Schools, hospitals and churches off limits to Immigration
tribune242 editorial
THIS WEEK Belinda Wilson, president of the Bahamas Union of Teachers, agreed that undocumented Haitian students should be removed from the Bahamas' school system.
While recognising that it was a delicate situation, that no child in the Bahamas can be denied an education, and that no roundup of Haitian students whose parents are illegally in this country, should be carried out on school property, Ms Wilson said teachers are willing to assist Immigration in identifying the students for their eventual removal. She was supporting an intention allegedly made by Immigration Director Jack Thompson in a speech to the New Providence Association of Public High School Principals' annual retreat. However, Mr Thompson denied a newspaper report - not a Tribune report - that quoted him as saying that the country has to "flush out" undocumented immigrants who are enrolled in the country's school system "absorbing our resources."
Mr Thompson denied any suggestion that the Immigration Department intends to target these children. He said he made it clear to the educators that education is a fundamental human right which every child is entitled to receive.
"Administrators were told," said Mr Thompson, "that students of foreign nationals attending schools should apply to the Department of Immigration for a residency permit or permit to reside." He said it was "emphasised that while students should not be denied the right of a basic education, records by the Department to Immigration are critical for future applications, or permanent residence or citizenship."
He agreed that the children's issue was a sensitive one and requires professionalism and discretion.
He said that his department, fully appreciating the sensitivity of the matter, always tries to make certain that its policies and actions are in "compliance with international law and acceptable national and international standards and practices."
This is a most difficult situation and unless handled extremely carefully can be turned into a human witch hunt. If vulnerable parents believe that they can be targeted through their school children, there will be a mass exodus from the schools, which then becomes a police problem as the children take to the bush.
The last problem will then be far greater than the first.
The situation of the children is not of easy solution. Many of these children have been born here of parents who have lived in the Bahamas for many years. No child born in the Bahamas after 1973 is automatically a Bahamian citizen. However, at the age of 18 that young person can apply for citizenship. No impediments being in the way, the grant of citizenship should be automatic.
However, a Haitian child born in the Bahamas, does have an impediment to block his automatic citizenship -- his parents are illegal residents. We don't know if over the years the Bahamas and Haitian governments have worked out another thorny problem. However, at one time Haiti did not recognise as Haitian citizens a child born in the Bahamas of Haitian parents. If this is still the position it means that the Bahamas will have many stateless children on its hands. This is indeed a major problem -- an international problem.
Many vocal Bahamians want Haitian children not only removed from the schools, but all undocumented residents -- mostly Haitians -- to be banned from the hospitals and clinics. This is a most shortsighted and dangerous position, and the fastest way to fan an epidemic that could affect us all.
Let these people fear seeking medical help for a disease that could be contagious, and rather than be arrested stay at home, they could infect their family, their neighbours, their community and eventually all of New Providence.
Doctors, for example, swear the Hippocratic Oath, which is one of the oldest binding documents in history. Its principles are still held sacred by doctors today. Doctors swear to treat the sick to the best of their ability, preserve the patient's privacy, teach the secrets of medicine to the next generation, etc. And so doctors, in practising their profession are bound to keep information about their patients secret. They are also obliged to treat them regardless of who they are or from where they come.
Mr Thompson has made it clear that the job of Immigration is to protect the Bahamas from illegal immigrants, but he stresses that it is a task that must be carried out with sensitivity.
"We never send any immigration officers to the schools," said Mr Thompson. "The schools, the church and the hospitals are off limits."
This does not remove the Haitian problem, which has to be approached in another way.
July 07, 2011
tribune242 editorial
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
...the frustration many Bahamians feel with the failed immigration policy in The Bahamas regarding Haitians
Government immigration statements must be clear
thenassauguardian editorial
The Director of the Department of Immigration, Jack Thompson, on Thursday made hawkish statements on the illegal immigration problem in The Bahamas while addressing principals at an event at SuperClubs Breezes Resort.
Thompson, said The Bahamas cannot afford to have illegal immigrants in the public school system “absorbing our resources.”
“You should call me and tell me where they are living because I have to deal with them,” Thompson told the principals.
“We have to hit at the root. The root is the parent. I am not in the business of sending the children home and not the parents or sending the parents and not sending the children. We have to send them together.
“All of them must go and they must go as soon as possible because we can’t have people illegally residing and going to school and absorbing our resources. You know how the community feels about this. The communities are outraged.”
Thompson also emphasized at that event that his department does not, as a matter of policy, apprehend undocumented children at schools.
Thompson’s bold remarks reflect the frustration many Bahamians feel with the failed immigration policy in The Bahamas regarding Haitians.
Successive governments have been unable to slow the flow of people from Haiti to this country. Therefore, there are thousands of people here who were not invited.
All right-thinking people would accept that it is impossible to stop unauthorized Haitian migration to this country. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and it has a population of nearly 10 million. Many Haitians want a fresh start away from the struggling republic.
Many Bahamians, however, think that successive more can be done by our leaders to reduce the flow of Haitians to The Bahamas. This segment of society is frustrated and angry. Those Bahamians want illegal shantytowns demolished and those who are here illegally to be sent home.
By echoing this frustration, however, Thompson went in tone beyond the policy position of the executive branch of government. The Free National Movement (FNM) administration has been moderate in its approach. The FNM has held to the traditional apprehension and repatriation policy, but it has also extended an olive branch, inviting Haitians who have been in the country for long periods of time to come in and be regularized.
The Nassau Guardian published Thompson’s remarks last Friday. It appears as if Thompson’s superiors in the Cabinet were not impressed. On Friday he issued a more conciliatory statement, emphasizing that Immigration will not be targeting undocumented children in schools.
If the Cabinet wants to clarify the position of the government, that’s fine. Policy and tone are dictated by Cabinet. We take issue, however, with the insinuation that this newspaper misconstrued what Thompson said Thursday.
“The Thursday’s article gives the impression that children are to be targeted by the department’s officials. The Department of Immigration regrets this insinuation and strongly condemns any such suggestion or attributions,” said Thompson’s Friday statement.
This newspaper reported what the immigration director said at a public forum. The comments the Cabinet has a problem with were uttered by its head of department. The dispute it has is not with this newspaper and it should not have statements sent out suggesting improper reporting when the issue is one between the executive branch of government and one of its senior officials.
The Friday statement should have simply said that the immigration director was excessive in tone and that the policy of the Cabinet is more moderate.
The Nassau Guardian needs not be involved with the varied policy positions held between senior civil servants and the executive branch of government.
Jul 04, 2011
thenassauguardian editorial
thenassauguardian editorial
The Director of the Department of Immigration, Jack Thompson, on Thursday made hawkish statements on the illegal immigration problem in The Bahamas while addressing principals at an event at SuperClubs Breezes Resort.
Thompson, said The Bahamas cannot afford to have illegal immigrants in the public school system “absorbing our resources.”
“You should call me and tell me where they are living because I have to deal with them,” Thompson told the principals.
“We have to hit at the root. The root is the parent. I am not in the business of sending the children home and not the parents or sending the parents and not sending the children. We have to send them together.
“All of them must go and they must go as soon as possible because we can’t have people illegally residing and going to school and absorbing our resources. You know how the community feels about this. The communities are outraged.”
Thompson also emphasized at that event that his department does not, as a matter of policy, apprehend undocumented children at schools.
Thompson’s bold remarks reflect the frustration many Bahamians feel with the failed immigration policy in The Bahamas regarding Haitians.
Successive governments have been unable to slow the flow of people from Haiti to this country. Therefore, there are thousands of people here who were not invited.
All right-thinking people would accept that it is impossible to stop unauthorized Haitian migration to this country. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and it has a population of nearly 10 million. Many Haitians want a fresh start away from the struggling republic.
