To those who did not register to vote in the upcoming general election: ...It is clear that you never really wanted to... The politicians, public officials, the media and everybody else, urged you to register... Yet, you did not... The ability to vote is a privilege many fought and died for

It is now voting time

thenassauguardian editorial

Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham announced yesterday at his party’s beach event that he will inform the country today of the election date.

Ingraham said he will first meet with his Cabinet this morning and a statement will be made by 1 p.m. regarding the next election.  The prime minister also said he will make a national address at 8 p.m. about his party’s term in office and the upcoming election.

“The real bell will ring tomorrow,” Ingraham told thousands of Free National Movement (FNM) supporters yesterday at Montagu Beach.

Ingraham said he hopes voters will be satisfied with the performance of his party this term.  The FNM led the country through the financial crisis of 2008, which led to the worst recession since the Great Depression.  The effects of that recession are still being felt in The Bahamas.  The country’s unemployment rate remains above 15 percent.

“We did the best we could in very difficult circumstances and we believe that the population will accept that we did as much as was possible,” Ingraham said.

In this election the FNM’s main challenger is the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).  Its leader last night at his party’s beach event told PLPs not to “slacken up” but to continue to push hard for a victory after Ingraham calls the next general election.

“For us to win, we must demonstrate that we are prepared to work and to work hard,” said Christie at the Western Esplanade near Arawak Cay.

Parliamentary Commissioner Errol Bethel said recently the number of registered voters has exceeded 170,000 – the largest voter register in Bahamian history.

In the weeks to come in the official campaign, Ingraham and Christie will push with all they have left to be declared winner on Election Day.  The veteran leaders are likely in their last election campaign and neither wants to retire a loser.

Branville McCartney and his Democratic National Alliance (DNA) will do all they can to play spoiler.  The DNA is seeking to create a third way in a country that has essentially only welcomed two parties at a time in its independent history.

What Bahamians must remember in the weeks to come is that this is the people’s time.  After five years of evaluating the government and the opposition, it is time to choose.  No party has the right to be in power.  They must earn our trust.  No leader has the right to lead.  He must prove he is good enough to be in charge and make tough decisions in tough times.  The country needs strong decisive leadership to help resolve many of the problems that make The Bahamas dysfunctional at this time.

For those who did not get to register and who will not get to vote, it is clear that you never really wanted to.  The politicians, public officials, the media and everybody else, urged you to register.  Yet, you did not.  The ability to vote is a privilege many fight and die for.

Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma has spent much of her life in jail fighting for democracy in her country.  Yet we have people here who will not even register to vote.  This is sad.

We must take seriously our democratic responsibilities and participate.  For those who are registered, read a little more these next few weeks; have debates with friends and family; listen to the politicians.  You must be the judge in this contest.  Be informed so you can make an informed decision.

Apr 10, 2012

thenassauguardian editorial

Caribbean Blog International

The Bahamas has had four murder records in five years... ...Our politicians need not add hostility through public discourse in a nation that already has a violence problem

The tone of political rhetoric

thenassauguardian editorial

Over the last few weeks some very aggressive rhetoric has been exchanged between the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Free National Movement (FNM).  During elections, debates should be fierce, but they should also be decent.

Former PLP Cabinet Minister Leslie Miller has called for a ‘truce’ between the PLP and FNM during the remainder of the election season.  Miller has made public jokes about State Minister for Social Development Loretta Butler-Turner’s weight and accusations directed at National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest that Turnquest said have offended his wife and family.

Turnquest has uttered homosexual innuendo about PLPs and also used words like rape and prostitution.  The FNM’s candidate for North Andros and the Berry Islands Desmond Bannister said the PLP had a bunch of geriatrics at its recent North Andros event.  Among those sitting up front were former Governor General A. D. Hanna, Dame Marguerite Pindling and retired Archbishop Drexel Gomez.

Politics is not for the weak and timid.  To enter the political arena one needs to be able to withstand attacks of all types.  Some of these attacks pertain to ideas, some to past conduct, some to the conduct of friends and relatives, some to relationships.

It is fair and reasonable for political adversaries to scrutinize the records of opponents.  In fact, such scrutiny by opponents and the media is essential to the functioning of our democracy.  The party that wins the general election will exercise executive control of the government.  The electorate should be presented with relevant information by the media and other parties so it can make the best possible decision.

A line should be drawn, though, at personal attacks that have nothing to do with governance, politics or policy.  Calling someone fat, for example, should not be part of the process.  Similarly, suggesting that people are gay, to disparage them, should not be how we campaign.  It is not illegal to be gay or fat in The Bahamas.

Furthermore, candidates definitely should not accuse opponents of crimes of violence they have no proof of.  Such an act should be condemned by all sides and should not be repeated from any political platform.

The nastier the personal attacks get, the more hostile the relationship gets between Bahamians on the various sides of the political divide.  If the rhetoric between the sides gets violent in nature, it is possible for supporters to take those verbal sentiments and to transform them into deeds and actions.

For the most part, there has been little violence in Bahamian politics.  This is something to be proud of.  It indicates that as a people we are able to disagree aggressively without needing to inflict physical harm on each other.

We should all work to keep our politics this way – aggressive but not unduly hostile.  In doing so we keep our country stable.  The Bahamas has had four murder records in five years.  Our politicians need not add hostility through public discourse in a nation that already has a violence problem.

