By IANTHIA SMITH:
Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) candidate, Ryan Pinder has been shrouded in controversy over his US citizenship, which he admits he recently renounced, as well as questions over his allegiance to The Bahamas.
But PLP Leader Perry Christie said yesterday that he is quite satisfied that his candidate is "Bahamian-made."
"I am satisfied that Mr. Pinder today, is satisfied that everything he did was done correctly, on time and we wait for those who assert to make their assertions," Mr. Christie said. "He who asserts must prove."
Since announcing his decision to run on the PLP ticket in the February 16 by-election, numerous questions about his citizenship and loyalty to the country have loomed.
In the weeks leading up to the by-election, members of the Free National Movement (FNM) questioned Mr. Pinder’s qualifications as a lawful candidate in the by-election, pointing out that the PLP candidate had dual citizenship.
With mounting criticisms about his allegiance to the country, Mr. Pinder announced just days before the by-election that he had renounced his United States citizenship.
Mr. Pinder, who is the son of former PLP MP Marvin Pinder, and an American woman, had dual citizenship with The Bahamas and the United States.
But Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said on Sunday that he wants Mr. Pinder to prove that he in fact renounced his citizenship before the by-election.
Mr. Ingraham added that if the matter is in fact heard in Election Court, the party will call on the PLP to present Mr. Pinder’s American passport before the court.
"When we go to court we will have Dr. Duane Sands’ passport and we will say that he is a Bahamian. We will say that he has never held any other citizenship at any other time. We will call upon them [the PLP] to show Mr. Pinder’s American passport to show where it was marked cancelled by the Americans before nomination day.
"It is very important for the court to know upfront that each person who is before it is qualified to be there."
The prime minister argued that there is nothing wrong with Mr. Pinder or anyone else being an American citizen and running for office.
He said "just being a citizen is not an offence by itself."
The FNM even used the citizenship issue as a platform to criticise Mr. Pinder during its campaign trail.
National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest even announced during his party’s rallies that Mr. Pinder had never even voted in The Bahamas.
February 23rd, 2010
jonesbahamas
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.
Showing posts with label Marvin Pinder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marvin Pinder. Show all posts
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Ryan Pinder's lack of voting record called into question
By PAUL G TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
pturnquest@tribunemedia.net:
TO A SOCIETY that often finds itself at odds at one point or the other with the decisions of its government, a citizen's right to vote is his or her ultimate political weapon in truly effecting the change that they wish to see on the political landscape of their country.
In short, many feel that it is their right, and some would say their responsibility, to participate in a process that many of our forefathers were denied.
In the constituency of Elizabeth, the people have spoken, and their voices are being heard -- however faintly -- by the two major political parties. They showed us, quite rightly, that Bahamians not only have the right to vote, but they also have the right not to vote, as was seen by the nearly 1,700 persons who opted not to show up at the polls on February 16th.
The reasons for their decision are theirs alone, and quite frankly, too numerous to speculate on at this time.
On February 15th, however, the Bahamian people were enlightened by the little known fact that one of the candidates in the Elizabeth by-election has never voted in an election in the Bahamas before. In fact, according to the Minister of National Security, Tommy Turnquest, Mr Pinder had only recently registered in the Bahamas in October 2008.
"He has never voted in the Bahamas before!" Mr Turnquest exclaimed.
"Not in 1997 when he was 22 years old, not in 2002, nor in 2007. He is now 35 years old and he has never voted in the Bahamas."
Having voted up until March of last year in the United States, Mr Turnquest said that Mr Pinder has only ever voted where he was a citizen and where he was "interested" in the affairs of that country.
While the PLP has cried shame on the FNM for seeking to raise this matter, it is not out of the realm of mature political dialogue that this matter be debated.
How can residents of Elizabeth truly believe in a candidate whose voting record in the Bahamas cannot be verified? I can recall having conversations with PLPs who were measuring their loyalty and devotion to the party not only by the number of times they voted for the PLP, but in how many elections they had continued to toe the party line.
As it was explained, if you did not stand by the party in 1992, and 1997, you were a "Johnny-come-lately." Voting for the PLP in 2002 was simply "going with the tide", and if you didn't vote for the party in 2007 it was almost certainly considered a betrayal of the highest order.
Ballot
Grown men and women sit and argue for hours about why they have gone through the oftentimes long and tedious process of casting their ballot for the PLP. Many of them truly believe that their individual votes make a difference and can change the tide of any given election; every vote can help "out the torch". This idea of being a Bahamian, especially a PLP, and simply choosing not to vote, does not register in the minds of many.
How then can the young Mr Pinder explain to these party foot soldiers that he could not be bothered to take the 45-minute flight from Florida to cast his ballot in one very important election in the Bahamas?
For the record, Mr Pinder has renounced his US citizenship and explained that as he was not residing in the Bahamas, he could not vote in this country. He is currently a registered voter for the constituency of Clifton where it is understood he initially planned to run.
However, Mr Pinder's defence has not gone over well with many Bahamians who feel that it was "presumptuous" of the candidate to come to the Bahamas only a short while ago, and seek to represent a constituency right away.
Perhaps Erin Ferguson, who hosts a widely successful new political television programme on JCN TV, put it best on his last show on Thursday night.
He asked the question that has been on the minds of many Bahamians: How is it that Mr Pinder has never voted in the Bahamas?
"Now you tell me, (because) something wrong about this one. You tell me, you eligible to vote from you 18 -- Mr Pinder is 35. That means he could have voted when he was 22 in 1997. He could have voted when he was 27 in 2002. He could have voted when he was 32 in 2007; and the FNM and the PLP does pay for you to come home to vote!
Election
"And further to that, you can't tell me your that your daddy is Marvin Pinder and you can't figure out how to get home for an election? And Mr (Fred) Mitchell said ... he (Mr Pinder) spent most of his time in the Bahamas. And you used your father's name to legitimize yourself as a candidate in the election ... but you can't then say you aren't invested enough to come home and vote or if you are home, to vote."
"And if you tell me that you was in America and was voting in America because that's where you were living and invested at the time, then don't come here and in a couple of years want to run for MP. At least vote once. Just once. That's all I ask. See how it feels. Test this Bahamian thing out."
"I have to tell you, sir, we have the right to ask, if you can't find yourself in the Bahamas to participate in the Bahamian electoral process, we have the right to ask what is it that you have to gain?" he asked.
However blunt and painful his words may have been, Mr Ferguson has a point and his argument holds water.
And while it has not been widely commented on, some FNM's at Thelma Gibson during the recount fiasco questioned the notion of "entitlement" that has permeated both the PLP and the FNM.
There is no greater "turn off" for voters than to feel that a surname will determine who will be their representative and that a particular family will continue to lead them for the rest of their existence.
While those FNM's at Thelma Gibson were seeking to denigrate Mr Pinder, the fact is both parties are guilty of this, and by hook or by crook, it must be stopped.
Representatives should be elected based on their merit and their genuine interest in the people of this country. The rest of the world has shown us many examples where the children of elected leaders have proven to be less than capable of filling their parent's shoes.
When asked for a general response on Mr Pinder's voting record some PLPs brushed the matter aside saying that it was of little consequence and the issue is nothing more than a "red herring" - an "evil scheme" concocted by the FNM to distract voters.
But is this response enough?