Many Bahamians, however, think that successive more can be done by our leaders to reduce the flow of Haitians to The Bahamas. This segment of society is frustrated and angry. Those Bahamians want illegal shantytowns demolished and those who are here illegally to be sent home.
By echoing this frustration, however, Thompson went in tone beyond the policy position of the executive branch of government. The Free National Movement (FNM) administration has been moderate in its approach. The FNM has held to the traditional apprehension and repatriation policy, but it has also extended an olive branch, inviting Haitians who have been in the country for long periods of time to come in and be regularized.
The Nassau Guardian published Thompson’s remarks last Friday. It appears as if Thompson’s superiors in the Cabinet were not impressed. On Friday he issued a more conciliatory statement, emphasizing that Immigration will not be targeting undocumented children in schools.
If the Cabinet wants to clarify the position of the government, that’s fine. Policy and tone are dictated by Cabinet. We take issue, however, with the insinuation that this newspaper misconstrued what Thompson said Thursday.
“The Thursday’s article gives the impression that children are to be targeted by the department’s officials. The Department of Immigration regrets this insinuation and strongly condemns any such suggestion or attributions,” said Thompson’s Friday statement.
This newspaper reported what the immigration director said at a public forum. The comments the Cabinet has a problem with were uttered by its head of department. The dispute it has is not with this newspaper and it should not have statements sent out suggesting improper reporting when the issue is one between the executive branch of government and one of its senior officials.
The Friday statement should have simply said that the immigration director was excessive in tone and that the policy of the Cabinet is more moderate.
The Nassau Guardian needs not be involved with the varied policy positions held between senior civil servants and the executive branch of government.
Jul 04, 2011
thenassauguardian editorial
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Above all the other Bahama Islands, New Providence is becoming a crime-plagued, filthy and populous township where the spiraling rate of violent crime appears to be only comparable to a pandemic for which there seems to be no wave of immunisation
Fighting rising crime in New Providence
By ADRIAN GIBSON
ajbahama@hotmail.com
I wish to say a special thank you to all of this column's faithful readers who expressed their condolences and kind regards over the last few weeks since the sudden and tragic passing of my dear uncle (Aaron Gibson), who was like a father to me. While my heart still cries and I'm gradually and sometimes emotionally writing a column to commemorate him--to be published in the coming weeks--I remain grateful for all of your support and prayers. Prior to my uncle's death, I had already taken a sabbatical from writing this column to prepare for end-of-semester examinations.
AS we enter the second half of 2011, it is clear that a tsunami of death and mayhem has surged over Bahamian society. Above all the other Bahama Islands, New Providence is becoming a crime-plagued, filthy and populous township where the spiraling rate of violent crime appears to be only comparable to a pandemic for which there seems to be no wave of immunisation.
In what appears likely to be yet another record-setting year for murders, the murder count has exceeded 60 murders midway through the year and our society is gripped by ghoulish, criminal incidents that know no frontiers and have crept into nearly every nook and cranny of our country. When hearing reports of murders and robberies in outlying, relatively quiet islands such as Andros, Exuma, Long Island, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Abaco and even Bimini, it is clear that the high rate of violent crime has mutated across the archipelago. It is baffling to note the daily stories of death and violence that is sending shivers down the collective spine of the entire Bahamas, a once quaint society that, in the past, policed itself.
At this rate, as it relates to crime, the Bahamas will soon be on a respirator and appears to be a banana peel away from slipping into a state of disorder as the criminal element becomes more and more emboldened.
Indeed, crime is a hot button issue that has catapulted to the forefront of the national consciousness and engendered the public's fury as fellow Bahamians are falling like stunned bugs at the hands of vicious criminals and there appears to be a depreciated outlook on the value of human life. In their state of alarm, Bahamians have become more distrusting of their fellow countrymen and are swiftly arming themselves with cutlasses, shot guns, bats and taking other safety measures to ensure their security.
The rule of law, as noted by the great philosopher Aristotle, is preferable to that of any individual. British philosopher Thomas Hobbes opined, in his work Leviathan, that without the rule of law, life would be "nasty, brutish and short." The law is expected to fundamentally underpin all societies, however, the authority of the state is being openly challenged by organised and sadistic criminals.
The crime hotspot - New Providence - has been beset by house break-ins, vehicle and boat thefts, arms trafficking, migrant smuggling, highjackings, money laundering, identity theft, fraud, cyber crime, robberies, rapes, drug peddling, and heinous murders and drive-by shootings. The past year - last decade - has been one of murder and bedlam, as carnage has been left about the nation's streets and a blanket of grief is draping many families across the archipelago. As a vicious cycle of retaliatory violence is being unleashed and our nation descends into becoming an absolute madhouse, it is obvious that our moral fabric is tattered.
Locally, the notion of selective justice must be stamped out. Respect for the law has been eroded even at the highest level of government by influence peddling and deal-making. It is known that some of the country's movers and shakers fail to heed the law themselves as there is a conspicuous level of deception and transgressions by some unprincipled politicians and white collar criminals that, for the most part, go unreported.
Crime is an insidious scourge on our society that must be tackled at every level. There is a common consensus among the populace that the crime rate is too high and, for many, that capital punishment should be carried out, so it perplexes me how time-wasting committees continue to be appointed and/or are deferred to. Surely, the movers behind such committees should realise that the Bahamian people are not intellectual midgets!
Indeed, over the last few years, international attention has been drawn to the Bahamas due to the spate of tourist-related robberies. However, the police must also pay special attention to certain drug peddling taxi-drivers who, it is claimed, offer illegal substances to tourists or facilitate their drug hunts. Certainly, our economic lifeline--tourism--is in jeopardy and becoming seriously endangered. Unfortunately, the public-at-large will have to bear the price for the misconduct of social miscreants and when the country's image is tarnished by boneheads.
Some time ago, I called for a "212 day", pursuant to the Penal Code, chapter 84, section 212 of the Bahamas' statute laws. On such an occasion, throngs of police officers should be deployed on to the streets to conduct this dragnet operation. Indeed, such an operation would net thousands in fines, lead to the apprehension of wanted criminals and target those individuals who are selling food out of the back trunks of vehicles without health certificates and other documentation; apprehend those who illegally light fires and destroy government/private property; arrest persons who unlawfully affix signs on buildings or public property (e.g. utility poles); fine persons who do not have a permit from the Commissioner of Police that allows them to ply their wares or hold demonstrations; fine hawkers and those loiterers who harass persons outside of banks, at ATM depots, pharmacies or while waiting at a fast-food drive-thru; penalise those peddlers of fruits, clothes and phone cards who do not have the proper documentation; throw the book at persons who play loud music or make noises to the annoyance of others, and so on.
While enforcing the law and addressing serious crimes, petty crimes must be dealt with before they become larger criminal undertakings.
In a column published on June 21, 2008 I said:
"In fighting crime and reversing the apparent lack of reverence for authority, law enforcement officials must adopt former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani's 'broken window' approach and seriously enforce the laws across the board--without ignoring any infraction. Furthermore, its high time close circuit television (CCTV) is installed, more strategic Defence Force patrols are directed at minimizing the smuggling of illegal weapons/ammunition, that police officers are heavily deployed to those boroughs with the highest instances of crime and that police officers strengthen their relationship with certain communities and thereby better their intelligence-gathering abilities."
Today, there is evidence that some of this advice has been taken into account but there remains much room for improvement.
It is a sad fact to note that Bahamians have today resorted to living in caged enclaves, due to the social menaces that most likely cropped up out of a broken home--absentee parent--and the unrelenting pursuit of material possessions. Even more, it is troubling to note that Bahamians are seemingly becoming anesthetized to the accounts of the daily bloodbaths that are vividly broadcast on the nightly news programmes.