Mar 12, 2012

thenassauguardian editorial

Caribbean Blog International

If doctors and politicians want to attract medical tourism to The Bahamas, they need first to inspire confidence in Bahamian medical services among Bahamians themselves... ...Putting the legislation that already exists to work on behalf of the public interest by providing quality assurance and oversight of healthcare delivery is the obvious place to start

A question of medical trust

Tough Call - tribune242



IN a recent Tribune article, heart specialist Dr Conville Brown complained about Bahamians spending millions of dollars in the US for medical care that could easily be obtained at home.
He was arguing in favour of local healthcare providers building a large-scale medical tourism industry.

"The same things that all tourists do," he said, "the medical tourist has to do. (And) if the ownership is Bahamian, then the economy really wins because those funds will stay here."
But at the same time, he felt constrained to point out that Bahamians were offsetting the income from foreigners by flying off to get treatment in the US.

"We boost their economy big time. We are reverse medical tourists. Several hospitals in South Florida say their biggest international clientele is from the Bahamas."

Medical tourism is a multi-billion-dollar growth industry that hospitals, doctors and tourism marketers around the world are eager to tap into. By some accounts, more than half a million Americans travel to other countries for medical treatment - partly for cost reasons and partly to take advantage of procedures not yet approved in the US.

There can be no disagreement with Dr Brown's position in terms of the Bahamian economy. And for patients, the benefits are equally obvious and compelling. If Bahamians obtained their medical treatment at home, they would significantly reduce the logistics, expense and stress of being treated abroad.

Why then, do so many of us spend so much money overseas for treatments that are available right here at home? We can answer that question fairly confidently - given a choice, patients will seek medical care from the doctors, hospitals and clinics they trust the most.

This is a personal decision, and it is usually an informed decision. Patients must feel assured that the doctors and facilities they choose are both accountable and able to provide the best quality care they can afford.

So what processes do we have in place to convey such assurances to Bahamians?
Well, there are three statutory bodies that are capable of providing quality assurance and oversight to the Bahamian healthcare sector.

The Public Health Authority has managed government hospitals and clinics since 1999, under the direction of the Minister of Health. As an independent public body, the Authority is responsible for planning, policy, monitoring, evaluation, and management, as well as programme development and oversight.

However, the PHA's legislation has no provision for the investigation of complaints about the healthcare facilities managed by the Authority. Instead, PHA patients are advised to contact the "patient representative" to discuss any concerns they may have.

The Hospital and Health Care Facilities Board was created by Parliament in 1998 to license private hospitals and clinics. This legislation does include a specific mandate to investigate complaints into the "diagnosis, management and treatment" of any patient.

Physicians are the primary providers of healthcare, whether in the public or private sector, and since 1974 they have been licensed and regulated by the Medical Council. According to its website, the council was established "to regulate the medical profession, to upgrade doctors through continuing education requirements, and to safeguard the public through receiving and disposing of complaints".
However, despite the fact that it represents one of the richest professions, the council is made up of a handful of volunteers with virtually no administrative staff. Their website, for example, includes dead and departed physicians on its registry.

So do the records of these three bodies help to inspire confidence and trust in the delivery of healthcare services in the Bahamas?

Well, it would be useful to know how many complaints have been processed by the PHA's "patient representative" and how they were resolved, but unfortunately that information is not publicly available. As for the Hospital Board and the Medical Council, a summary of the case history of one complaint to these bodies over the past decade is instructive.

In 2004, a complaint was made to the Hospital Board concerning the treatment of a 42-year-old man who unexpectedly died in 2002 in a licensed Bahamian healthcare facility.

The board initially refused to deal with the complaint. But after several board members were replaced in 2005 by then Health Minister Dr Marcus Bethel, he ordered that the complaint be investigated. This order by Dr Bethel more than six years ago is the high-point of the case.

The 2005 board met with the complainant's legal and medical representatives in 2006. Afterwards, the Board chairman advised that "since the patient was dead, the file should be closed."

The board did, however, reconsider, and an investigatory panel was to be formed. However, the government changed before this happened.

The new government reinstated the 2004 board chairman, and other members. This chairman reported to a Rotary Club meeting in 2008 that the board didn't want to investigate any complaints, or "be involved in that detailed level of work".

The board said it would seek to have its enabling legislation amended, to remove the investigative requirements, and also to remove the requirement for licensed facilities to report deaths occurring on their premises - a legal mandate never complied with, and never enforced, over the board's entire lifetime.

(It should also be noted that over the past 14 years the board has issued only two "annual" reports to Parliament, something which it is required to do by law every year. And even obtaining copies of those two reports presents enormous challenges).

At a public meeting in 2008, Health Minister Dr Hubert Minnis also promised to investigate the 2004 complaint. But it is now 2012 and the board has taken no action whatsoever. Neither has it ever responded to the complainant.

As for the Medical Council, it received a complaint about the same patient's treatment and care in 2008. The disciplinary committee of the Medical Council met twice on the matter, and three years ago, then council chairman Dr Duane Sands assured Tough Call that: "There is no stonewalling. We take this very, very seriously because we want to ensure that the public will be well-served at the end of the day by this groundbreaking precedent."

He also told me that the medical act (which has been stalled for almost a decade now) was being strengthened to deal with "a finite group of people who are discrediting the profession without any real repercussions - from charging extortionary fees to providing less than appropriate care".
However, in December of last year, the Medical Council's disciplinary committee suspended the 2004 complaint investigation indefinitely.