Issue
In fact, there is another way to look at this matter. Many would go so far as to say that if it were the FNM who were running Mr Pinder, the issue of him having never voted in the Bahamas would have been a major issue of contention.
We all can imagine the superfluity of rhetoric that would have spewed forth. Many PLP's would have said, 'Does the FNM think we are that gullible? How could they think that we would be satisfied with a man who ain't ever vote in this country to come here and running our affairs?'
From all accounts it appears that even if the PLP are not victorious in their election court challenge, Mr Pinder will still be their candidate of choice for the Elizabeth constituency in the 2012 general election.
If this is the case, it would be wise for Mr Pinder to respond to the criticism that has come his way in regards to this issue. Burying his head in the sand will not do.
If any lesson can be learned from this by-election, it is that voters in the Bahamas seem to expect more from their would-be representatives.
Whether these representatives are listening is another matter; but as with all things, time will tell.
What do you think?
February 22, 2010
tribune242
Tribune Staff Reporter
pturnquest@tribunemedia.net:
Candidate's lack of voting record called into question
TO A SOCIETY that often finds itself at odds at one point or the other with the decisions of its government, a citizen's right to vote is his or her ultimate political weapon in truly effecting the change that they wish to see on the political landscape of their country.
In short, many feel that it is their right, and some would say their responsibility, to participate in a process that many of our forefathers were denied.
In the constituency of Elizabeth, the people have spoken, and their voices are being heard -- however faintly -- by the two major political parties. They showed us, quite rightly, that Bahamians not only have the right to vote, but they also have the right not to vote, as was seen by the nearly 1,700 persons who opted not to show up at the polls on February 16th.
The reasons for their decision are theirs alone, and quite frankly, too numerous to speculate on at this time.
On February 15th, however, the Bahamian people were enlightened by the little known fact that one of the candidates in the Elizabeth by-election has never voted in an election in the Bahamas before. In fact, according to the Minister of National Security, Tommy Turnquest, Mr Pinder had only recently registered in the Bahamas in October 2008.
"He has never voted in the Bahamas before!" Mr Turnquest exclaimed.
"Not in 1997 when he was 22 years old, not in 2002, nor in 2007. He is now 35 years old and he has never voted in the Bahamas."
Having voted up until March of last year in the United States, Mr Turnquest said that Mr Pinder has only ever voted where he was a citizen and where he was "interested" in the affairs of that country.
While the PLP has cried shame on the FNM for seeking to raise this matter, it is not out of the realm of mature political dialogue that this matter be debated.
How can residents of Elizabeth truly believe in a candidate whose voting record in the Bahamas cannot be verified? I can recall having conversations with PLPs who were measuring their loyalty and devotion to the party not only by the number of times they voted for the PLP, but in how many elections they had continued to toe the party line.
As it was explained, if you did not stand by the party in 1992, and 1997, you were a "Johnny-come-lately." Voting for the PLP in 2002 was simply "going with the tide", and if you didn't vote for the party in 2007 it was almost certainly considered a betrayal of the highest order.
Ballot
Grown men and women sit and argue for hours about why they have gone through the oftentimes long and tedious process of casting their ballot for the PLP. Many of them truly believe that their individual votes make a difference and can change the tide of any given election; every vote can help "out the torch". This idea of being a Bahamian, especially a PLP, and simply choosing not to vote, does not register in the minds of many.
How then can the young Mr Pinder explain to these party foot soldiers that he could not be bothered to take the 45-minute flight from Florida to cast his ballot in one very important election in the Bahamas?
For the record, Mr Pinder has renounced his US citizenship and explained that as he was not residing in the Bahamas, he could not vote in this country. He is currently a registered voter for the constituency of Clifton where it is understood he initially planned to run.
However, Mr Pinder's defence has not gone over well with many Bahamians who feel that it was "presumptuous" of the candidate to come to the Bahamas only a short while ago, and seek to represent a constituency right away.
Perhaps Erin Ferguson, who hosts a widely successful new political television programme on JCN TV, put it best on his last show on Thursday night.
He asked the question that has been on the minds of many Bahamians: How is it that Mr Pinder has never voted in the Bahamas?
"Now you tell me, (because) something wrong about this one. You tell me, you eligible to vote from you 18 -- Mr Pinder is 35. That means he could have voted when he was 22 in 1997. He could have voted when he was 27 in 2002. He could have voted when he was 32 in 2007; and the FNM and the PLP does pay for you to come home to vote!
Election
"And further to that, you can't tell me your that your daddy is Marvin Pinder and you can't figure out how to get home for an election? And Mr (Fred) Mitchell said ... he (Mr Pinder) spent most of his time in the Bahamas. And you used your father's name to legitimize yourself as a candidate in the election ... but you can't then say you aren't invested enough to come home and vote or if you are home, to vote."
"And if you tell me that you was in America and was voting in America because that's where you were living and invested at the time, then don't come here and in a couple of years want to run for MP. At least vote once. Just once. That's all I ask. See how it feels. Test this Bahamian thing out."
"I have to tell you, sir, we have the right to ask, if you can't find yourself in the Bahamas to participate in the Bahamian electoral process, we have the right to ask what is it that you have to gain?" he asked.
However blunt and painful his words may have been, Mr Ferguson has a point and his argument holds water.
And while it has not been widely commented on, some FNM's at Thelma Gibson during the recount fiasco questioned the notion of "entitlement" that has permeated both the PLP and the FNM.
There is no greater "turn off" for voters than to feel that a surname will determine who will be their representative and that a particular family will continue to lead them for the rest of their existence.
While those FNM's at Thelma Gibson were seeking to denigrate Mr Pinder, the fact is both parties are guilty of this, and by hook or by crook, it must be stopped.
Representatives should be elected based on their merit and their genuine interest in the people of this country. The rest of the world has shown us many examples where the children of elected leaders have proven to be less than capable of filling their parent's shoes.
When asked for a general response on Mr Pinder's voting record some PLPs brushed the matter aside saying that it was of little consequence and the issue is nothing more than a "red herring" - an "evil scheme" concocted by the FNM to distract voters.
But is this response enough?
Issue
In fact, there is another way to look at this matter. Many would go so far as to say that if it were the FNM who were running Mr Pinder, the issue of him having never voted in the Bahamas would have been a major issue of contention.
We all can imagine the superfluity of rhetoric that would have spewed forth. Many PLP's would have said, 'Does the FNM think we are that gullible? How could they think that we would be satisfied with a man who ain't ever vote in this country to come here and running our affairs?'
From all accounts it appears that even if the PLP are not victorious in their election court challenge, Mr Pinder will still be their candidate of choice for the Elizabeth constituency in the 2012 general election.
If this is the case, it would be wise for Mr Pinder to respond to the criticism that has come his way in regards to this issue. Burying his head in the sand will not do.
If any lesson can be learned from this by-election, it is that voters in the Bahamas seem to expect more from their would-be representatives.
Whether these representatives are listening is another matter; but as with all things, time will tell.
What do you think?
February 22, 2010
tribune242
Friday, February 12, 2010
Ryan Pinder Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Elizabeth by-election candidate renounces his United States citizenship
By Krystel Rolle ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ krystel@nasguard.com:
Progressive Liberal Party by-election candidate for Elizabeth Ryan Pinder yesterday announced that he surrendered his United States citizenship. The decision comes after weeks of criticism in the political arena. However, yesterday he denied that his decision had anything to do with politics.