According to social scientist Dr Silvius Wilson, as a society "we must look at the root cause of crime".
Dr Wilson states: "Crime also stems from poverty, inequality and people's life chances, their education or lack thereof and an inability of some to rationalize. Very often, when a fight occurs for example, signals break down in their ability to reason. While it is good for the police to detect, they are only a wider approach to crime.
"We must look at the social issues and consider them in a holistic way. It is very seldom that you can point to a social issue and say that it occurred for one or two reasons. There is a complex genesis as to its occurrence. We must look at where it started, what are some of the manifestations and have a sophisticated and focused response to crime," he reported.
Instead of pontificating on petty political matters, the church could have a huge impact in the fight against violent crime. It appears that the church lacks the impetus and the spiritual wherewithal to take a hands-on lead in addressing this pressing matter. My criticism of certain church-related practices in New Providence arise as I have witnessed my grandfather (Edward Gibson), an ordained Bishop in the Church of God (Long Island), exhibit kindness and a spirituality that has been manifested in his Christian/community outreach--not the pursuit of material wealth, meddling in the affairs of the state or in the use of empty words as I've observed with many New Providence-based pastors.
After a convicted murderer is sentenced, a death warrant should immediately be read. Furthermore, all appeals should be heard within 18 months after sentencing.
Workers Party leader Rodney Moncur's determination to remain vocal about violent crime and punishment is impressive. Mr Moncur has projected himself as a fair-minded campaigner in sensitizing a seemingly desensitized populace to the travails we presently face. Mr Moncur's campaign in the public's interest is a far cry from that of certain politicians who seem too insulated and too preoccupied with themselves to be genuinely concerned for others -too indifferent to the suffering of victims.
In the Bahamas, there remains a need for more judges and support staff to alleviate the backlog of cases; a serious programme to attach electronic tracking devices to the ankles of accused offenders on bail, which was supposedly initiated but little has been heard of it since then; and a sex offender's database must be created.
As school children continue to glorify violence and sadism, it is incumbent upon parents to instil a sense of ethics and responsibility so that a new generation of anti-social criminals is not bred.
Crime has reached a point where the police/officials and the community must engage in wider dialogue and consultation to effectively confront it--it requires a national partnership. The police commissioner, Ellison Greenslade, seems to be devising strategies to disrupt criminal activities and effectively target the criminal element while impressing upon the public the urgency of their assistance in making it difficult for these scoundrels to evade detection but, more can be done if all the community stakeholders work in unison to collectively fight crime, from the home to the streets.
Indeed, there is a need for a social renaissance. It saddened me when my grandmother (Lenora Gibson), who lives on Long Island, asked me on Thursday, when I told her I felt like going for a stroll, if people still leisurely walk around in Nassau. She asked that question because she was likely thinking about the upsurge in violent crime and how walking may leave a person more exposed to perhaps becoming a victim of crime.
Frankly, it is high-time that the police are equipped with helicopters to track and chase criminals as well as conduct intelligence gathering and surveillance exercises.
The Bahamian society is a powder-keg. Maybe, just maybe, the movers and shakers at the Ministry of National Security should also go to the blocks and visit the prison to discover--first hand--what led these individuals into a life of crime while drafting a more effective plan to fight crime.
July 04, 2011
By ADRIAN GIBSON
ajbahama@hotmail.com
I wish to say a special thank you to all of this column's faithful readers who expressed their condolences and kind regards over the last few weeks since the sudden and tragic passing of my dear uncle (Aaron Gibson), who was like a father to me. While my heart still cries and I'm gradually and sometimes emotionally writing a column to commemorate him--to be published in the coming weeks--I remain grateful for all of your support and prayers. Prior to my uncle's death, I had already taken a sabbatical from writing this column to prepare for end-of-semester examinations.
*****
AS we enter the second half of 2011, it is clear that a tsunami of death and mayhem has surged over Bahamian society. Above all the other Bahama Islands, New Providence is becoming a crime-plagued, filthy and populous township where the spiraling rate of violent crime appears to be only comparable to a pandemic for which there seems to be no wave of immunisation.
In what appears likely to be yet another record-setting year for murders, the murder count has exceeded 60 murders midway through the year and our society is gripped by ghoulish, criminal incidents that know no frontiers and have crept into nearly every nook and cranny of our country. When hearing reports of murders and robberies in outlying, relatively quiet islands such as Andros, Exuma, Long Island, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Abaco and even Bimini, it is clear that the high rate of violent crime has mutated across the archipelago. It is baffling to note the daily stories of death and violence that is sending shivers down the collective spine of the entire Bahamas, a once quaint society that, in the past, policed itself.
At this rate, as it relates to crime, the Bahamas will soon be on a respirator and appears to be a banana peel away from slipping into a state of disorder as the criminal element becomes more and more emboldened.
Indeed, crime is a hot button issue that has catapulted to the forefront of the national consciousness and engendered the public's fury as fellow Bahamians are falling like stunned bugs at the hands of vicious criminals and there appears to be a depreciated outlook on the value of human life. In their state of alarm, Bahamians have become more distrusting of their fellow countrymen and are swiftly arming themselves with cutlasses, shot guns, bats and taking other safety measures to ensure their security.
The rule of law, as noted by the great philosopher Aristotle, is preferable to that of any individual. British philosopher Thomas Hobbes opined, in his work Leviathan, that without the rule of law, life would be "nasty, brutish and short." The law is expected to fundamentally underpin all societies, however, the authority of the state is being openly challenged by organised and sadistic criminals.
The crime hotspot - New Providence - has been beset by house break-ins, vehicle and boat thefts, arms trafficking, migrant smuggling, highjackings, money laundering, identity theft, fraud, cyber crime, robberies, rapes, drug peddling, and heinous murders and drive-by shootings. The past year - last decade - has been one of murder and bedlam, as carnage has been left about the nation's streets and a blanket of grief is draping many families across the archipelago. As a vicious cycle of retaliatory violence is being unleashed and our nation descends into becoming an absolute madhouse, it is obvious that our moral fabric is tattered.
Locally, the notion of selective justice must be stamped out. Respect for the law has been eroded even at the highest level of government by influence peddling and deal-making. It is known that some of the country's movers and shakers fail to heed the law themselves as there is a conspicuous level of deception and transgressions by some unprincipled politicians and white collar criminals that, for the most part, go unreported.
Crime is an insidious scourge on our society that must be tackled at every level. There is a common consensus among the populace that the crime rate is too high and, for many, that capital punishment should be carried out, so it perplexes me how time-wasting committees continue to be appointed and/or are deferred to. Surely, the movers behind such committees should realise that the Bahamian people are not intellectual midgets!
Indeed, over the last few years, international attention has been drawn to the Bahamas due to the spate of tourist-related robberies. However, the police must also pay special attention to certain drug peddling taxi-drivers who, it is claimed, offer illegal substances to tourists or facilitate their drug hunts. Certainly, our economic lifeline--tourism--is in jeopardy and becoming seriously endangered. Unfortunately, the public-at-large will have to bear the price for the misconduct of social miscreants and when the country's image is tarnished by boneheads.
Some time ago, I called for a "212 day", pursuant to the Penal Code, chapter 84, section 212 of the Bahamas' statute laws. On such an occasion, throngs of police officers should be deployed on to the streets to conduct this dragnet operation. Indeed, such an operation would net thousands in fines, lead to the apprehension of wanted criminals and target those individuals who are selling food out of the back trunks of vehicles without health certificates and other documentation; apprehend those who illegally light fires and destroy government/private property; arrest persons who unlawfully affix signs on buildings or public property (e.g. utility poles); fine persons who do not have a permit from the Commissioner of Police that allows them to ply their wares or hold demonstrations; fine hawkers and those loiterers who harass persons outside of banks, at ATM depots, pharmacies or while waiting at a fast-food drive-thru; penalise those peddlers of fruits, clothes and phone cards who do not have the proper documentation; throw the book at persons who play loud music or make noises to the annoyance of others, and so on.