The council decided it could not proceed because of an ex-parte injunction granted by a Supreme Court judge against the disciplinary committee in 2009, on the application of a doctor concerned in the matter. Since then, the Medical Council has taken no steps either to have the injunction removed or to proceed with the investigation.

The injunction itself is a curious feature in this story. It is perhaps "the one and only" injunction to be granted by one Supreme Court judge against another Supreme Court judge (who sits in his judicial capacity as a member of the statutory disciplinary committee).

Kerzner's branding of the Ocean Club as the "One and Only" has given a high profile to the Bahamas as an attractive destination, but the "one and only" injunction against a Supreme Court judge could have a converse affect on the Bahamas as a destination for medical tourism - quite apart from the collateral damage inflicted on the public oversight function of the Medical Council.

If doctors and politicians want to attract medical tourism to the Bahamas, they need first to inspire confidence in Bahamian medical services among Bahamians themselves. Putting the legislation that already exists to work on behalf of the public interest by providing quality assurance and oversight of healthcare delivery is the obvious place to start.

* What do you think? Send comments to larry@tribunemedia.net or visit bahamapundit.com.

January 25, 2012

tribune242

Caribbean Blog International

Young politicians should be careful and not get too caught up in the excitement of the moments to come in the upcoming general election... selling dreams they cannot deliver

Candidates should not make unrealistic promises

thenassauguardian editorial

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Free National Movement (FNM) have selected their candidates to run in the upcoming general election.  The fledgling Democratic National Alliance (DNA) is almost done with its candidate selection process.  Several independent candidates have also entered the various constituency races, such as Whitney Bastian in Mangrove Cay and South Andros and Craig Butler in Bamboo Town – and more are likely to emerge soon.

Some of these men and women who are running have been campaigning for years to win a constituency seat.  Some will begin that effort in the next few weeks.  The people will decide who will be successful and who will be forgotten.

To win, some go all out and make every promise possible.  The candidate pledges to fix every road in the area; to make sure every park is maintained; to find jobs for hundreds of people; to visit regularly after being elected; to make sure the community schools are without a need.

Campaigning is hard; winning is harder.  To do so you have to convince thousands of people you and your party are best equipped to run the country.  Telling people you will do everything for them may get you more votes.  But candidates must remember that if they win, those same people will be expecting them to deliver.

The life of that candidate could become miserable if he or she is unable to fulfill the promises made on the campaign trail.  If the candidate is elected for a governing party but has little power in the caucus, that member would have little capacity to deliver on anything for his or her area.  If elected for the opposition party, good luck getting the government to rush to your assistance in an opposition constituency.  And if the governing party does something in that area, it will tell the people it did it and not the opposition MP.

Reasonable and moderate pledges would be better for candidates and constituents.  Set out those issues of importance to the community and suggest cost-effective solutions.  Also, let the electorate know that if things don’t go well and the party does not win government, you would fight the good fight in public and in private for resources for the constituency.

Being a good public servant is also about telling people what is not possible or easily achieved.  Governments have limited resources.  They cannot tackle everything at once and some priorities deemed less critical might have to be ignored until a time comes when the capacity exists to address them.

When politicians keep promising and not delivering, they lose their credibility.  Voters eventually stop listening to the words of such people.

There are many people who are hurting in The Bahamas now due to the economic conditions that have persisted since the financial crisis of 2008.  The national jobless rate was last measured at 13-plus percent.  It may seem clever to bamboozle desperate people at election time for power.  Power attained in this manner is fleeting and no politician will build a long and successful career based on not being reliable.

Young politicians should be careful and not get too caught up in the excitement of the moments to come in the upcoming elections, selling dreams they cannot deliver.

Jan 18, 2012

thenassauguardian editorial

Caribbean Blog International

...it is now open season for all aspiring politicians and political organizations in The Bahamas

Election fever is upon us

By CFAL Economic view

Once again, election fever is upon us.  With the report of the boundaries commission having been approved by Parliament, it is now open season for all aspiring politicians and political organizations.  While the actual date of the next general election is not known, it is clear that the respective machineries of the political parties are gearing up to launch in early January.

We refer to this period leading up to the general election as the ‘silly season’.  While this may to some seem unfair and even unpatriotic, we stand by our position, as normally very intelligent people take this opportunity (during the silly season) to publicly make irrational and unfortunate public utterances.  The silly season brings out the best and the worst in our aspiring public officials.  At the end of the day, 38 Members of Parliament will take their seats in the hallowed halls of Parliament.  Constitutionally, the person commanding the support of the majority of members (at least 20) will ascend to the office of prime minister.

While we eagerly look forward to the publication of the official documents of the respective parties (manifesto, covenant or whatever), they only represent articulations of visions for the next five years.  We would like to see the major political parties take this process to the next level by tackling long-term fundamental issues and committing resources to developing positions for the next 10-15 years.  It is not until we start thinking beyond tomorrow that we can successfully position our country to compete effectively in the global arena.

The real purpose of this article is not to talk about who will win and who will not; but rather to focus on the various implications for the economy – both short-term and long-term.  Our economy has been challenged, as has been most of the world, during these tough economic times.  We have been down-graded recently and unless we put in place measures to mitigate our declining economic fortunes we will be downgraded again, which would have serious implications for us and our currency.

Many of us are experiencing a slowdown in business activity; some of us have already experienced reduced work weeks and/or layoffs; and finally, there are some employers just waiting for the passage of the Christmas season to drastically reduce costs.  Politicians need to think ‘out of the box’ for the long-term benefit of the country.