Pinder, who is the son of former politician Marvin Pinder, had dual citizenship in The Bahamas and the United States - his mother is an American.
"It happened a while back," he told The Nassau Guardian, referring to his decision to renounce his U.S. citizenship.
"It's not a political decision for me. I'm a man that discusses the issues. The issues are important to the constituents of Elizabeth and it's a shame that this insignificant issue has caused a state of confusion."
"I love the country that I'm a part of. I love The Bahamas. I'm a Bahamian and that's where I stand," he stated.
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham recently took an indirect swipe at Pinder.
"In Duane Sands you have a patriotic Bahamian," Ingraham said speaking about the Free National Movement's candidate in the by-election.
"He is a full-blooded Bahamian, loyal to The Bahamas, he is only a Bahamian - not dual, single," Ingraham said.
While some political observers believe that Pinder was pressured in making the decision, Pinder said that the choice to give up his U.S. citizen was his alone.
Asked whether the PLP asked him to renounce his citizenship, he said, "no, absolutely not."
Pinder, who has worked in the United States for several years as a tax attorney and returned to The Bahamas about three years ago, said he has no regrets about his decision.
"I work in Nassau, The Bahamas. This is my permanent place of work and permanent place of living. So I work in Nassau and this has no bearing on that."
In July 2008, Becker & Poliakoff, P.A., the U.S. company that employed Pinder, named him to head the firm's new office in New Providence.
According to its website, Becker and Poliakoff is a diversified commercial law firm whose core areas of practice include real estate, condominium and homeowners association law, construction, international business and trade, government law and lobbying, civil and commercial litigation, and corporate securities and tax law. The Elizabeth seat became available last month when former Progressive Liberal Party MP Malcolm Adderley resigned from the House of Assembly. He also resigned from the party.
His resignation came at the halfway mark of the Ingraham administration's third, non-consecutive term in office.
In addition to Sands and Pinder, other candidates in the election are Bahamas Democratic Movement leader Cassius Stuart, Workers Party leader Rodney Moncur and National Development Party chairman Dr. Andre Rollins.
February 12, 2010
thenassauguardian
Progressive Liberal Party by-election candidate for Elizabeth Ryan Pinder yesterday announced that he surrendered his United States citizenship. The decision comes after weeks of criticism in the political arena. However, yesterday he denied that his decision had anything to do with politics.
Pinder, who is the son of former politician Marvin Pinder, had dual citizenship in The Bahamas and the United States - his mother is an American.
"It happened a while back," he told The Nassau Guardian, referring to his decision to renounce his U.S. citizenship.
"It's not a political decision for me. I'm a man that discusses the issues. The issues are important to the constituents of Elizabeth and it's a shame that this insignificant issue has caused a state of confusion."
"I love the country that I'm a part of. I love The Bahamas. I'm a Bahamian and that's where I stand," he stated.
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham recently took an indirect swipe at Pinder.
"In Duane Sands you have a patriotic Bahamian," Ingraham said speaking about the Free National Movement's candidate in the by-election.
"He is a full-blooded Bahamian, loyal to The Bahamas, he is only a Bahamian - not dual, single," Ingraham said.
While some political observers believe that Pinder was pressured in making the decision, Pinder said that the choice to give up his U.S. citizen was his alone.
Asked whether the PLP asked him to renounce his citizenship, he said, "no, absolutely not."
Pinder, who has worked in the United States for several years as a tax attorney and returned to The Bahamas about three years ago, said he has no regrets about his decision.
"I work in Nassau, The Bahamas. This is my permanent place of work and permanent place of living. So I work in Nassau and this has no bearing on that."
In July 2008, Becker & Poliakoff, P.A., the U.S. company that employed Pinder, named him to head the firm's new office in New Providence.
According to its website, Becker and Poliakoff is a diversified commercial law firm whose core areas of practice include real estate, condominium and homeowners association law, construction, international business and trade, government law and lobbying, civil and commercial litigation, and corporate securities and tax law. The Elizabeth seat became available last month when former Progressive Liberal Party MP Malcolm Adderley resigned from the House of Assembly. He also resigned from the party.
His resignation came at the halfway mark of the Ingraham administration's third, non-consecutive term in office.
In addition to Sands and Pinder, other candidates in the election are Bahamas Democratic Movement leader Cassius Stuart, Workers Party leader Rodney Moncur and National Development Party chairman Dr. Andre Rollins.
February 12, 2010
thenassauguardian
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Deputy Leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis says the Prime Minister is “Dividing” The Bahamas
By ROGAN SMITH:
Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Deputy Leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis says at a time when Bahamians should be united the prime minister is doing all in his power to divide The Bahamas.
During the PLP’s rally on Elizabeth Estates Park last night Mr. Davis said the country is in the midst of a serious economic crisis, its social fiber is under attack and its neighbour to the south – Haiti – has suffered a devastating earthquake.
"Brothers and sisters are in mourning. This country is headed in the wrong direction. We have serious issues with regards to our national security and all [Hubert] Ingraham has on his mind is dividing the people of this country," he said.
"[Mr.] Ingraham wants to take the focus off of his failures. He wants us to forget the thousands without jobs, without electricity and some with nothing to eat tonight. He wants you to forget your friends and family suffering tonight with no hope and no health insurance."
Mr. Davis said the Free National Movement (FNM) Government is running the country into the ground and remains clueless on how to deal with most of the country’s social ills.
He said The Bahamas needs PLP candidate Ryan Pinder – a noted tax attorney – in the government.
The Opposition was in the Elizabeth constituency last night drumming up support for Mr. Pinder in advance of next month’s by-election.
Mr. Davis urged Elizabeth constituents to send a message to the government that "enough is enough" and that they are tired with the government’s ineptitude.
Meantime, Mr. Pinder, who will go head-to-head with FNM candidate, Dr. Duane Sands, Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM) Leader Cassius Stuart, attorney and United Christian Love Revolution Movement (UCLRM) member, Godfrey Pro Pinder and Workers Party Leader Rodney Moncur, suggested that he is not concerned about the competition.
"Some say they’ve got steady hands. Others want to take you in a new direction, but they don’t know where they’re going. Another says he wants to start a love movement. Well I need them all to know that last Tuesday night the PLP gave me the go ahead to continue a love affair with Elizabeth, and I know where we’re going, and together, we’re [going to] go all the way," he said.
"I want to submit tonight that Elizabeth has a clear choice in this by-election. The clear choice is to keep Elizabeth free and return a PLP candidate to the House of Assembly who will resist darkness and all its forms, avoid political temptation and be true and honest to his pledge to the people of Elizabeth."
He also urged constituents not to punish him for former Elizabeth MP Malcolm Adderley’s failures.
"The reception I have been getting on the ground as I move from house to house has been encouraging. As the PLP candidate, moving forward, I just want to appeal to you to please don’t beat me, or the party with Malcolm’s stick. The Progressive Liberal Party and Ryan Pinder are committed to you, and I am anxious to fill that vacant seat on your behalf so that you can have the kind of MP you need," he said.