While enforcing the law and addressing serious crimes, petty crimes must be dealt with before they become larger criminal undertakings.
In a column published on June 21, 2008 I said:
"In fighting crime and reversing the apparent lack of reverence for authority, law enforcement officials must adopt former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani's 'broken window' approach and seriously enforce the laws across the board--without ignoring any infraction. Furthermore, its high time close circuit television (CCTV) is installed, more strategic Defence Force patrols are directed at minimizing the smuggling of illegal weapons/ammunition, that police officers are heavily deployed to those boroughs with the highest instances of crime and that police officers strengthen their relationship with certain communities and thereby better their intelligence-gathering abilities."
Today, there is evidence that some of this advice has been taken into account but there remains much room for improvement.
It is a sad fact to note that Bahamians have today resorted to living in caged enclaves, due to the social menaces that most likely cropped up out of a broken home--absentee parent--and the unrelenting pursuit of material possessions. Even more, it is troubling to note that Bahamians are seemingly becoming anesthetized to the accounts of the daily bloodbaths that are vividly broadcast on the nightly news programmes.
According to social scientist Dr Silvius Wilson, as a society "we must look at the root cause of crime".
Dr Wilson states: "Crime also stems from poverty, inequality and people's life chances, their education or lack thereof and an inability of some to rationalize. Very often, when a fight occurs for example, signals break down in their ability to reason. While it is good for the police to detect, they are only a wider approach to crime.
"We must look at the social issues and consider them in a holistic way. It is very seldom that you can point to a social issue and say that it occurred for one or two reasons. There is a complex genesis as to its occurrence. We must look at where it started, what are some of the manifestations and have a sophisticated and focused response to crime," he reported.
Instead of pontificating on petty political matters, the church could have a huge impact in the fight against violent crime. It appears that the church lacks the impetus and the spiritual wherewithal to take a hands-on lead in addressing this pressing matter. My criticism of certain church-related practices in New Providence arise as I have witnessed my grandfather (Edward Gibson), an ordained Bishop in the Church of God (Long Island), exhibit kindness and a spirituality that has been manifested in his Christian/community outreach--not the pursuit of material wealth, meddling in the affairs of the state or in the use of empty words as I've observed with many New Providence-based pastors.
After a convicted murderer is sentenced, a death warrant should immediately be read. Furthermore, all appeals should be heard within 18 months after sentencing.
Workers Party leader Rodney Moncur's determination to remain vocal about violent crime and punishment is impressive. Mr Moncur has projected himself as a fair-minded campaigner in sensitizing a seemingly desensitized populace to the travails we presently face. Mr Moncur's campaign in the public's interest is a far cry from that of certain politicians who seem too insulated and too preoccupied with themselves to be genuinely concerned for others -too indifferent to the suffering of victims.
In the Bahamas, there remains a need for more judges and support staff to alleviate the backlog of cases; a serious programme to attach electronic tracking devices to the ankles of accused offenders on bail, which was supposedly initiated but little has been heard of it since then; and a sex offender's database must be created.
As school children continue to glorify violence and sadism, it is incumbent upon parents to instil a sense of ethics and responsibility so that a new generation of anti-social criminals is not bred.
Crime has reached a point where the police/officials and the community must engage in wider dialogue and consultation to effectively confront it--it requires a national partnership. The police commissioner, Ellison Greenslade, seems to be devising strategies to disrupt criminal activities and effectively target the criminal element while impressing upon the public the urgency of their assistance in making it difficult for these scoundrels to evade detection but, more can be done if all the community stakeholders work in unison to collectively fight crime, from the home to the streets.
Indeed, there is a need for a social renaissance. It saddened me when my grandmother (Lenora Gibson), who lives on Long Island, asked me on Thursday, when I told her I felt like going for a stroll, if people still leisurely walk around in Nassau. She asked that question because she was likely thinking about the upsurge in violent crime and how walking may leave a person more exposed to perhaps becoming a victim of crime.
Frankly, it is high-time that the police are equipped with helicopters to track and chase criminals as well as conduct intelligence gathering and surveillance exercises.
The Bahamian society is a powder-keg. Maybe, just maybe, the movers and shakers at the Ministry of National Security should also go to the blocks and visit the prison to discover--first hand--what led these individuals into a life of crime while drafting a more effective plan to fight crime.
July 04, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
WikiLeaks documents: An “alarming” number of children are being born to Haitian women at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH)
Cables: ‘Alarming’ Haitian birth rate
By CANDIA DAMES
Guardian News Editor
thenassauguardian
candia@nasguard.com
A U.S. diplomatic cable points to what many Bahamians have known for decades through anecdotal information: An “alarming” number of children are being born to Haitian women at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH).
But the cable — which is a part of the WikiLeaks documents obtained by The Nassau Guardian weeks ago — does not say just how many babies are born annually to Haitian women at the country’s primary public hospital.
After checking the figures, Minister of Health Dr. Hubert Minnis informed The Nassau Guardian that of the approximately 5,000 babies who are born at PMH every year, about 600 are born to Haitian women.
Government officials rarely make public any information on Haitian birth rates.
In 2005, a report from the Ministry of Health highlighting the issue was made public.
That report showed that 76 or 63 percent of all babies born at the Marsh Harbour Clinic in 2003 were to Haitian mothers, while 45 or 38 percent were to Bahamian mothers.
According to that report, this was the first district in which the number of infants born to Haitians was greater than the number of infants born to Bahamians.
It was also revealed that of the 31 women who delivered at the Coopers Town Clinic in 2003, 51.6 percent were Bahamians and 48.4 percent were Haitians.
In the diplomatic cables, U.S. Embassy officials widely discuss the state of Haitians in The Bahamas.
“Many children of long-time Haitians living as Bahamian residents have become de facto stateless,” said one of the cables.
It points to a Haitian pastor who had lived in Abaco for 25 years, returning to Haiti once a year for visits.
“He told the political officer (of the embassy) that he is confident he will receive Bahamian citizenship ‘soon’, although he applied 14 years ago in 1991, and has heard little from the Department of Immigration since,” the cable said.
According to a 2006 IOM study, there are an estimated 30,000 to 60,000 Haitians in The Bahamas who "are not well integrated into Bahamian society."
The cable noted that the study found distrust of authority by the Haitian community and claims of abuse of Haitians.
There has long been discussion about the strain undocumented Haitian migrants continue to place on social services.
The issue was raised late last week when Director of Immigration Jack Thompson spoke to a group of public school principals.
Thompson called on the principals to report unregularized students who register at their institutions, saying the Department of Immigration intends to “flush out” undocumented foreign nationals enrolled in the public school system.
He said The Bahamas cannot afford to have illegal immigrants in the public school system “absorbing our resources.”
“You should call me and tell me where they are living because I have to deal with them,” Thompson told the principals.
“We have to hit at the root. The root is the parent. I am not in the business of sending the children home and not the parents or sending the parents and not sending the children. We have to send them together.”
It is understood that his comments caused concern and alarm in some quarters, including in the Haitian community.
On Friday, after the story ran, the director of immigration softened his tone on the issue, emphasizing that his department does not intend to enter schools and remove children who do not have legal status to be in the country.
Thompson told The Nassau Guardian he did not have specific numbers on how many children born to Haitian parents are enrolled in the public school system.
He said immigration and education officials were working on getting an accounting.
The numbers are believed to be significant, and many Bahamians continue to be outraged.