We know that within the next six months we must have a general election.  In a small country like The Bahamas, election spending can (and most likely will) provide a significant short–term infusion of money into our economy.  There will be at least 100 constituency offices opened and staffed; there will be the employment of ‘generals’ in every constituency; there will be significant amounts spent on advertising, public rallies, signage, printed materials, clothing items such as T-shirts and caps, transportation and hand-outs.  Add to this the normally scheduled ongoing public works programs.  We could have a short-term injection of millions of dollars into the economy starting almost immediately.  While it may seem that there is a lot of activity, and exciting projects waiting to break ground, we must not be deluded and remain focused on the big picture, which is the future of our economy.

If we had a wish list for the incoming administration, we would like to see in the financial sector specifically and otherwise:

• Good Governance – We call for the establishment and publication of a set of guidelines for the conduct of public officials (parliamentarians and senior government officials) governing their relationships with goods and services providers in order to improve transparency and to avoid charges of misconduct.

• A Council of Economic Advisors – The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the executive Office of the Prime Minister, is charged with offering the prime minister objective economic advice on the formulation of both domestic and international economic policy.  The council bases its recommendations and analysis on economic research and empirical evidence, using the best data available to support the prime minister in setting our nation's economic policy.

• Accountability – We would like to see major policy decisions of a fundamental nature regarding issues such as the use of government land, the disposal of government assets, constitutional changes, economic policy, introduction of legislation impacting the conduct of business and immigration policies subject to open public debate, providing for full participation by the public.

• Privatization and outsourcing – It is imperative that we complete this process for the overall competitiveness of our economy – that is, BEC, Water and Sewerage, Bahamasair, ZNS, etc.  Garbage collection, building maintenance, janitorial services, etc, could be outsourced.

• Consolidation of regulatory authority – It is possible that several regulators could regulate an institution concurrently.  To make matters worse, these multiple regulators do not seem to communicate with each other.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if some of these regulators would cross-reference certain basic information?

• Level playing field – We still see inconsistencies in the application of some rules and regulations that make you question the system.  Also, we as a nation must recognize that Bahamian professionals can be just as competent as their foreign counterparts, if given the opportunity.

• Pension fund legislation – We have called for the enactment of such legislation on numerous occasions.

• Public dialogue on tax reform – As a country we cannot continue to apply the 1960s taxation model to manage our economy.  Once we attain full membership into the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) much will change.  Our participation in these arrangements is advanced and we should not have to wake up one morning to face these changes and challenges unexpectedly.

• Public dialogue on catastrophe insurance

• Consumer protection legislation

There is a need to introduce legislation, particularly in financial services, that addresses truth in lending; increased transparency for trade and services contacts; and an office to settle disputes between small consumers and large service providers.

While there are numerous other equally pressing items that could be added to our list, we will stop here.  We are convinced that placing attention on these items will go a long way towards positioning The Bahamas as a competitive player in this brave new global world that we are entering.

We are living in interesting times.

Dec 14, 2011

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

The marriage of politics and crime in The Bahamas is a long standing one shrouded in silence

Gangster’s Paradise Part 1

By Ian G. Strachan

Crime and the political class

There is no greater problem facing The Bahamas, as far as the average Bahamian is concerned, than violent crime.  Unfortunately, violent crime is itself merely a manifestation, a symptom of deeper problems, troubling weaknesses in our systems, institutions, communities, families, psyches.  Some of the weaknesses are beyond our control – such as our size, our geographical fragmentation and proximity to the largest consumer society in the world.  Others exist because of our own neglect, incompetence, complicity, fear and ignorance.

It seems sometimes as if we want with all our hearts to do away with the shameful symptoms of our disease: Murder, rape, armed robbery, as if these were ugly, painful lesions on a pretty face, but we have no matching zeal to cure ourselves of the disease that lurks deep within, creating these conspicuous eruptions.

Over the next few weeks we will explore the vexing matter of crime in The Bahamas.  We will try to be guided by the research and considered thoughts of those who have already dedicated time and effort to these problems (because I have no interest in re-inventing the wheel).

Where we are

First, let us put our current situation in The Bahamas in perspective – regional perspective.  Here, we are alarmed at our murder rate.  I don’t wish to say that the alarm is misplaced, but I’d like to look at the murder rate for a moment as a regional phenomenon.  Where do we stack up?  In 2010, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Trinidad and Tobago had 472 murders or 35 per 100,000 people.  The Dominican Republic had 2,472 murders or 24 per 100,000.  St. Lucia had 44 or 25.2 per 100,000.  Puerto Rico had 983 murders or 26 per 100,000.  Jamaica had 1,428 or 52 per 100,000; Dominica 15 or 22 per 100,000 and The Bahamas 96, or 28 per 100,000 people.  (Police now say we only had 94 in 2010.)

The Caribbean nation most like our own demographically and historically, Barbados, had 31 murders in 2010.  By comparison, the U.S. had five murders per 100,000 people, Canada had 1.8 per 100,000 people, Japan and Singapore had 0.5 murders per 100,000 people and Germany 0.8 per 100,000.  You can see then that as a region we are recording very high murder rates compared to the industrialized countries.  In fact, the Caribbean has many of the highest murder rates in the world.  I could not find murder rates higher than The Bahamas’ anywhere outside of the Caribbean, Africa and Latin America.  Before this series is done I shall have discussed that phenomenon with some of our criminologists and sociologists.