"I spent my childhood with my dad (former Malcolm Creek MP Marvin Pinder) in Malcolm Creek, now Elizabeth. My parents serve as godparents to many in this constituency. Elizabeth is very much a part of my family. I know these streets. I know these houses. I know the concerns. I know the pains. I know the needs. I have been walking these avenues from when my father began his walk of faith with you almost 25 years ago."
Mr. Pinder said he is committed to small business development and the creation of a skills bank in the constituency.
January 20th, 2010
jonesbahamas
Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Deputy Leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis says at a time when Bahamians should be united the prime minister is doing all in his power to divide The Bahamas.
During the PLP’s rally on Elizabeth Estates Park last night Mr. Davis said the country is in the midst of a serious economic crisis, its social fiber is under attack and its neighbour to the south – Haiti – has suffered a devastating earthquake.
"Brothers and sisters are in mourning. This country is headed in the wrong direction. We have serious issues with regards to our national security and all [Hubert] Ingraham has on his mind is dividing the people of this country," he said.
"[Mr.] Ingraham wants to take the focus off of his failures. He wants us to forget the thousands without jobs, without electricity and some with nothing to eat tonight. He wants you to forget your friends and family suffering tonight with no hope and no health insurance."
Mr. Davis said the Free National Movement (FNM) Government is running the country into the ground and remains clueless on how to deal with most of the country’s social ills.
He said The Bahamas needs PLP candidate Ryan Pinder – a noted tax attorney – in the government.
The Opposition was in the Elizabeth constituency last night drumming up support for Mr. Pinder in advance of next month’s by-election.
Mr. Davis urged Elizabeth constituents to send a message to the government that "enough is enough" and that they are tired with the government’s ineptitude.
Meantime, Mr. Pinder, who will go head-to-head with FNM candidate, Dr. Duane Sands, Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM) Leader Cassius Stuart, attorney and United Christian Love Revolution Movement (UCLRM) member, Godfrey Pro Pinder and Workers Party Leader Rodney Moncur, suggested that he is not concerned about the competition.
"Some say they’ve got steady hands. Others want to take you in a new direction, but they don’t know where they’re going. Another says he wants to start a love movement. Well I need them all to know that last Tuesday night the PLP gave me the go ahead to continue a love affair with Elizabeth, and I know where we’re going, and together, we’re [going to] go all the way," he said.
"I want to submit tonight that Elizabeth has a clear choice in this by-election. The clear choice is to keep Elizabeth free and return a PLP candidate to the House of Assembly who will resist darkness and all its forms, avoid political temptation and be true and honest to his pledge to the people of Elizabeth."
He also urged constituents not to punish him for former Elizabeth MP Malcolm Adderley’s failures.
"The reception I have been getting on the ground as I move from house to house has been encouraging. As the PLP candidate, moving forward, I just want to appeal to you to please don’t beat me, or the party with Malcolm’s stick. The Progressive Liberal Party and Ryan Pinder are committed to you, and I am anxious to fill that vacant seat on your behalf so that you can have the kind of MP you need," he said.
"I spent my childhood with my dad (former Malcolm Creek MP Marvin Pinder) in Malcolm Creek, now Elizabeth. My parents serve as godparents to many in this constituency. Elizabeth is very much a part of my family. I know these streets. I know these houses. I know the concerns. I know the pains. I know the needs. I have been walking these avenues from when my father began his walk of faith with you almost 25 years ago."
Mr. Pinder said he is committed to small business development and the creation of a skills bank in the constituency.
January 20th, 2010
jonesbahamas
Friday, January 15, 2010
Workers Party Leader Rodney Moncur Nominated For Elizabeth Constituency Bye-Election
WORKERS PARTY STATEMENT ON THE CANDIDACY OF RODNEY MONCUR FOR THE ELIZABETH CONSTITUENCY BYE-ELECTION
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2010
The people of Elizabeth constituency, like all the other voters of this country, have come to a political cross roads and a serious decision has to be made.
Let us not make idle distinctions between PLP and FNM; we the voters, having tried both parties for long periods of time in the past, have come to the conclusion that they are one and the same. They are a narrow class of relatives, friends, school-mates, business partners and professionals who have dominated Bahamian politics for a whole generation.
If we just take a snapshot of the recent political history of Elizabeth we will see where Elma Campbell, Ambassador in China, who ran against her cousin Malcolm Adderley, a lawyer, and was beaten by him, is the first cousin of Dwayne Sands who now wishes to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Malcolm Adderley from the House of Assembly to become a Judge of the Supreme Court.
We leave it to the good doctor to tell the people of Elizabeth whether or not he too is the cousin of Malcolm Adderley and if so, solemnly affirm that he never had any conversation with Adderley before his resignation regarding how the seat would be passed from one cousin to another.
Before Elizabeth came into existence, another constituency, called Malcolm Creek, included parts of Elizabeth and was represented for a significant period of time by one Marvin Pinder, a prime PLP operative.
This same Marvin Pinder, who was a PLP Minister, is the father of Ryan Pinder, the PLP candidate for Elizabeth in the up-coming bye-election. In this case, power over the people is being passed, not from cousin to cousin, but from father to son.
And then, there is the classic connection between former law partners Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and opposition leader Perry Christie, which smacks of the enigmatic relationship that existed for years between Lynden Pindling of the PLP and his schoolmate, Cecil Wallace Whitfield of the FNM.
And while we are looking at the illustrious personalities that have dominated Bahamian politics for a generation, we cannot forget the venerable patriarch of the FNM, Sir Orville Turnquest, former Governor-General, father of Tommy Turnquest, the hapless Minister of National Security and uncle of Dwayne Sands.
And the record shows that this Dwayne Sands is the son of Basil Sands, who served diligently, for a significant period of time, under the PLP regime as the Chairman of Bahamasair and, therefore, featured prominently in the Commission of Enquiry which Hubert Ingraham appointed in the early 90s, as a smoke-screen to fool voters that Pindling was being punished for his misdeeds.
Now we are only looking here at Elizabeth; but if we look at all the other 41 constituencies we will find strong, convincing evidence of the existence of this closed, tight-knit, narrow class of, relatives, friends, school-mates, business partners and professionals who have dominated Bahamian politics for a whole generation.
Of course, like every other Bahamian, they have the constitutional and moral right to offer themselves for election to public office; and we, the voters, election after election, have historically delegated public authority to them in good faith, sincerely believing and hoping that they would use the high office, not for personal gain, but to manage the affairs of the nation honorably and efficiently, bringing peace, security and prosperity to all.
If, in our opinion, they had done a good job of governing over the past 53 years, we would not be declaring today our intention to field a candidate in the up-coming bye-election in Elizabeth.
But both parties, the PLP and the FNM, have taken turns in making false promises and declarations to the Bahamian voters to seize and hold on to power for personal gain and, in the process, they have mismanaged the economy, they have corrupted the public institutions and they have done gross damage to the delicate social fabric of the country.
Even before the global economic downturn, the level of joblessness had been too high for too many years. Too many qualified people, especially young have had to wait and search diligently for months and months, and sometimes even years, for a job, simply because there are not enough jobs being created on a consistent basis.
The PLP and FNM governments from 1967 to 2010, all failed to plan for economic development and the consistent creation of jobs. Not one of them ever produced a National Development Plan for this country. They have all played government-by-ear and have played it badly. Consequently, the economy has been stagnant for years, with tourism not increasing substantially for almost twenty years.
