The FNM & Turnquest got it wrong again

The Progressive Liberal Party was once again bewildered and dumbfounded by the comments made by the Leader of the Free National Movement, Senator Tommy Turnquest, on Thursday past when he addressed the Rotary Club of West Nassau on the government’s participation in talks to end the political crisis in Haiti.

The PLP firmly supports and wholeheartedly endorses the position taken by the Government to be intimate in the discussions being promoted by CARICOMM with a view to ending the political impasse in Haiti. The sessions held in The Bahamas, Haiti and Jamaica with President Aristide and the Haitian opposition were essential to ensure that there exist a democratic framework to restore calm and civility to the process in Haiti. The PLP is extremely proud of the representation that has been brought to the regional dialogue by Prime Minister Perry Christie and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fred Mitchell.

It is of major importance that the Government be as active as it is presently in the process. The reality and effects of illegal migration have saddled The Bahamas for decades. The historical trends indicate that when there is political turmoil in Haiti then the result is likely to be increased illegal migration traffic to this nation. Therefore, it is the view of the PLP that the Government’s activism and resolve in bringing an end to the political crisis in Haiti is in the best interests of The Bahamas and our sovereignty.

The statement by the FNM Leader reveals once again that he is not fit to lead this nation and that he has no vision for this new Bahamas.

For Mr. Turnquest to suggest that the Government’s involvement in Haiti is a neglect of the local agenda is but a shallow and narrow approach to the Government’s policy on Haiti. The evidence is rather compelling that once Haiti is put on the path to political stability then the net result is likely to be a substantial reduction in the amount of Haitians risking their lives on the high seas in search of better economic opportunities. We in the PLP do not accept the view that Haitians would wish to leave their land of birth to live in The Bahamas. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the Government of The Bahamas, one of the regional leaders, to assist in the international effort to ensure that the future of the oldest Black Republic is indeed one that mirrors our long history of political stability. To neglect Haiti and the crisis in Haiti will spell doom for The Bahamas as many more Haitians will lose faith in the democratic process in their homeland and will seek out a better way of life elsewhere.

It is really a sad day in our maturing politic for the Leader of a major political party to address such an issue of national and regional importance with no sense of decency and obvious appreciation for the issues. Tommy Turnquest at best demonstrated once again that he is miserably out of touch with the Bahamian people and that he has no understanding of the concept of international cooperation. It will be wise for Mr. Turnquest to gain an appreciation for the fact that national leaders must sometimes look outside their borders to lend assistance to neighboring states who may require assistance in the spirit of good international relations.   No leader in 2004 can turn a blind eye to his neighbors. Such a policy goes against the very concept of world peace and the building of international friendships. Mr. Turnquest will be wise to remember the stellar role played by the former Prime Minister, Sir Lynden O. Pindling, in the crafting of the Nassau Accord and the resulting freeing of Nelson Mandela and the international campaign that brought an end to the racist regime in South Africa. It is this approach that can likewise achieve great things for the future of Haiti and therefore the efforts of The Bahamas and our regional partners must be heralded.

Further, the PLP goes publicly on record to support the creation of labour offices in Haiti as a means to stem the flow of illegal immigrants to our shore. This approach is progressive and forward thinking and will no doubt be one of the ways by which good will is created with the people of Haiti.

Mr. Turnquest should be fully aware, since he boasts of having experience in governmental affairs, that labour offices by their mere existence do not cause illegal migration. Instead these offices will bring a systematic approach and a bureaucratic mechanism so as to only allow those Haitians who are interested in gaining entry to The Bahamas to first secure a work permit. In fact, this approach is no different than that now required for the issue of work permits to other foreign nationals.

The PLP also notes that in recent times there has been a significant drop-off in Haitians trying to gain illegal entry into the borders of The Bahamas. This may be a direct result of the Government’s new policy on Haiti and if so, then we are already reaping the benefits of this Government’s sound and reasoned approach to the decades long problem of illegal Haitian migration.

The FNM Leader also miserably failed to show a degree of sympathy and concern for the many Bahamians who have family ties and associations with the people of Haiti. Mr. Turnquest would obviously wish to ignore the fact that there are many hard working and patriotic Bahamians who are of Haitian parentage and who therefore deserve a Government that understands and places great value on their ancestral connection. The FNM and its leadership brazenly failed to appreciate this fact and have revealed their disrespect to those Bahamians who are proud of their Haitian ancestry.

It would therefore be wise for the leadership of the FNM to reconsider its position on Haiti. The FNM ought to have embraced the posture of the Government and should have pledged their assistance in the dialogue. Instead their leader went on a deceptive, wicked and baseless attack on the Government’s efforts and has sought to make a political issue out of a matter that is one which requires the unified approach and support of all Bahamians.

There are some issues that deserve no opposition. This is such an issue.   And the sooner the FNM and its leadership appreciate this the better.