Crime is much, much broader than murder, as we know, but murder captures everyone’s attention because it is the most serious, most shocking of crimes.  A 2007 World Bank report on crime and its impact on development in the Caribbean noted that: “The high rates of crime and violence in the region have both direct effects on human welfare in the short-run and longer run effects on economic growth and social development.”

That should sober us.  Crime and violence have deep seated economic impacts.  The report also noted that “the strongest explanation for the relatively high rates of crime and violence rates in the region – and their apparent rise in recent years – is narcotics trafficking.”

The drug trade drives crime in a number of ways: Through violence tied to trafficking, by normalizing illegal behavior, by diverting criminal justice resources from other activities, by provoking property crime related to addiction, by contributing to the widespread availability of firearms, and by undermining and corrupting societal institutions.

Perhaps most importantly, the report warned that in trying to reduce crime, violent crime especially, “There is no one ‘ideal’ approach.  The common denominator is that successful interventions are evidence-based, starting with a clear diagnostic about types of violence and risk factors, and ending with a careful evaluation of the intervention’s impact which will inform future actions.”

Whose side are the legislators on?

Over the next few weeks we’ll discuss a variety of crime fighting strategies available to us in this country.  But I wish to begin by discussing the role lawmakers and aspiring lawmakers have played in sanctioning, enabling and rewarding criminality in this country.  To put it bluntly, our politicians must choose sides: Either they are on the side of those who are accused of committing crimes or they are on the side of the rest of society.  They should no longer be able to have it both ways.  What do I mean?

We have sitting members of our Parliament and men aspiring to sit there, who have represented and continue to represent, accused drug dealers, accused rapists, accused operators of illegal gambling houses, accused murderers.  I distinctly remember interviewing a very accomplished politician once, a man at the center of many of the nation’s most important political events of the last 50 years.  This gentleman boasted to me of the number of accused murderers he had gotten off (it was close to 30 if I recall correctly).  His intention was to convince me of his legal prowess.  Instead I was chilled at the thought that this legislator, this champion of our democratic achievements, had also possibly had a hand in freeing nearly 30 cold-blooded murderers.  Someone’s got to do that job; I understand that.  But I cannot accept that it must be my elected representatives.

I have mentioned on a number of occasions the troubling fact that the Member for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador, and now deputy leader of the PLP, Philip “Brave” Davis, was the lawyer for the most wanted drug trafficker in this country, Samuel “Ninety” Knowles.  But Davis is not special, nor is he unique.  We simply happen to remember the name of his most famous client.  What about Carl Bethel, Desmond Bannister, Dion Foulkes, Alfred Sears, Glenys Hanna-Martin, Branville McCartney, Damien Gomez, Allyson Maynard-Gibson and Wayne Munroe?  Who have they defended over the course of their careers?  How many people accused of violent crime, or of brazenly flouting our laws, have they defended for a handsome fee?

These men and women will no doubt defend themselves by insisting they are not doing anything that is contrary to the rules of our Westminster system.  They will no doubt ask why they should be singled out and denied a living while physicians, accountants, engineers, businessmen are allowed to conduct their affairs and are subject to no such criticism if they serve or aspire to serve in Parliament.

I believe all MPs should be full time and should not be allowed to work for anybody else while they serve the people, first of all.  But that aside, the practice of law must in my view be treated differently, since the business of the parliamentarian is to create laws.  Doctors make a living making people sick (they’re not supposed to anyway).  But the criminal defense attorney makes a living helping men and women evade punishment who are, in the considered opinion of police, guilty of violent crimes.  I repeat:  Someone’s got to do it.  But if you do, how dare you then ask me to make you attorney general, or minister of this or that, or member of Parliament.  And how dare you give speeches about how you feel for suffering victims.  What kind of country is this?

What is the message you send to the street thug, the murderer, the drug lord, the rapist, the arm marauder, or to the impressionable admirer of such people, or to the victims of such people, when you choose to represent them before the courts and potentially help guilty men escape justice – not just before you run for political office, but while you hold such an office?  Yes, we are all innocent until proven guilty, but with 1,000 lawyers, I think it is safe to say that criminals won’t have too much trouble finding legal representation.

The 41 men and women who sit in the lower house and those who sit in the Senate should be people who have spent their whole careers defending and building us up, not defending and assisting those who are tearing us down.

The marriage of politics and crime

There’s more.  The marriage of politics and crime is a long standing one shrouded in silence.  Remember the 1967 Commission of Inquiry into the connections between organized crime in the U.S., casinos and the Bahamian government?  Remember the 1984 Commission of Inquiry into drug trafficking and governmental corruption?  How many arrests and incarcerations of Bahamian politicians on charges of corruption have occurred in the last 50 years? What has become of the so-called investigation into the handling of Crown Land for instance?

And what connection has existed between politics and the numbers business?  How far back does that connection go?  To the very heyday of the majority rule struggle?  And how many politicians, FNM and PLP, walk the streets campaigning with accused criminals on bail, or ex-cons or men “known to the police”?  Do their services as campaign generals buy them immunity?  Free legal help?  In the fight against crime, we must strike at the root.  Zero tolerance begins in our own house –  the House in Parliament Square.