As reported recently by The Nassau Guardian, the Americans are of the view that the unaddressed issue of Haitian integration in The Bahamas could eventually lead to ethnic violence in this country.
“The existence of a large, dissatisfied and poorly-integrated ethnic minority is a potential risk to social and political stability in The Bahamas,” said the embassy.
One 2005 U.S. Embassy cable that focused on the Haitian communities of the Mud and Pigeon Pea in Abaco noted that while many Bahamians are upset at the unregulated Haitian settlements in The Bahamas, tensions on the ground do not run as high as the media rhetoric would suggest.
It is estimated that 10,000 residents live in those communities.
Vocal Bahamians in Abaco say that The Bahamas will be "creolized" in 10 years if the government doesn't take action, noted one of the cables.
“While some Bahamians see mass deportations as the answer, others increasingly recognize the need to encourage the assimilation of Haitians into Bahamian society,” a U.S. Embassy official wrote.
“On the other side, Haitian-Bahamians have grown increasingly frustrated at the Government of The Bahamas’ lack of responsiveness to their requests for citizenship.
“Most do not want to return to the completely foreign country of their parents, but they struggle against second class status in The Bahamas. As one young Haitian-Bahamian woman pointed out, ‘The Government of The Bahamas has to figure out how to deal with us. We're here, and we're multiplying’.”
Jul 04, 2011
thenassauguardian
By CANDIA DAMES
Guardian News Editor
thenassauguardian
candia@nasguard.com
A U.S. diplomatic cable points to what many Bahamians have known for decades through anecdotal information: An “alarming” number of children are being born to Haitian women at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH).
But the cable — which is a part of the WikiLeaks documents obtained by The Nassau Guardian weeks ago — does not say just how many babies are born annually to Haitian women at the country’s primary public hospital.
After checking the figures, Minister of Health Dr. Hubert Minnis informed The Nassau Guardian that of the approximately 5,000 babies who are born at PMH every year, about 600 are born to Haitian women.
Government officials rarely make public any information on Haitian birth rates.
In 2005, a report from the Ministry of Health highlighting the issue was made public.
That report showed that 76 or 63 percent of all babies born at the Marsh Harbour Clinic in 2003 were to Haitian mothers, while 45 or 38 percent were to Bahamian mothers.
According to that report, this was the first district in which the number of infants born to Haitians was greater than the number of infants born to Bahamians.
It was also revealed that of the 31 women who delivered at the Coopers Town Clinic in 2003, 51.6 percent were Bahamians and 48.4 percent were Haitians.
In the diplomatic cables, U.S. Embassy officials widely discuss the state of Haitians in The Bahamas.
“Many children of long-time Haitians living as Bahamian residents have become de facto stateless,” said one of the cables.
It points to a Haitian pastor who had lived in Abaco for 25 years, returning to Haiti once a year for visits.
“He told the political officer (of the embassy) that he is confident he will receive Bahamian citizenship ‘soon’, although he applied 14 years ago in 1991, and has heard little from the Department of Immigration since,” the cable said.
According to a 2006 IOM study, there are an estimated 30,000 to 60,000 Haitians in The Bahamas who "are not well integrated into Bahamian society."
The cable noted that the study found distrust of authority by the Haitian community and claims of abuse of Haitians.
There has long been discussion about the strain undocumented Haitian migrants continue to place on social services.
The issue was raised late last week when Director of Immigration Jack Thompson spoke to a group of public school principals.
Thompson called on the principals to report unregularized students who register at their institutions, saying the Department of Immigration intends to “flush out” undocumented foreign nationals enrolled in the public school system.
He said The Bahamas cannot afford to have illegal immigrants in the public school system “absorbing our resources.”
“You should call me and tell me where they are living because I have to deal with them,” Thompson told the principals.
“We have to hit at the root. The root is the parent. I am not in the business of sending the children home and not the parents or sending the parents and not sending the children. We have to send them together.”
It is understood that his comments caused concern and alarm in some quarters, including in the Haitian community.
On Friday, after the story ran, the director of immigration softened his tone on the issue, emphasizing that his department does not intend to enter schools and remove children who do not have legal status to be in the country.
Thompson told The Nassau Guardian he did not have specific numbers on how many children born to Haitian parents are enrolled in the public school system.
He said immigration and education officials were working on getting an accounting.
The numbers are believed to be significant, and many Bahamians continue to be outraged.
As reported recently by The Nassau Guardian, the Americans are of the view that the unaddressed issue of Haitian integration in The Bahamas could eventually lead to ethnic violence in this country.
“The existence of a large, dissatisfied and poorly-integrated ethnic minority is a potential risk to social and political stability in The Bahamas,” said the embassy.
One 2005 U.S. Embassy cable that focused on the Haitian communities of the Mud and Pigeon Pea in Abaco noted that while many Bahamians are upset at the unregulated Haitian settlements in The Bahamas, tensions on the ground do not run as high as the media rhetoric would suggest.
It is estimated that 10,000 residents live in those communities.
Vocal Bahamians in Abaco say that The Bahamas will be "creolized" in 10 years if the government doesn't take action, noted one of the cables.
“While some Bahamians see mass deportations as the answer, others increasingly recognize the need to encourage the assimilation of Haitians into Bahamian society,” a U.S. Embassy official wrote.
“On the other side, Haitian-Bahamians have grown increasingly frustrated at the Government of The Bahamas’ lack of responsiveness to their requests for citizenship.
“Most do not want to return to the completely foreign country of their parents, but they struggle against second class status in The Bahamas. As one young Haitian-Bahamian woman pointed out, ‘The Government of The Bahamas has to figure out how to deal with us. We're here, and we're multiplying’.”
Jul 04, 2011
thenassauguardian
Monday, July 4, 2011
Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation's (BCCEC) chairman Winston Rolle says: ...any increase in pump gasoline prices could not be coming at a worse time, since it could further depress prospects for a Bahamian economic recovery
Chamber chief: Gas mark-up increase 'very concerning'
By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
tribune242
The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation's (BCCEC) newly-elected chairman has described as "very concerning" the impending mark-up increases for petroleum retailers, warning that it would hit consumers and increase "the cost of doing business".
While expressing sympathy for the plight of Bahamas Petroleum Retailers Association (BPRA) members, Winston Rolle indicated to Tribune Business that any increase in pump gasoline prices could not be coming at a worse time, since it could further depress prospects for a Bahamian economic recovery.
Responding to this newspaper's Friday report on the Government agreeing to an increase in the per gallon gasoline and diesel mark-ups for petroleum retailers, Mr Rolle said this would only further increase business and consumer costs at a time - the summer - when global oil prices traditionally peaked, compounding the effects.
"That's very concerning," Mr Rolle said of the Government's decision. "While I understand the plight of the operators and their profit margins, you can appreciate the impact that is going to have on the cost of doing business. With gasoline prices increasing, costs are going to go much higher."
Apart from Bahamian consumers, who will feel the impact in their bank balances and disposable income levels, others likely to be heavily impacted are transportation-dependent businesses such as taxi drivers, jitneys, tour operators and all companies that rely on making daily deliveries - such as wholesalers.
"What most persons had hoped, and I guess the Petroleum Retailers Association had hoped, was that the Government would relax some of their tax take and give them the spread they need," Mr Rolle added, "but not impact the overall cost to the consumer."
Earl Deveaux, minister of the environment, on Thursday last week indicated that the Government had agreed to lobbying by the BPRA and Marina Operators of the Bahamas (MoB) for an increase in the fixed margins they can charge per gallon of gas and diesel sold.
No details were provided, but there were indications the increase would take effect within the next month. The change is also likely to see an increase in the existing margins, which are $0.44 per gallon of gasoline and $0.19 per gallon of diesel, rather than a percentage increase that the BPRA and MoB had pushed for.
