up..."   Vocal Grand Bahama FNMs say they "won't take any more PLPs to run their party after Hubert left us worse off than he met us..."  Things that make you go: hmmm!

Royal Oasis Hounds Another Bahamian - The latest stir at Royal Oasis hotels, formerly Resorts at Bahamia, formerly Princess Properties alleges that Bahamian Hercules Knowles, a pastry chef and 25 year employee has been 'let go'.  Insiders say Mr. Knowles was hounded out by expatriate trainers who are suspected of already having a foreign candidate lined up for his job.  Immigration officials have been put on notice to lookout for an application for a pastry chef.  Said one source: "One thing The Bahamas is not short of right now is pastry chefs."  In a related development, industry sources say that bookings have been up for the Royal Oasis over the last month, so "they should be able to start paying some of their bills..."  We hope that this signals that their much cited financial woes are behind them.

Gray Under Fire - Various political observers in Grand Bahama have contacted this site to complain that Agriculture & Fisheries Minister Alfred Gray "missed a great opportunity to educate Bahamians" on what is likely to happen when the FTAA (Free Trade Agreement of the Americas) and WTO (World Trade Organization) regimes come into place in 2005.   The source said that "The minister can't attempt to blame either the customs officers or agriculture officials over US chickens being allowed into the country, because he is the Minister and he is responsible."  We add no comment, except to say that it might be worth exploring this crisis in the chicken industry in the light of these upcoming trade pacts.

The Haitian Question - A letter from Grand Bahama intellectual and attorney Rawle Maynard puts an interesting point of view in a contribution to the latest debate over the question of Haitian migrants to The Bahamas...
    "Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell and Labour & Immigration Minister Vincent Peet travelled to Haiti recently to persuade President Aristide of Haiti to stop the flow of Haitians coming to The Bahamas seeking a better way of life, but more importantly they want Haiti to join OPBAT.  It may not be commonly known, but OPBAT is by agreement a vehicle whereby Caribbean countries subsidize and otherwise aid the USA's war on drugs and Haitians.  OPBAT would have Bahamian and perhaps Haitian patrol vessels seize Haitian sloops, loaded with impoverished desperate Haitian nationals, seeking to escape hunger, on the high seas in international waters, arrest the passengers, put them in Bahamian jails, destroy their vessels and in time deport them back to Haiti.  Haiti is, or course, the poorest country in the hemisphere and they are being denied aid because their politicians are wicked just like ours.
    Why do we arrest Haitians in international waters when we have not determined where their destination is?  Should we not instead give them food and water and help them on their way?  Surely, Messrs. Mitchell and Peet, both lawyers, know that it is unlawful to arrest vessels and persons inside or outside of Bahamian territorial waters who have not committed any crime.  Until they land in The Bahamas no crime is committed.
    One wonders whether this mission was not undertaken at the urging of Viceroy Blankenship and that it was more concerned with keeping Haitians from reaching the U.S.A.  Lest we forget Haitians are our brothers and sisters, we have the same origins and when Haitians were in a position to do so they offered us freedom.  When Americans were catching African slaves and after the Haitians had defeated the French (now of FATF & OECD fame) the Republic of Haiti offered every black person who reached their shores freedom.  Moreso, they are our kith and kin with many now prominent names in The Bahamas most likely descended from Haiti.
    Mr. Mitchell so long as the Americans discriminate against our brothers we should offer the brothers our favour and assistance after all 'blood thicker than water'.  To ask President Aristide to stop Haitians from taking to the sea in search of a better life is like asking Chairman Arafat to stop the suicide bombings." Bahama Journal file photo of a boatload of Haitian migrants.