Oct 24, 2011

Gangster’s Paradise Part 2

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

Bishop Simeon Hall has called on all politicians to resist the temptation of turning the controversial issue of capital punishment into a “political football”

Hall: Capital punishment should not be political football


KRYSTEL ROLLE
Guardian Staff Reporter
thenassauguardian
krystel@nasguard.com



As the national debate on the issue of capital punishment continues, a religious leader has called on all politicians to resist the temptation of turning the controversial issue into a “political football”.

Bishop Simeon Hall’s comments came in a statement yesterday. Hall is the former chairman of the National Advisory Council on Crime (NACC). One of its key recommendations was for the resumption of capital punishment.

Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader Perry Christie declared his party’s support for capital punishment Saturday night and promised to carry out the law if the PLP wins the next general election. Christie was speaking at the PLP’s Eastern Region Constituencies Conclave.

Hall said Bahamians must examine what each party did on the issue while in office rather than the “political rhetoric they espouse” during the pre-election period.

“To be frank, the record shows that both major political parties have been reserved on capital punishment,” said Hall.
No hangings were carried out under the PLP administration led by Christie.

The last time capital punishment was carried out in The Bahamas was on January 6, 2000 when David Mitchell was hanged. Five of the 50 men hanged in The Bahamas since the 1920s were hanged under the FNM between 1997 and 2002; 13 were hanged during the 25-year rule of the late Sir Lynden Pindling; and the remaining 32 were executed between 1929 and 1967.

With nearly 80 murders having been recorded already this year, The Bahamas is likely to set a forth murder record in five years this year. Hall called for cross-party efforts to address the crime problem.

“The progress against the criminal mayhem, which presently confronts us, will only take place when a by-partisan national approach is created and executed by all in power,” Hall said.

During the conclave on Saturday, Christie pledged to take bold action to reduce the crime rate in the country if he is re-elected.

“No effort will be spared to restore the safety of our streets and homes,” he said.

“An urgent priority for the next government is the battle against crime. There is fear on our streets.”

In the run-up to the 2007 general election, the Christie Administration was criticized over the crime issue by the Free National Movement, which was in opposition at the time.

Jul 26, 2011

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

Gangsterism and politics: Bahamian politicians take note of the deadly end result of politics and corruption

Electronic fence needed between gangsterism and politics

tribune242 editorial



ANYONE who has followed the rise and fall of Jamaica's drug kingpin, Christopher "Dudus" Coke, or read KC Samuels' account of Coke's meteoric rise and eventual fall into the arms of a waiting "Uncle Sam", should be grateful that the Bahamas' own drug kingpin, "Ninety" Knowles, was eventually extradited to the US before he had time to consolidate his own growing empire.

By the time Dudus, who was born into a life of crime, had run his course, he was becoming more powerful even than the Jamaican government. However, before his saga is done, what might be revealed during his trial in the US, could well bring down the JLP government of Bruce Golding.

Dudus' father, Jim Brown, who died mysteriously in a fire in his prison cell in Jamaica, was Prime Minister Edward Seaga's man. Brown was a don who could be relied on to deliver the votes from Tivoli Gardens for Seaga's Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). Brown headed the Shower Posse and violence and bloodshed entered Jamaican politics. The politicians and hoodlums were too close for comfort right up to last year when "the President" - Dudus himself - challenged the prime minister, who under pressure had agreed his extradition to the US.

The don of Tivoli, who by this time had taken his father's criminal enterprise and built it into an international empire, was receiving all the Jamaican government's construction contracts, as well as collecting from his international drug-dealing enterprises. Over time he had built himself such a strong outpost that by the time the US government targeted him, he had an armed force ready to challenge his arrest. The residents of Tivoli barricaded themselves in to protect their don and opened fire on the forces sent to arrest him. By the time the armed forces had quelled the uprising, 74 Jamaicans, including a police officer, were dead, but Dudus was still on the run.

For more than a month Dudus eluded the authorities. When he was eventually caught, disguised in a woman's wig, he waived his rights and agreed to be extradited to the US to face drugs and weapons charges.

Tivoli Gardens was former prime minister Edward Seaga's stronghold. Seaga took care of the residents. Dudus, taking on his father's mantle as head of the Posse, pushed the prime minister's care and protection of Tivoli residents to a new level.

Dudus had two faces. To the people of Tivoli and all those who paid him homage he was a good man, a generous man, a man without blemish. However, to others he was a gangster, a crook, a drug and gun peddler - a threat to society. The Americans described him as a dangerous narcotics kingpin.

Golding's government fought the extradition request. Golding explained that the attorney general and justice minister had refrained from signing Dudus' extradition because the evidence as outlined by the US was obtained illegally. Eventually an embarrassed Golding, with calls for his resignation echoing in his ears, apologised and signed.

Here in the Bahamas, employing every delaying tactic in the courts, "Ninety" Knowles from his jail cell in Fox Hill prison, held the Americans at bay for six years. President George Bush had personally labeled him an international narcotics kingpin under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpins Designation Act. He was described as the head of a multinational drug organization and in the US was found guilty of drug conspiracy and sentenced to 28 years in a Florida prison. The jury recommended that his US$19.5 million in assets be forfeited to the US government.

However, Knowles' extradition created a furor in Nassau, and even drew out placard-carrying demonstrators when then foreign affairs minister Fred Mitchell signed a warrant of surrender before Knowles had exhausted his legal appeals. The Court of Appeal recorded its "serious concern" at the manner that Knowles had been removed from the Bahamas.