Whether the increases are of the amount sought by the BPRA is also unclear. Another unknown is whether the wholesale margin enjoyed by the oil companies, FOCOL, Esso and Texaco, which are currently pegged at $0.33 per gallon will also be increased. Noting that "we haven't really hit the summer months yet", a time when global oil prices traditionally peaked, Mr Rolle added: "It's very concerning because you're going to have an increase through the adjustment made by the Government and, on top of that, in the coming months we'll see another increase based on the cost of oil worldwide.
"We're very sympathetic and do not want to put anyone's business in jeopardy, but the hope would have been that the retailers and government worked out some middle of the road, where no one takes a substantial loss. Right now, all of this is going to fall on the consumer."
Given that almost two-thirds of Bahamian economic activity stems from consumer spending, that is worrying in and of itself.
One business executive, speaking to Tribune Business on condition of anonymity, agreed with Mr Rolle that the move would "increase the cost of living to the consumer", describing it as "just another band aid approach".
Ultimately, the source said, without fixing the existing pricing structure this situation would eventually arise again, with BPRA members clamouring for further margin increases further down the line. Gas margins were last increased under the first FNM government, the source said, yet almost 10 years later the Bahamas was here again, and with the same arguments being made.
Gas prices were already extremely high, and the Government's decision meant they were likely to go higher on the grounds that dealers needed more money.
"You have to go back and look at this system that doesn't make sense at all," the source said. "If you don't solve the problem correctly, in a couple of years you're going to do the same thing."
The solution, the source said, was for the Government to reduce its $1.06 per gallon tax, plus 7 per cent Stamp Duty on the cost of landed fuel, something it is unlikely to do when desperate for every cent of revenue. The other issue, they added, was the rents, royalties and franchise fees levied on the BPRA and its members by the oil companies. The source identified these and the Government taxes as the major problem, together with an over-supply of service stations.
"When you look at the amount of service stations per square mile in Nassau, you've got more than in Florida. Something's got to be fundamentally wrong there," the source said, suggesting there needed to be consolidation.
"For an island 21x7, we should not have so many service stations in close proximity. That's the only way to begin to drive costs down for Bahamian consumers."
Rick Lowe, a leading executive with the Nassau Institute economic think-tank, told Tribune Business the episode showed price controls "certainly belong in the dustbin of history. The market is the market, and you can restrict it, manipulate it and put people out of business, but sooner or later reality has to come".
July 04, 2011
tribune242
By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
tribune242
The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation's (BCCEC) newly-elected chairman has described as "very concerning" the impending mark-up increases for petroleum retailers, warning that it would hit consumers and increase "the cost of doing business".
While expressing sympathy for the plight of Bahamas Petroleum Retailers Association (BPRA) members, Winston Rolle indicated to Tribune Business that any increase in pump gasoline prices could not be coming at a worse time, since it could further depress prospects for a Bahamian economic recovery.
Responding to this newspaper's Friday report on the Government agreeing to an increase in the per gallon gasoline and diesel mark-ups for petroleum retailers, Mr Rolle said this would only further increase business and consumer costs at a time - the summer - when global oil prices traditionally peaked, compounding the effects.
"That's very concerning," Mr Rolle said of the Government's decision. "While I understand the plight of the operators and their profit margins, you can appreciate the impact that is going to have on the cost of doing business. With gasoline prices increasing, costs are going to go much higher."
Apart from Bahamian consumers, who will feel the impact in their bank balances and disposable income levels, others likely to be heavily impacted are transportation-dependent businesses such as taxi drivers, jitneys, tour operators and all companies that rely on making daily deliveries - such as wholesalers.
"What most persons had hoped, and I guess the Petroleum Retailers Association had hoped, was that the Government would relax some of their tax take and give them the spread they need," Mr Rolle added, "but not impact the overall cost to the consumer."
Earl Deveaux, minister of the environment, on Thursday last week indicated that the Government had agreed to lobbying by the BPRA and Marina Operators of the Bahamas (MoB) for an increase in the fixed margins they can charge per gallon of gas and diesel sold.
No details were provided, but there were indications the increase would take effect within the next month. The change is also likely to see an increase in the existing margins, which are $0.44 per gallon of gasoline and $0.19 per gallon of diesel, rather than a percentage increase that the BPRA and MoB had pushed for.
Whether the increases are of the amount sought by the BPRA is also unclear. Another unknown is whether the wholesale margin enjoyed by the oil companies, FOCOL, Esso and Texaco, which are currently pegged at $0.33 per gallon will also be increased. Noting that "we haven't really hit the summer months yet", a time when global oil prices traditionally peaked, Mr Rolle added: "It's very concerning because you're going to have an increase through the adjustment made by the Government and, on top of that, in the coming months we'll see another increase based on the cost of oil worldwide.
"We're very sympathetic and do not want to put anyone's business in jeopardy, but the hope would have been that the retailers and government worked out some middle of the road, where no one takes a substantial loss. Right now, all of this is going to fall on the consumer."
Given that almost two-thirds of Bahamian economic activity stems from consumer spending, that is worrying in and of itself.
One business executive, speaking to Tribune Business on condition of anonymity, agreed with Mr Rolle that the move would "increase the cost of living to the consumer", describing it as "just another band aid approach".
Ultimately, the source said, without fixing the existing pricing structure this situation would eventually arise again, with BPRA members clamouring for further margin increases further down the line. Gas margins were last increased under the first FNM government, the source said, yet almost 10 years later the Bahamas was here again, and with the same arguments being made.
Gas prices were already extremely high, and the Government's decision meant they were likely to go higher on the grounds that dealers needed more money.
"You have to go back and look at this system that doesn't make sense at all," the source said. "If you don't solve the problem correctly, in a couple of years you're going to do the same thing."
The solution, the source said, was for the Government to reduce its $1.06 per gallon tax, plus 7 per cent Stamp Duty on the cost of landed fuel, something it is unlikely to do when desperate for every cent of revenue. The other issue, they added, was the rents, royalties and franchise fees levied on the BPRA and its members by the oil companies. The source identified these and the Government taxes as the major problem, together with an over-supply of service stations.
"When you look at the amount of service stations per square mile in Nassau, you've got more than in Florida. Something's got to be fundamentally wrong there," the source said, suggesting there needed to be consolidation.
"For an island 21x7, we should not have so many service stations in close proximity. That's the only way to begin to drive costs down for Bahamian consumers."
Rick Lowe, a leading executive with the Nassau Institute economic think-tank, told Tribune Business the episode showed price controls "certainly belong in the dustbin of history. The market is the market, and you can restrict it, manipulate it and put people out of business, but sooner or later reality has to come".
July 04, 2011
tribune242
Sunday, July 3, 2011
WikiLeaks: U.S. Embassy in Nassau cable on the 2004 Mohammed Harajchi controversy and the issue of money in politics in The Bahamas
Cable examined '04 Harajchi affair
CANDIA DAMES
NG News Editor
thenassauguardian
candia@nasguard.com
The repeated call by some MPs this week for a law to address money in politics appears to be coming too late before the next general election to be taken seriously at this time, but a diplomatic cable that documented the 2004 Mohammed Harajchi controversy also highlights the need for such reform.
The scandal was dug from the grave momentarily in the House of Assembly yesterday evening by Carmichael MP Desmond Bannister, who noted that former Prime Minister Perry Christie never delivered on a promise to provide a full accounting of the contributions Harajchi made to the PLP in the run-up to the 2002 general election.
An American diplomat wrote of the affair in great detail in a cable obtained through WikiLeaks, pointing to the Iranian businessman’s controversial claim to have pumped millions of dollars into the PLP campaign.
As was done in previous cables, the U.S. Embassy official underscored the issue of money in politics in The Bahamas, but did not limit statements to the then ruling PLP.