The PLP-FNM government have failed so miserably from the early 90s to now to monitor the international climate in which our financial services sector must operate, that The Bahamas has been named and shamed over and over by the industrialized countries for running a sub-standard, almost shady, jurisdiction; and they are now forced into a humiliating situation of signing dozens of treaties in a few months time to save the industry from international sanctions and to try to stop major off-shore banks from closing down and leaving the country.
We charge that one of the major public institutions that have been corrupted by the PLP-FNM is the public education system. Over the years, the PLP-FNM class has provided segregated education for their children in private schools, using a substantial amount of funds from the Government, of course; and when the cost of educating their children abroad became too high, they created a scholarship fund with Government money, which was abused so much by them that poor people never got a chance to benefit from it and now it has been discontinued because of the abuse and corruption.
While all of this has been going on, the physical infrastructure of the public school system has being deprived of financial support and administrative attention, so much so that CC Sweeting High School students in 1983 would have burned down their dilapidated school, if it had not been for the Workers Party who taught the young people that public protest was the legal and much more productive reaction than arson.
Because of gross neglect and abuse, the public school system under the PLP-FNM government over the past 53 years eventually deteriorated into a breeding ground for gangs and other anti-social groups and today crime, perpetrated by a generation of thugs that have grown up under this corrupt and inefficient PLP-FNM coalition of selfish and narrow interests, is our number one problem.
Despite his promises late last year, the Prime Minister Ingraham, in our opinion, has not yet given the nation any definitive statement on the initiatives that his lost and confused Government will adopt to prevent the spread and increase in crime in this country. The Leader of the Opposition, in his inimitable style, has made no statement on crime and is not expected to do so.
The Workers Party believes that punishment for heinous crime such as murder, rape armed robbery and so on should be swift, severe and certain. In light of this philosophy we view most of the efforts discharged by the FNM Government so far as being limp-wristed and not having the virility that is needed in this time of social crisis.
The Ingraham Government has adopted a soft approach in this matter for too long; and now it has exploded and is beyond control. Limp-wristed activities such as electronic monitoring bands around criminals’ ankles while they are out on bail are ludicrous.
Young men have already been heard laughing and joking at how they will inactivate those gadgets in short order and how, given the fact that the Government can not keep simple traffic lights working all the time, it is certain that they will not be able to keep such a complex high-tech system working all the time.
The Workers Party’s position is that we do not need bracelets on murderers’ ankles; we need ropes around their necks, as is mandated by the age-old laws of this country. We need firm-wristed and hard-fisted strategies to wrestle this crime monster. Nothing else will do.
But the legal and judicial process has been corrupted by political malpractice; and the cold, clear truth is that the PLP-FNM cabal of lawyer-politicians makes a lot of money negotiating bail for their murderer clients, who, upon being released into this peaceful community, wreak tremendous havoc of revenge, intimidation and more murder.
So, we have come to challenge you, the voters in Elizabeth to make a historic step and vote against both the PLP and the FNM in the upcoming bye-election. Send a clear message to these covenant-breakers that they have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.
We have come to you with a challenge to invest in a promising political future by casting your votes for Rodney Moncur, Leader of the Workers Party and sending to Parliament for the first time, a representative who is bold and energetic, who has surrounded himself with good sense and who is saturated with love of God, family and you.
Sign
Allan Strachan
Workers Party
Chairman
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2010
The people of Elizabeth constituency, like all the other voters of this country, have come to a political cross roads and a serious decision has to be made. Let us not make idle distinctions between PLP and FNM; we the voters, having tried both parties for long periods of time in the past, have come to the conclusion that they are one and the same. They are a narrow class of relatives, friends, school-mates, business partners and professionals who have dominated Bahamian politics for a whole generation.
If we just take a snapshot of the recent political history of Elizabeth we will see where Elma Campbell, Ambassador in China, who ran against her cousin Malcolm Adderley, a lawyer, and was beaten by him, is the first cousin of Dwayne Sands who now wishes to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Malcolm Adderley from the House of Assembly to become a Judge of the Supreme Court.
We leave it to the good doctor to tell the people of Elizabeth whether or not he too is the cousin of Malcolm Adderley and if so, solemnly affirm that he never had any conversation with Adderley before his resignation regarding how the seat would be passed from one cousin to another.
Before Elizabeth came into existence, another constituency, called Malcolm Creek, included parts of Elizabeth and was represented for a significant period of time by one Marvin Pinder, a prime PLP operative.
This same Marvin Pinder, who was a PLP Minister, is the father of Ryan Pinder, the PLP candidate for Elizabeth in the up-coming bye-election. In this case, power over the people is being passed, not from cousin to cousin, but from father to son.
And then, there is the classic connection between former law partners Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and opposition leader Perry Christie, which smacks of the enigmatic relationship that existed for years between Lynden Pindling of the PLP and his schoolmate, Cecil Wallace Whitfield of the FNM.
And while we are looking at the illustrious personalities that have dominated Bahamian politics for a generation, we cannot forget the venerable patriarch of the FNM, Sir Orville Turnquest, former Governor-General, father of Tommy Turnquest, the hapless Minister of National Security and uncle of Dwayne Sands.
And the record shows that this Dwayne Sands is the son of Basil Sands, who served diligently, for a significant period of time, under the PLP regime as the Chairman of Bahamasair and, therefore, featured prominently in the Commission of Enquiry which Hubert Ingraham appointed in the early 90s, as a smoke-screen to fool voters that Pindling was being punished for his misdeeds.
Now we are only looking here at Elizabeth; but if we look at all the other 41 constituencies we will find strong, convincing evidence of the existence of this closed, tight-knit, narrow class of, relatives, friends, school-mates, business partners and professionals who have dominated Bahamian politics for a whole generation.
Of course, like every other Bahamian, they have the constitutional and moral right to offer themselves for election to public office; and we, the voters, election after election, have historically delegated public authority to them in good faith, sincerely believing and hoping that they would use the high office, not for personal gain, but to manage the affairs of the nation honorably and efficiently, bringing peace, security and prosperity to all.
If, in our opinion, they had done a good job of governing over the past 53 years, we would not be declaring today our intention to field a candidate in the up-coming bye-election in Elizabeth.
But both parties, the PLP and the FNM, have taken turns in making false promises and declarations to the Bahamian voters to seize and hold on to power for personal gain and, in the process, they have mismanaged the economy, they have corrupted the public institutions and they have done gross damage to the delicate social fabric of the country.
Even before the global economic downturn, the level of joblessness had been too high for too many years. Too many qualified people, especially young have had to wait and search diligently for months and months, and sometimes even years, for a job, simply because there are not enough jobs being created on a consistent basis.
The PLP and FNM governments from 1967 to 2010, all failed to plan for economic development and the consistent creation of jobs. Not one of them ever produced a National Development Plan for this country. They have all played government-by-ear and have played it badly. Consequently, the economy has been stagnant for years, with tourism not increasing substantially for almost twenty years.
The PLP-FNM government have failed so miserably from the early 90s to now to monitor the international climate in which our financial services sector must operate, that The Bahamas has been named and shamed over and over by the industrialized countries for running a sub-standard, almost shady, jurisdiction; and they are now forced into a humiliating situation of signing dozens of treaties in a few months time to save the industry from international sanctions and to try to stop major off-shore banks from closing down and leaving the country.