However, legally right or wrong, it was the best decision for the Bahamas. Already Knowles, like Dudus, was building his little empire of supporters. He was generous with his ill-gotten gains, which he distributed liberally among the poor.

According to Wikileaks, a US diplomat wrote in November 2006 that Knowles' extradition would lead to the "withdrawal of an important source of election funding." Yes, Knowles was a menace to society.

But as Samuels concluded in his book "Jamaica's first President - Dudus, 1992-2010" -- "What needs to be realised here even more than anything else, is the deadly end result of politics and corruption. Duduses are a dime a dozen, hundreds have been born since he was extradited. He was not the first and he won't be the last to face such a fate, and therein again is the problem -- because if Jamaica is to move forward as a nation, and his type of behaviour is to be confined to the pages of history, then the line between gangsterism and politics must become an electronic fence."

Bahamian politicians take note.

Friday, June 10, 2011

tribune242 editorial

It is now time for Bahamian politicians to take note... Remember one is judged by the "friends" one keeps... Distance yourselves from known criminals in the run up to the 2012 general election

Don't make the criminal your bedfellow

tribune242 editorial



LAST WEEK Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham gave politicians on all sides of the political divide sound advice: Distance yourselves from known criminals in the run up to the 2012 general election, he said.

Every five years, the sewers of humanity disgorge disreputables seen only at election time. Suddenly from being Nobodies, they assume airs of Somebodies. Strangely, like bees to honey, they are always seen crawling around election headquarters and rubbing elbows cosily with politicians. They seem to have an inbuilt radar as to which party has the most funds to disperse -- and there they are ready for any task, be it underhand or legitimate -- as long as the upended palms are suitably greased.

Mr Ingraham has said that although he knows that both political parties want to win the next election, keeping company with lawbreakers to gain votes is a practice that should be stopped.

Opposition Leader Perry Christie had his own embarrassing moments during his election campaign when a known drug dealer at Eleuthera boasted that it was he who had paid for all the PLP election paraphernalia for the rally that particular night, and organised the motorcade leading up to the rally. In the background we heard mutterings from supporters that this man of dubious repute was the only man who had Mr Christie's ear and knew of his plans while at the island. Apparently, if reports were to be believed, even the noses of Mr Christie's generals were out of joint.

Also over time -- ever since the drug years of the seventies/eighties -- drug dealers have aligned themselves with the PLP and come away with the erroneous belief -- at least it was erroneous by the time Mr Christie headed the party -- that the PLP was their party under whose umbrella they could expect protection. Tribune reporters often heard during the 2002 election campaign, especially at Eleuthera, that the drug dealers had their fast boats ready to get back into the trade as soon as the PLP won the election. Mr Christie later made it clear that it certainly was not going to happen under his watch.

The FNM also had a nasty scrape during the seventies in the Barry Major murder case -- known as the Perpall Tract murder -- November 17, 1970. The late Sir Lynden Pindling read a statement to the House, mysteriously given 11 years after the murder by someone close to the event who suddenly had total recall of what he remembered being told at the time of the murder. He alleged that Major had tried to "blackmail the chief" -- the late Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield -- and Mr Whitfield had given "the boys" the go ahead to "fix him up." Major was shot, and the election mayhem that was started by the PLP with their "goon squads" at election time in the late sixties, continuing into the seventies was all blamed on the FNM. According to the informant, after the murder, Wendell "Red" Burrows, who two years later was hanged for the crime, was given $15,000 to $20,000 to disappear in the US until things quieted down on the home front. In the meantime "the organisation continued and we kept up with our criminal acts of burning and the like," said the questionable informant, who at the time claimed he was FNM.

One day about that time one of "the boys" came to The Tribune trying to get us to publish what Sir Lynden eventually had to do himself from the floor of the House. They admitted that Sir Lynden had sent the information. Sir Lynden obviously wanted clean hands. He wanted The Tribune, as part of its investigative reporting, to publish what eventually he had to read himself in the House. We refused and quickly showed the criminals the door. We felt that if Sir Lynden wanted a smear campaign it was his to handle.

The Tribune never believed a word of what was said in that statement as we saw the plot building behind the scenes from the day of the murder. This was a case of politicians getting too close to criminals and being destroyed by that contact.

Supt. John Crawley, a respected police officer, had investigated the murder of Barry Major. The day after the murder he told us that it was a simple case of a drug deal gone wrong. To the end he maintained that it was not political and that no politicians were involved. However, during the election of that year Major hung around Sir Cecil's election headquarters. His death was turned into a political fiasco, and Sir Cecil was smeared by association. It was a convenient turn of events at the time because the heat was on the PLP for all the criminal mayhem created by their "goons" a few years earlier. The murder of Barry Major was a convenient way of turning the tables on the FNM.

One only has to look at the precarious position the Jamaican government is now in with the politicians and the gangsters being perceived as a team for so long that eventually the day came when "the President"- Christopher "Dudus" Coke, now in a US federal prison on drug charges -- almost became more powerful than the Jamaican government and its prime minister. When all the evidence is out in this case the reputation of Bruce Golding's government will probably be in tatters. Former Jamaican prime minister Edward Seaga, when asked after his government was defeated at the polls, what he most regretted during his administration admitted that leading the funeral procession of strong man Jim Brown was his biggest mistake. Jim Brown, father of "Dudus," headed the Shower Posse gangsters and was don of Tivoli Gardens. Dudus inherited his father's fiefdom and developed the criminal enterprise to such heights that in the end the US was demanding his extradition as the "world's most dangerous drug dealer."