“Both of The Bahamas' two major political parties live in glass houses when it comes to campaign contributions,” said the cable, which was classified by then U.S. Charge d’ Affaires Robert Witajewski.
“Harajchi claims to have been about putting down explicit quid pro quo markers in return for the contributions. As much as the FNM opposition might like to exploit Harajchi's corruption charges leveled against the Christie government and cast some rocks at the PLP's home, it knows that it too cannot afford close scrutiny of the source — and quid pro quos of — its own party's campaign contributions.”
The cable noted that Harajchi presented documentation of some of his financial contributions to the PLP during a press event held at his multi-million-dollar Paradise Island home on August 11, 2004.
Harajchi denied that his contributions (allegedly $10 million) were designed to gain reinstatement of his bank's operating license, which had been revoked in 2001, the cable pointed out.
It also noted that the PLP issued a statement highlighting Harajchi's confirmation that he received no political favors in exchange for his contributions.
“Prime Minister Christie, who raised Harajchi's pending announcement three times with the charge at an unrelated event, appearing uneasy and preoccupied, and released a press statement on August 12 angrily denying that he or his ministers had accepted improper contributions. The PM specifically denied that he had received $500,000 from Harajchi to renovate his Cable Beach home.
“Christie promised that the PLP would soon give a full and accurate accounting of Harajchi's donations.”
Speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday evening during debate on a bill to amend the Parliamentary Elections Act, Bannister also repeated that Christie promised the accounting on the Harajchi contributions.
“Mr. Speaker, we are still awaiting details on that accounting,” Bannister said. “We are late again, Mr. Speaker.”
The cable added, “Harajchi claimed that he had been approached, either directly or via intermediaries, by ‘90 percent of the (Christie) Cabinet’ for campaign contributions, had helped to refurbish PLP headquarters, and had underwritten several PLP political rallies, among other things.
“Harajchi denied that his generosity was designed to win back the operating license of his bank... Harajchi lost several court appeals to have his license reinstated.”
The cable noted that Harajchi insisted to reporters that Christie reached out to him prior to the 2002 campaign to express his belief that Harajchi's bank license case had been handled badly. Harajchi said he told Christie that he was no longer fighting to get his license restored, but rather to get ‘justice’ and clear his name.
“When asked in a press conference if Christie made him any promises regarding his bank license, Harajchi declined to answer, calling the prime minister ‘an honorable man’ and advising reporters to take the matter up with him directly,” the cable said.
At a press conference, the PLP emphasized that it is neither illegal or improper for political parties in The Bahamas to accept donations from individuals, and highlighted attention on Harajchi's confirmation that he had received no favor or promise in exchange for his financial donation.
In the comment section of the cable, the U.S. Embassy official wrote: “Prime Minister Christie spent the hours before Harajchi's press event at the opening of a disaster preparedness conference sponsored by the Bahamian National Emergency Management Agency.
“During the course of the morning, the PM quietly raised Harajchi's pending press conference three times with the charge as the two sat next to each other and talked. Christie uncharacteristically stayed for the entire event and seemed reluctant to go back to his office where, he knew, reporters would be awaiting his response to Harajchi's allegations.”
The cable noted that after previously leaving the public comments to his ministers, Christie personally turned his guns on Harajchi in an effort to decisively disassociate himself and his party from the businessman.
In the weeks and months that followed, the Harajchi controversy died, as did talk of money in campaigns.
It flared up again several times since then.
According to a criminal complaint filed in 2009 in support of money laundering related charges against Bahamian attorney Sidney Cambridge, then Broward County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion told an undercover FBI agent that he was going to raise funds for sitting Prime Minister Christie’s 2007 re-election bid.
It was a claim Christie strongly denied.
The PLP leader told The Nassau Guardian just days ago that there ought to be a law to address campaign finances, and expressed regret that he was not able to get to the issue while in office.
Several MPs also raised the issue this week during contribution to the debate in the House of Assembly on the bill to amend the Parliamentary Elections Act.
This issue of campaign finances has been discussed on and off on the national scene for years.
In 2006, former Attorney General Paul Adderley said The Bahamas had been "severely influenced" by money in politics for more than 100 years, and it was time somebody did something about it.
"We're trying to do something about the influence that rich men can have or try to have over politicians. Don't let us fool around with this one in terms of what we're trying to do," said Adderley, who at the time headed the Christie-appointed Constitutional Review Commission.
Adderley's Commission lost its life under the FNM administration, but had recommended that Parliament prescribe controls and limits over donations to political parties, candidates and political campaign expenditure to ensure transparency and accountability in local and national elections.
The need to reform campaign finances is something that officials from both major political parties seem to agree on.
In 2006, former FNM leader and current Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest said, "I believe we ought to begin steps to move toward some sort of campaign finance reform. I think there ought to be some transparency and accountability with respect to how political parties receive funding."
Jun 30, 2011
thenassauguardian
CANDIA DAMES
NG News Editor
thenassauguardian
candia@nasguard.com
The repeated call by some MPs this week for a law to address money in politics appears to be coming too late before the next general election to be taken seriously at this time, but a diplomatic cable that documented the 2004 Mohammed Harajchi controversy also highlights the need for such reform.
The scandal was dug from the grave momentarily in the House of Assembly yesterday evening by Carmichael MP Desmond Bannister, who noted that former Prime Minister Perry Christie never delivered on a promise to provide a full accounting of the contributions Harajchi made to the PLP in the run-up to the 2002 general election.
An American diplomat wrote of the affair in great detail in a cable obtained through WikiLeaks, pointing to the Iranian businessman’s controversial claim to have pumped millions of dollars into the PLP campaign.
As was done in previous cables, the U.S. Embassy official underscored the issue of money in politics in The Bahamas, but did not limit statements to the then ruling PLP.
“Both of The Bahamas' two major political parties live in glass houses when it comes to campaign contributions,” said the cable, which was classified by then U.S. Charge d’ Affaires Robert Witajewski.
“Harajchi claims to have been about putting down explicit quid pro quo markers in return for the contributions. As much as the FNM opposition might like to exploit Harajchi's corruption charges leveled against the Christie government and cast some rocks at the PLP's home, it knows that it too cannot afford close scrutiny of the source — and quid pro quos of — its own party's campaign contributions.”
The cable noted that Harajchi presented documentation of some of his financial contributions to the PLP during a press event held at his multi-million-dollar Paradise Island home on August 11, 2004.
Harajchi denied that his contributions (allegedly $10 million) were designed to gain reinstatement of his bank's operating license, which had been revoked in 2001, the cable pointed out.
It also noted that the PLP issued a statement highlighting Harajchi's confirmation that he received no political favors in exchange for his contributions.
“Prime Minister Christie, who raised Harajchi's pending announcement three times with the charge at an unrelated event, appearing uneasy and preoccupied, and released a press statement on August 12 angrily denying that he or his ministers had accepted improper contributions. The PM specifically denied that he had received $500,000 from Harajchi to renovate his Cable Beach home.
“Christie promised that the PLP would soon give a full and accurate accounting of Harajchi's donations.”
Speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday evening during debate on a bill to amend the Parliamentary Elections Act, Bannister also repeated that Christie promised the accounting on the Harajchi contributions.
“Mr. Speaker, we are still awaiting details on that accounting,” Bannister said. “We are late again, Mr. Speaker.”
The cable added, “Harajchi claimed that he had been approached, either directly or via intermediaries, by ‘90 percent of the (Christie) Cabinet’ for campaign contributions, had helped to refurbish PLP headquarters, and had underwritten several PLP political rallies, among other things.
“Harajchi denied that his generosity was designed to win back the operating license of his bank... Harajchi lost several court appeals to have his license reinstated.”