We charge that one of the major public institutions that have been corrupted by the PLP-FNM is the public education system. Over the years, the PLP-FNM class has provided segregated education for their children in private schools, using a substantial amount of funds from the Government, of course; and when the cost of educating their children abroad became too high, they created a scholarship fund with Government money, which was abused so much by them that poor people never got a chance to benefit from it and now it has been discontinued because of the abuse and corruption.
While all of this has been going on, the physical infrastructure of the public school system has being deprived of financial support and administrative attention, so much so that CC Sweeting High School students in 1983 would have burned down their dilapidated school, if it had not been for the Workers Party who taught the young people that public protest was the legal and much more productive reaction than arson.
Because of gross neglect and abuse, the public school system under the PLP-FNM government over the past 53 years eventually deteriorated into a breeding ground for gangs and other anti-social groups and today crime, perpetrated by a generation of thugs that have grown up under this corrupt and inefficient PLP-FNM coalition of selfish and narrow interests, is our number one problem.
Despite his promises late last year, the Prime Minister Ingraham, in our opinion, has not yet given the nation any definitive statement on the initiatives that his lost and confused Government will adopt to prevent the spread and increase in crime in this country. The Leader of the Opposition, in his inimitable style, has made no statement on crime and is not expected to do so.
The Workers Party believes that punishment for heinous crime such as murder, rape armed robbery and so on should be swift, severe and certain. In light of this philosophy we view most of the efforts discharged by the FNM Government so far as being limp-wristed and not having the virility that is needed in this time of social crisis.
The Ingraham Government has adopted a soft approach in this matter for too long; and now it has exploded and is beyond control. Limp-wristed activities such as electronic monitoring bands around criminals’ ankles while they are out on bail are ludicrous.
Young men have already been heard laughing and joking at how they will inactivate those gadgets in short order and how, given the fact that the Government can not keep simple traffic lights working all the time, it is certain that they will not be able to keep such a complex high-tech system working all the time.
The Workers Party’s position is that we do not need bracelets on murderers’ ankles; we need ropes around their necks, as is mandated by the age-old laws of this country. We need firm-wristed and hard-fisted strategies to wrestle this crime monster. Nothing else will do.
But the legal and judicial process has been corrupted by political malpractice; and the cold, clear truth is that the PLP-FNM cabal of lawyer-politicians makes a lot of money negotiating bail for their murderer clients, who, upon being released into this peaceful community, wreak tremendous havoc of revenge, intimidation and more murder.
So, we have come to challenge you, the voters in Elizabeth to make a historic step and vote against both the PLP and the FNM in the upcoming bye-election. Send a clear message to these covenant-breakers that they have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.
We have come to you with a challenge to invest in a promising political future by casting your votes for Rodney Moncur, Leader of the Workers Party and sending to Parliament for the first time, a representative who is bold and energetic, who has surrounded himself with good sense and who is saturated with love of God, family and you.
Sign
Allan Strachan
Workers Party
Chairman
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Ryan Pinder: Money won't determine Elizabeth's victor
By CANDIA DAMES ~ Guardian News Editor ~ candia@nasguard.com:
While they are playing on the same team, there is one thing that the Progressive Liberal Party's candidate for Elizabeth Ryan Pinder and its chairman Bradley Roberts do not agree on, and that is the extent to which money will determine the outcome of the approaching by-election.
While Roberts predicted recently that the party that pumps the most money into the campaign will emerge victorious, Pinder said yesterday he believes the people of Elizabeth are too intelligent to allow money to influence their votes.
"I think that in any election there is a substantial amount of money that may be spent, although I think we are at a unique point in time in our country and Elizabeth is at a unique point in time, whereas the people really want to understand your policy and your vision, and where you propose to take not only the constituency but also the country to give them sustainable, economic and social growth. And I think that the policies that we speak about and that the candidate speaks about, and lays out in front of the constituents, are really what are going to determine who wins this by-election."
As pointed out by the PLP in a statement Tuesday night, Pinder is rooted in the PLP. He is the son of Marvin Pinder, who was the member of Parliament for the area now known as Elizabeth between 1987 and 1992. He was also a member of the Cabinet of former Prime Minister the late Sir Lynden Pindling.
Ryan Pinder will likely go up against the Free National Movement's Dr. Duane Sands in the by-election. The PLP candidate said he does not expect the support his father may still have in the constituency to give him an edge.
"Certainly, my father does have a lot of support in the constituency, but this is an aggressive campaign, a campaign of a by-election which is unique. This is not going to be a shoo-in by any means," said Pinder, a 35-year-old tax attorney.
"It is going to require hard work, dedication. It's going to require touching the people and as a party we are committed to going in and visiting each person in the constituency to gain an understanding of what is truly affecting the people."
The Elizabeth seat became vacant when Malcolm Adderley resigned from the House of Assembly on January 6. He also resigned from the PLP.
Pinder said Elizabeth constituents are hungry for vision and "hungry to know that there's somebody there who will formulate plans to help them in a sustainable way in the future."
On the issue of his dual citizenship, Pinder said he does not see it as an issue.
"I was born in Nassau to a Bahamian father," he said. "I certainly have genuine Bahamian citizenship."
Pinder is also an American citizen.
He said the campaign is about real issues.
"The people of Elizabeth [want to know] that there is a representative that can connect with them, that can really advocate for their needs and wants in this country and I think that I have the plans, the Progressive Liberal Party has the plans and the vision to really affect the Elizabeth constituency," he said.
"The Progressive Liberal Party was formed and governs itself and governs the people on core philosophies, one of those philosophies being equal opportunities for all people, social, economic and political opportunities. That's a founding principle of the party and I think that is an underlying principle that will benefit the people in Elizabeth as we proceed."
But when he spoke to The Nassau Guardian recently on the Free National Movement's plans for the upcoming by-election, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said the party should be the clear choice for Elizabeth constituents.
"The Free National Movement believes that it has a case to put; it believes that the people of Elizabeth will find that their best interest can be served by the Free National Movement and the best interest of their community can be served by the Free National Movement," Ingraham said.
"And the best interest of their community will be served by the Free National Movement."
January 14, 2010
thenassauguardian
While they are playing on the same team, there is one thing that the Progressive Liberal Party's candidate for Elizabeth Ryan Pinder and its chairman Bradley Roberts do not agree on, and that is the extent to which money will determine the outcome of the approaching by-election.
While Roberts predicted recently that the party that pumps the most money into the campaign will emerge victorious, Pinder said yesterday he believes the people of Elizabeth are too intelligent to allow money to influence their votes.
"I think that in any election there is a substantial amount of money that may be spent, although I think we are at a unique point in time in our country and Elizabeth is at a unique point in time, whereas the people really want to understand your policy and your vision, and where you propose to take not only the constituency but also the country to give them sustainable, economic and social growth. And I think that the policies that we speak about and that the candidate speaks about, and lays out in front of the constituents, are really what are going to determine who wins this by-election."
As pointed out by the PLP in a statement Tuesday night, Pinder is rooted in the PLP. He is the son of Marvin Pinder, who was the member of Parliament for the area now known as Elizabeth between 1987 and 1992. He was also a member of the Cabinet of former Prime Minister the late Sir Lynden Pindling.