It is now time for Bahamian politicians to take note. Remember one is judged by the "friends" one keeps.

June 06, 2011

tribune242 editorial

Craig Butler calls for Bahamian politicians to come clean about their drug use... insisting that every potential candidate undergo drug testing ahead of the upcoming general election

MPs Challenged To Take Drug Tests

BY KENDENO N. P. KNOWLES
jonesbahamas




The 41 sitting Members of Parliament are being challenged by one political hopeful to undergo drug testing ahead of the upcoming general elections. But more than that, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Treasurer Craig Butler is insisting that every potential candidate undergo the same testing.

Mr. Butler, who has long sought a position in high office through his political party, but has never been successful because of his troubled past plagued with drug use, namely cocaine, made this call for politicians to come clean about their drug use on Wednesday.

The aspiring politician told the Bahama Journal yesterday that, "Anybody running for a seat in the House of Assembly, and all candidates or anybody who offers themselves as a candidate should be tested without question."

And while in The Bahamas, there exists a Public Disclosure Act where candidates are asked to reveal information about their finances, investigations carried out by the Bahama Journal revealed that in countries like the United States and Canada, politicians both serving and aspiring, are asked to disclose financial as well as medical information among other things.

"Getting tested for drugs is just one of the requirements when people are applying for jobs and a number of other things. So why shouldn’t those people who sit in the halls of Parliament be tested for drug use," Mr. Butler asked.

"I do not think any of the MPs should have an issue with this but I also do not think anyone will even consider this possibility."

Questioned as to the validity of claims made about certain sitting members abusing presently or previously abusing drugs, Mr. Butler was more than reluctant to answer.

Instead, Mr. Butler says we perhaps will never really know for sure what someone has done or is doing without this drug testing.

"I am not about to go down that road and state whether or not I think anyone in [the House of Assembly may be guilty of drug use]," he said.

"As I’ve stated on the record, almost a decade ago yes I did have my problems and anyone who has ever been in my position, I guess there will always be some question marks that will remain.

"But I think a drug test should be required of everyone running for office. Nobody ever knows what someone else is really doing."

In fact, Mr. Butler feels the Public Disclosure Act should be amended to include drug testing, as is the case in other jurisdictions.

For instance, the American Civil Liberties Union recently reported that Florida's Republican Governor Rick Scott not to long ago made drug tests mandatory for all state workers

And even as the PLP has snubbed Mr. Butler for a chance at a seat in the House of Assembly, he feels other political hopefuls should not be overlooked because of mistakes made in the past.

"I do not think that people who may have in the past used drugs should be hindered from running for office. I think it is being classified with other abuses such as alcohol, gambling and various other addictions as a disease. And the medical community is accepting it as a disease.

"Unfortunately anyone can fall prey to a disease at any point in time and there is various forms of treatment that a person can get to alleviate themselves from any addiction they may have fallen prey to. This is nothing that I think that will preclude somebody from seeking higher office and or being able to ably serve their country.

"So a person that has gone down the road that I have gone should not automatically be singled out because of the mistakes they made in the past.

"And at the end of the day anyone who is presently in the halls of Parliament and or seeking the halls of parliament who is dealing with any addictions we would like to see them get help."

May 12th, 2011

jonesbahamas

Bahamas Blog International

The political silly season has begun

The political silly season
thenassauguardian editorial



It appears that the political ‘silly season’ has already begun. A general election must be called by May 2012, which is well over a year away, but in political campaign terms the election might as well be right around the corner.

Last week, the Progressive Liberal Party held an anniversary victory rally in the Elizabeth constituency — no doubt a teaser to the larger, more extravagant shows that in recent years have become synonymous with Bahamian elections.

The PLP also welcomed former National Development Party candidate Dr. Andre Rollins back into its fold with great pronouncement.

And the PLP, the Free National Movement and the National Development Party continued to trade insults and accusations over the sale of 51 percent of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company to Cable and Wireless.

The major parties seem to have already kicked into high gear, releasing a plethora of statements almost on a daily basis; the PLP has started ratifying candidates; and local politicians are using the internet in increasing numbers.

So far, the political landscape is showing all the usual trappings of an election campaign.

The politics of personal destruction reigns supreme in this political culture. And while it did not start yesterday and is not particular to The Bahamas, it’s a culture that a maturing electorate is growing tired of.

There are myriad issues facing our country, and the Bahamian people deserve to hear how each party plans to address these issues.

We saw a record-breaking murder count last year; our public education students continue to perform poorly; our healthcare system is stretched; and the illegal immigration problem is still largely out of control.

There is also the pressing issues of job creation to mop up the high unemployment rate.

It should not be good enough for a political party to reveal its strategy for the country in a ‘manifesto’ or ‘plan’ released days before the election.

Voters should have the opportunity to carefully consider what positions the different political parties take on substantive issues, within a reasonable time, before marking their X.

There is the obvious politicking that takes place over the course of the campaign, but local politicians need to spend less time on personal attacks and more time addressing the real issues.

It is time for a new type of politics, one that focuses on urgent national priorities rather than narrow interests, and one that helps to hold our elected officials more accountable for the many promises made from the rally podium.

Voters want politicians with ideas and energy, who have thought deeply about the issues and are committed to making a change for the better, even if it means making tough, unpopular decisions.

2/22/2011

thenassauguardian editorial

Bahamas Blog International