The cable noted that Harajchi insisted to reporters that Christie reached out to him prior to the 2002 campaign to express his belief that Harajchi's bank license case had been handled badly. Harajchi said he told Christie that he was no longer fighting to get his license restored, but rather to get ‘justice’ and clear his name.
“When asked in a press conference if Christie made him any promises regarding his bank license, Harajchi declined to answer, calling the prime minister ‘an honorable man’ and advising reporters to take the matter up with him directly,” the cable said.
At a press conference, the PLP emphasized that it is neither illegal or improper for political parties in The Bahamas to accept donations from individuals, and highlighted attention on Harajchi's confirmation that he had received no favor or promise in exchange for his financial donation.
In the comment section of the cable, the U.S. Embassy official wrote: “Prime Minister Christie spent the hours before Harajchi's press event at the opening of a disaster preparedness conference sponsored by the Bahamian National Emergency Management Agency.
“During the course of the morning, the PM quietly raised Harajchi's pending press conference three times with the charge as the two sat next to each other and talked. Christie uncharacteristically stayed for the entire event and seemed reluctant to go back to his office where, he knew, reporters would be awaiting his response to Harajchi's allegations.”
The cable noted that after previously leaving the public comments to his ministers, Christie personally turned his guns on Harajchi in an effort to decisively disassociate himself and his party from the businessman.
In the weeks and months that followed, the Harajchi controversy died, as did talk of money in campaigns.
It flared up again several times since then.
According to a criminal complaint filed in 2009 in support of money laundering related charges against Bahamian attorney Sidney Cambridge, then Broward County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion told an undercover FBI agent that he was going to raise funds for sitting Prime Minister Christie’s 2007 re-election bid.
It was a claim Christie strongly denied.
The PLP leader told The Nassau Guardian just days ago that there ought to be a law to address campaign finances, and expressed regret that he was not able to get to the issue while in office.
Several MPs also raised the issue this week during contribution to the debate in the House of Assembly on the bill to amend the Parliamentary Elections Act.
This issue of campaign finances has been discussed on and off on the national scene for years.
In 2006, former Attorney General Paul Adderley said The Bahamas had been "severely influenced" by money in politics for more than 100 years, and it was time somebody did something about it.
"We're trying to do something about the influence that rich men can have or try to have over politicians. Don't let us fool around with this one in terms of what we're trying to do," said Adderley, who at the time headed the Christie-appointed Constitutional Review Commission.
Adderley's Commission lost its life under the FNM administration, but had recommended that Parliament prescribe controls and limits over donations to political parties, candidates and political campaign expenditure to ensure transparency and accountability in local and national elections.
The need to reform campaign finances is something that officials from both major political parties seem to agree on.
In 2006, former FNM leader and current Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest said, "I believe we ought to begin steps to move toward some sort of campaign finance reform. I think there ought to be some transparency and accountability with respect to how political parties receive funding."
Jun 30, 2011
thenassauguardian
I would caution the young leader of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), Branville McCartney - to be very careful as he attempts to tap into the spiritual realm in moving forward. If you make a claim that “God is guiding”, the assumption will be that someone is following
McCartney "playing games with God"?
By Edward Hutcheson
In the “theology of life” it must be understood that God is in control of all outcomes, based on what He allows, what He hinders or what He causes. Many Bahamian politicians and political parties have always been convinced that God is on their side; especially if you check their church attendance leading up to an election. I would caution the young leader of the DNA to be very careful as he attempts to tap into the spiritual realm in moving forward. If you make a claim that “God is guiding”, the assumption will be that someone is following. Reactions in the spiritual realm are normal, but it is the responses that that are important; and those of us within a particular historical framework have always been at the front of the line when it comes to God and politics; and because of this cultural idiosyncrasy we have often seen ourselves as being “special”, but this is changing.
More than a half-century ago the language we are hearing would have been suitable, a political entity coming on the scene for the good a people who have been oppressed and let down, but in July 2011 there is a slight difference; the oppressors and the oppressed have a lot more in common.
When the PLP came on the scene more than a half-century ago, the reality of who God was and what he meant to the Bahamian people was clearly defined and it was a powerful force. The then leader of the PLP took on the persona of a modern day Moses. The slogan “All the Way”, was chosen from the book of Deuteronomy,” Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years”, 8:2. It was later re-phrased to “All the way the Lord shall lead us”. The history of the modern Bahamas reminds us that even a political party with such a strong religious component had serious challenges in allowing the Lord to lead them through the years. And the challenges came early, as the church leaders who had supported the party to its victory in 1967, were unable to dissuade the party or its leadership from going back on the promises they had made ( in church) on the gambling issue.
Even one of our greatest Bahamian sons, who was a member of the party and a Baptist minister, paid the ultimate price for standing on the issue of principle. Perhaps it just one of those co-incidences but exactly 40 years from its grand entry in 1967, the party finds itself in a political wilderness.
I would advise Mr. McCartney to be very careful of his utterances as his political career develops especially when he attempts to presume that God is on the side of Him and his party; God is on the side of those who are prepared to do His will. Politicians have a penchant for beginning with God and then using Him and His people when it is convenient. He should take a page from one his mentors, who is wise enough not to presume upon God’s goodness; he has even had to bear the brunt of some Bahamians not him seeing as Christian, when compared to some of the other political leaders who like to go to church on a regular basis. No matter what people say about his ex-leader, they will never be able to accuse him of “playing games with God”.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
weblogbahamas
By Edward Hutcheson
In the “theology of life” it must be understood that God is in control of all outcomes, based on what He allows, what He hinders or what He causes. Many Bahamian politicians and political parties have always been convinced that God is on their side; especially if you check their church attendance leading up to an election. I would caution the young leader of the DNA to be very careful as he attempts to tap into the spiritual realm in moving forward. If you make a claim that “God is guiding”, the assumption will be that someone is following. Reactions in the spiritual realm are normal, but it is the responses that that are important; and those of us within a particular historical framework have always been at the front of the line when it comes to God and politics; and because of this cultural idiosyncrasy we have often seen ourselves as being “special”, but this is changing.
More than a half-century ago the language we are hearing would have been suitable, a political entity coming on the scene for the good a people who have been oppressed and let down, but in July 2011 there is a slight difference; the oppressors and the oppressed have a lot more in common.
When the PLP came on the scene more than a half-century ago, the reality of who God was and what he meant to the Bahamian people was clearly defined and it was a powerful force. The then leader of the PLP took on the persona of a modern day Moses. The slogan “All the Way”, was chosen from the book of Deuteronomy,” Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years”, 8:2. It was later re-phrased to “All the way the Lord shall lead us”. The history of the modern Bahamas reminds us that even a political party with such a strong religious component had serious challenges in allowing the Lord to lead them through the years. And the challenges came early, as the church leaders who had supported the party to its victory in 1967, were unable to dissuade the party or its leadership from going back on the promises they had made ( in church) on the gambling issue.
Even one of our greatest Bahamian sons, who was a member of the party and a Baptist minister, paid the ultimate price for standing on the issue of principle. Perhaps it just one of those co-incidences but exactly 40 years from its grand entry in 1967, the party finds itself in a political wilderness.
I would advise Mr. McCartney to be very careful of his utterances as his political career develops especially when he attempts to presume that God is on the side of Him and his party; God is on the side of those who are prepared to do His will. Politicians have a penchant for beginning with God and then using Him and His people when it is convenient. He should take a page from one his mentors, who is wise enough not to presume upon God’s goodness; he has even had to bear the brunt of some Bahamians not him seeing as Christian, when compared to some of the other political leaders who like to go to church on a regular basis. No matter what people say about his ex-leader, they will never be able to accuse him of “playing games with God”.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
weblogbahamas
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