Ryan Pinder will likely go up against the Free National Movement's Dr. Duane Sands in the by-election. The PLP candidate said he does not expect the support his father may still have in the constituency to give him an edge.
"Certainly, my father does have a lot of support in the constituency, but this is an aggressive campaign, a campaign of a by-election which is unique. This is not going to be a shoo-in by any means," said Pinder, a 35-year-old tax attorney.
"It is going to require hard work, dedication. It's going to require touching the people and as a party we are committed to going in and visiting each person in the constituency to gain an understanding of what is truly affecting the people."
The Elizabeth seat became vacant when Malcolm Adderley resigned from the House of Assembly on January 6. He also resigned from the PLP.
Pinder said Elizabeth constituents are hungry for vision and "hungry to know that there's somebody there who will formulate plans to help them in a sustainable way in the future."
On the issue of his dual citizenship, Pinder said he does not see it as an issue.
"I was born in Nassau to a Bahamian father," he said. "I certainly have genuine Bahamian citizenship."
Pinder is also an American citizen.
He said the campaign is about real issues.
"The people of Elizabeth [want to know] that there is a representative that can connect with them, that can really advocate for their needs and wants in this country and I think that I have the plans, the Progressive Liberal Party has the plans and the vision to really affect the Elizabeth constituency," he said.
"The Progressive Liberal Party was formed and governs itself and governs the people on core philosophies, one of those philosophies being equal opportunities for all people, social, economic and political opportunities. That's a founding principle of the party and I think that is an underlying principle that will benefit the people in Elizabeth as we proceed."
But when he spoke to The Nassau Guardian recently on the Free National Movement's plans for the upcoming by-election, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said the party should be the clear choice for Elizabeth constituents.
"The Free National Movement believes that it has a case to put; it believes that the people of Elizabeth will find that their best interest can be served by the Free National Movement and the best interest of their community can be served by the Free National Movement," Ingraham said.
"And the best interest of their community will be served by the Free National Movement."
January 14, 2010
thenassauguardian
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
PLP by-election hopeful Ryan Pinder defends his right to dual citizenship
tribune242:
HOPEFUL PLP candidate for the Elizabeth by-election, Ryan Pinder, has defended his right to dual citizenship amid controversy over the right of a Member of Parliament to hold two nationalities.
The Constitution states in Article 48 that no person shall be qualified to be elected as a Member of the House of Assembly who is a citizen of another country having become such a citizen voluntarily, or is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.
But as Mr Pinder is a Bahamian born in Nassau, of a Bahamian father and American mother, he acquired US citizenship at birth automatically, rather than voluntarily, and therefore qualifies to serve as a Bahamian MP according to law.
He and attorney Craig Butler are in the running for the PLP candidacy in the upcoming Elizabeth by-election. The party will announce the chosen candidate tonight.
Mr Pinder maintains he would be an excellent representative for the people of Elizabeth, if selected to run in the area once served by his father Marvin Pinder.
But critics have cast doubt over Mr Pinder's right to serve in the House of Assembly, and a debate has stirred on the Internet attracting around 200 comments on a social networking website.
Web blogger Cammy LeFlage said: "It is not 'fine' to be a dual citizen and be a leader in government because it just begs the question: Whose side are you on? Who do you really represent?
"The Bahamas and the US have a quite cozy relationship but the Bahamas must always look out for itself and its people.
"If he carries dual citizenship, how is this supposed to really work? Answer: It won't."
Voices Bahamian stated: "Whoever is in the House holding US citizenship is in the wrong."
However, others have defended Mr Pinder's position.
Carmichael Business League president Ethric Bowe said: "Google the Bahamian constitution and read it for yourself. Ryan has no impediment. We have racism or ignorance operating here. But look it up to settle this then let's move on to some issues."
The issue was also belittled by website user Misty Albury who asked: "Does holding dual passports make you any less capable of holding a position? My kids hold dual citizenship as well and if someday they want to hold office I would hope it wouldn't matter because of something so little."
Jamaican parliamentary hopeful Daryl Vaz was determined ineligible for election as MP in the country because he held dual citizenship. And Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette's brother Robert 'Bobby' Symonette gave up the American citizenship he had been bestowed by virtue of his mother's nationality when he ran for Parliament in 1949.
However, Mr Pinder clarified how Bahamian law differs from Jamaican legalities and has changed in the 60 years since Mr Symonette ran for office and the Bahamas became independent of British rule.
Attorney Paul Adderley said Mr Pinder's dual citizenship does not disqualify him from running for a position in the House as he said other MPs also hold allegiance to two nations.
He said: "There are some very important people who are like that, so there is nothing in that. It's where he is born; you can't change that. So it's not an issue."
Mr Pinder is a tax and commercial law attorney for Becker & Poliakoff and as a US citizen is required to pay taxes in the US. He also lived in the United States for eight years before returning to Nassau in 2008 to head the firm's Bahamian office.
He said his employment by a US law firm is not an issue as many Bahamians work for foreign companies, particularly in the finance industry.
And his American citizenship does not compromise his rich Bahamian heritage nor his ability to serve the people of Elizabeth.
Mr Pinder said: "I am clearly Bahamian, I was clearly born here of a Bahamian father and based on the Constitution there is no issue of me being able to be a member of the House of Assembly.
"My allegiance is to the Bahamas, I don't feel torn in any way. My legacy in the Bahamas goes back to 1648 and the Eleutheran adventurers. My roots in the Bahamas are deeper than I propose most people in the Bahamas. My allegiance is clearly and unequivocally in the Bahamas as a Bahamian."
"This isn't an issue. There's no violation of the Constitution and it's not an issue that is relevant to the people of Elizabeth.
"If I am the chosen candidate I propose to provide proper representation to the people.
"They have issues such as job stability, economic stability and economic security. We should be discussing the issues pertinent to the people of Elizabeth."
January 12, 2010
tribune242
HOPEFUL PLP candidate for the Elizabeth by-election, Ryan Pinder, has defended his right to dual citizenship amid controversy over the right of a Member of Parliament to hold two nationalities.
The Constitution states in Article 48 that no person shall be qualified to be elected as a Member of the House of Assembly who is a citizen of another country having become such a citizen voluntarily, or is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.
But as Mr Pinder is a Bahamian born in Nassau, of a Bahamian father and American mother, he acquired US citizenship at birth automatically, rather than voluntarily, and therefore qualifies to serve as a Bahamian MP according to law.
He and attorney Craig Butler are in the running for the PLP candidacy in the upcoming Elizabeth by-election. The party will announce the chosen candidate tonight.
Mr Pinder maintains he would be an excellent representative for the people of Elizabeth, if selected to run in the area once served by his father Marvin Pinder.
But critics have cast doubt over Mr Pinder's right to serve in the House of Assembly, and a debate has stirred on the Internet attracting around 200 comments on a social networking website.
Web blogger Cammy LeFlage said: "It is not 'fine' to be a dual citizen and be a leader in government because it just begs the question: Whose side are you on? Who do you really represent?
"The Bahamas and the US have a quite cozy relationship but the Bahamas must always look out for itself and its people.
"If he carries dual citizenship, how is this supposed to really work? Answer: It won't."
Voices Bahamian stated: "Whoever is in the House holding US citizenship is in the wrong."
However, others have defended Mr Pinder's position.
Carmichael Business League president Ethric Bowe said: "Google the Bahamian constitution and read it for yourself. Ryan has no impediment. We have racism or ignorance operating here. But look it up to settle this then let's move on to some issues."
The issue was also belittled by website user Misty Albury who asked: "Does holding dual passports make you any less capable of holding a position? My kids hold dual citizenship as well and if someday they want to hold office I would hope it wouldn't matter because of something so little."
Jamaican parliamentary hopeful Daryl Vaz was determined ineligible for election as MP in the country because he held dual citizenship. And Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette's brother Robert 'Bobby' Symonette gave up the American citizenship he had been bestowed by virtue of his mother's nationality when he ran for Parliament in 1949.
However, Mr Pinder clarified how Bahamian law differs from Jamaican legalities and has changed in the 60 years since Mr Symonette ran for office and the Bahamas became independent of British rule.
Attorney Paul Adderley said Mr Pinder's dual citizenship does not disqualify him from running for a position in the House as he said other MPs also hold allegiance to two nations.
He said: "There are some very important people who are like that, so there is nothing in that. It's where he is born; you can't change that. So it's not an issue."
Mr Pinder is a tax and commercial law attorney for Becker & Poliakoff and as a US citizen is required to pay taxes in the US. He also lived in the United States for eight years before returning to Nassau in 2008 to head the firm's Bahamian office.
He said his employment by a US law firm is not an issue as many Bahamians work for foreign companies, particularly in the finance industry.
And his American citizenship does not compromise his rich Bahamian heritage nor his ability to serve the people of Elizabeth.
Mr Pinder said: "I am clearly Bahamian, I was clearly born here of a Bahamian father and based on the Constitution there is no issue of me being able to be a member of the House of Assembly.
"My allegiance is to the Bahamas, I don't feel torn in any way. My legacy in the Bahamas goes back to 1648 and the Eleutheran adventurers. My roots in the Bahamas are deeper than I propose most people in the Bahamas. My allegiance is clearly and unequivocally in the Bahamas as a Bahamian."
"This isn't an issue. There's no violation of the Constitution and it's not an issue that is relevant to the people of Elizabeth.
"If I am the chosen candidate I propose to provide proper representation to the people.
"They have issues such as job stability, economic stability and economic security. We should be discussing the issues pertinent to the people of Elizabeth."
January 12, 2010
tribune242
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Elizabeth by-election to be held in February
By BRENT DEAN ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ brentldean@nasguard.com:
The Elizabeth by-election, the first in the country since 1997, will be held in February, The Nassau Guardian has learned.
There is speculation that Dr. Duane Sands will be the Free National Movement (FNM) candidate in the by-election. When contacted yesterday, Dr. Sands did not disclose if he would be in the race.
"There is a sitting, or incumbent, member of Parliament for Elizabeth and I think it is unreasonable for us to comment in any other way unless such didn't apply," he said.
When asked specifically if he will be the FNM candidate in the by-election, Dr. Sands replied:
"Let's just say I am a Bahamian. I believe very strongly in my country and whatever I can do to further advance my country, I'd be prepared to do."
PLP sources have confirmed that a faction in the party is urging PLP leader Perry Christie not to run a candidate in the Elizabeth constituency. They suggest the FNM is using the by-election, in part, to test its strength halfway through this mandate.
The front-runner for the PLP's nomination for Elizabeth is reportedly attorney and party Vice-chairman Ryan Pinder.
Pinder is the son of former PLP MP Marvin Pinder, who represented the area when it was the Malcolm Creek constituency.
Elizabeth MP Malcolm Adderley resigned his seat in Parliament on Saturday, by way of a letter to Speaker of the House of Assembly Alvin Smith. Adderley also resigned as a member of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) on Saturday in a separate letter to party chairman Bradley Roberts.
His resignation from the House will take effect at the end of the day on Wednesday.
The Parliamentary Elections Act says that the House Speaker shall send a message to the governor general requesting the issue of a writ of election once the speaker is made aware of a seat vacancy.
Upon receipt of the speaker's message, the governor general issues a writ of election for the constituency where there is a vacancy. The act states that there should be no less than 21, or no more than 30 days, between the issue of the writ of election and the return of that writ.
The returning officer to whom a writ of election is directed has up to two days after receiving a writ of election to give public notice of the election.
National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest told The Guardian yesterday he is "extremely confident" that the governing party will win the Elizabeth seat.
"It is not currently our seat but it's a seat that we would like to win and that we intend to win," said Turnquest, who is a former FNM leader.
Adderley is serving his second term as the Elizabeth MP, having won the seat for the first time in 2002. In the 2007 general election, Adderley won the seat by 45 votes over now Ambassador to China Elma Campbell.
The Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM) candidate Bernard Rolle received 72 votes; there were 32 rejected ballots; and about 300 registered voters did not vote on election day.
thenassauguardian
The Elizabeth by-election, the first in the country since 1997, will be held in February, The Nassau Guardian has learned.
There is speculation that Dr. Duane Sands will be the Free National Movement (FNM) candidate in the by-election. When contacted yesterday, Dr. Sands did not disclose if he would be in the race.
"There is a sitting, or incumbent, member of Parliament for Elizabeth and I think it is unreasonable for us to comment in any other way unless such didn't apply," he said.
When asked specifically if he will be the FNM candidate in the by-election, Dr. Sands replied:
"Let's just say I am a Bahamian. I believe very strongly in my country and whatever I can do to further advance my country, I'd be prepared to do."
PLP sources have confirmed that a faction in the party is urging PLP leader Perry Christie not to run a candidate in the Elizabeth constituency. They suggest the FNM is using the by-election, in part, to test its strength halfway through this mandate.
The front-runner for the PLP's nomination for Elizabeth is reportedly attorney and party Vice-chairman Ryan Pinder.
Pinder is the son of former PLP MP Marvin Pinder, who represented the area when it was the Malcolm Creek constituency.
Elizabeth MP Malcolm Adderley resigned his seat in Parliament on Saturday, by way of a letter to Speaker of the House of Assembly Alvin Smith. Adderley also resigned as a member of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) on Saturday in a separate letter to party chairman Bradley Roberts.
His resignation from the House will take effect at the end of the day on Wednesday.
The Parliamentary Elections Act says that the House Speaker shall send a message to the governor general requesting the issue of a writ of election once the speaker is made aware of a seat vacancy.
Upon receipt of the speaker's message, the governor general issues a writ of election for the constituency where there is a vacancy. The act states that there should be no less than 21, or no more than 30 days, between the issue of the writ of election and the return of that writ.
The returning officer to whom a writ of election is directed has up to two days after receiving a writ of election to give public notice of the election.
National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest told The Guardian yesterday he is "extremely confident" that the governing party will win the Elizabeth seat.
"It is not currently our seat but it's a seat that we would like to win and that we intend to win," said Turnquest, who is a former FNM leader.
Adderley is serving his second term as the Elizabeth MP, having won the seat for the first time in 2002. In the 2007 general election, Adderley won the seat by 45 votes over now Ambassador to China Elma Campbell.
The Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM) candidate Bernard Rolle received 72 votes; there were 32 rejected ballots; and about 300 registered voters did not vote on election day.
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