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9th December
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30th December

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NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
THIS IS WORLD AIDS WEEK, WITH WORLD AIDS DAY BEING MARKED ON 1st DECEMBER.  AIDS IS ONCE AGAIN ON THE RISE IN THE BAHAMAS.  PLEASE LET US ALL RMEMBER THE VICTIMS OF THIS TERRIBLE DISEASE, AND LET US ALL BE CAREFUL, SAFE RATHER THAN SORRY.

THE WEEK THAT WAS IN POLITRICKS
There was a sense of high drama as the week unfolded.  There were more allegations of corruption by the Chairman of the PLP Bradley Roberts.  It seems that the public is almost numb to it.  This time the allegations were launched against Tommy Turnquest, the FNM Leader designate who was up to this point unscathed by the allegations.  Now he and Dion Foulkes stand condemned.  We report below.

Tennyson Wells launched fresh allegations against Dion Foulkes.  But more importantly, with Mr. Ingraham sitting ashen and licking his lips in the Parliament, he told the Prime Minister "I told you he was corrupt and yet you still promoted him to be a Minister, and you now expect me to follow him." We report below on Mr. Foulkes' fortunes.

At last the Constituencies Commission reported.  And what we find is that what we predicted has happened.  The constituencies have been gerrymandered and names changed, all to confuse and confuddle the public.  It was designed to discombobulate the PLP and try to put its Leader on the defensive.  But there is great doubt that this will work, given the fact that the FNM's fortunes in the country are now so diminished.

We report on the new constituencies below.

Then the FNM nominated its candidates.  This was the most telling of all.  It is confirmed that Loretta Butler Turner is trying to become the third generation of her family to serve in parliament.  The first being her grandfather Sir Milo, the first Bahamian Governor General.  The second was her Uncle Milo Butler Jr.  But this is a political shift of seismic proportions for the Butler family.  It signals their support for the Free National Movement.  The party of Sir Milo was the PLP.  We report on other candidates.

But what is interesting is that Hubert Ingraham was himself not nominated.  He did not attend the Council meeting that ratified the candidates.  He left it to his lieutenants.  And they nominated 39 people including two candidates that Mr. Ingraham does not want: Elliott Lockhart of Exuma and Floyd Watkins of Delaporte.   The pundits are speculating that this confirms Mr. Ingraham's lame duck status.  More below.

Last week we forgot to tell you that Kendal Demeritte aka Funky is a guest columnist in this column and you can catch the column at the lead of this column every week for his wise political insights.

This week, we had 32,208 hits on the site for the week ending 1 December 2001.  That makes 102,843 hits for the month of November and 2,539 hits for the month of December.  Thanks for reading and please keep reading.

FUNKY'S SHORT CORNER

by Kendal Demeritte

To The Other Half Of The Dream Team - When you walk through a storm hold your head up high and don't be afraid of the dark after all that is now revealed about the other half of the dream team by Mr. Bradley Roberts you will never walk alone because at the end of the storm you'll find all things that are equal. "Is this the End of Camelot?"  To The Detractors Of Harry Potter - All of you 'King Tut' dream book grave yard dirt diggers stop the hypocrisy and leave 'Harry Potter' the movie alone and by the way check your dream book Harry is seven (7) and Potter is eleven (11). And in Percy play single "7" and block "11", in Miami box 707 for six dollars and 011 for ten dollars, knowing all you number buying, what you dream last night hypocrites like I do when you win, Harry becomes Godlike overnight.  NOW GO GET A LIFE!  The Bain and Grant's Town Constituency - "Well Muddo, Rev. Phillip McPhee runn'in in Bain Town for the FNM well boy, da goose will finally drink wine and the monkey is about to get you know what!"  For the PLP - People get ready for the train a com'in, pick'in up passengers from coast to coast there ain't no room for the hopeless sinner who will destroy all Bahamians just to save his own soul. Bahamians get ready… this one is to Jordan, all you need is faith to hear the diesel's humming, you don't need no money just get on board, "Hello Christie!"

PERMANENT LINKS
11th Review of the Judiciary
Mitchell Address to Senate: Why the PM is the way he is
Mitchell speech to PLP Convention 2000
Pindling & Me - A personal retrospective on the life and times of Sir Lynden by Fred Mitchell
Address to the Senate Budget Debate / Haitian Issue
Address to the Senate Clifton Cay Debate / Haitian Issue
Address to PLP Leadership meeting in Exuma / Haitian Issue

Address of Sean McWeeney / Pindling  funeral
Gilbert Morris on OECD Blacklist
Fred Mitchell Antioch College speech
The funeral coverage

Professor Gilbert Morris on the country's blacklisting	Coverage of Sir Lynden's death & funeral

THE CONSTITUENCIES COMMISSION REPORT
A draft boundaries order has been laid on the table of the House of Assembly and will be debated on Monday 3 December.  The Prime Minister used his authority under the constitution to modify the report that was sent to the Governor General by the Constituencies Commission.  This is because he disagreed with the compromises that had been worked out between Tommy Turnquest and Dion Foulkes, his members, with Bradley Roberts of the PLP.  He told PLP Leader Perry Christie that Tommy and Dion went too far and so he had to change the report.  Centreville has been butchered to now include Paradise Island, Sears Road and Buen Retiro that voted three to one in the last election for the FNM.  This is where the white voters in the constituency live.  The area west of the Collins Wall, including Mason's Addition has been taken out of the constituency and put into a new constituency named East St & Farm Road.  The constitution requires the Prime Minister to say why he made the changes.  He said the changes came because the constituency did not contain what was traditionally thought to be Grants Town so the name as carried by the Commission had to be changed.  He said also that he changed the name of Bain Town as recommend by the Commission to Bain and Grants Town.  He also modified Yamacraw to make it a safer seat for Janet Bostwick, although Senator Melanie Griffin has a big surprise in store for the tired Janet Bostwick.  The constituencies of Shirlea and Malcolm Creek have been eliminated.  They are now renamed: Centreville and Elizabeth.  Pierre Dupuch the FNM elected Member for Shirlea refused to accept an FNM nomination and the day that the new constituencies were announced put up posters all along the street in the St. Margaret's constituency that also has substantial parts of the old Shirlea, asking people to re-elect him.  The FNM is to run Loretta Butler Turner in that seat.  The PLP is to run George Hepburn.  There is a new seat now created called Pinewood.  The PLP is expected to run Allyson Gibson in the seat.  There were no changes in the Family Islands, except for Grand Bahama.  Grand Bahama retains its six seats but the boundary for West End has been moved further into Eight Mile Rock in an attempt to protect the FNM incumbent David Wallace.  A part of Bahamia (North) has been moved from Lucaya Constituency to the Eight Mile Rock Constituency.  A part of the Lucaya constituency has also been moved to Pineridge to try and shore up C. A. Smith, the Minister of Transport.

THE POLITICAL FALLOUT OF BOUNDARIES
It appears that there will be several new faces in the Parliament come the next election.  Pierre Dupuch is now forced to run as an Independent and is no longer on the FNM's ticket. Thus the act of spite by Hubert Ingraham continues against Mr. Dupuch.  His sin was supporting Tennyson Wells for being leader of the FNM.  This led to his being fired from the Cabinet.  Tennyson Wells will also run as an Independent in the election.  It appears that PLP leader Perry Christie will leave the reconfigured Centreville and run in the new East Street and Farm Road constituency.  Bradley Roberts will run in the new Grants and Bain Town constituency.  But more importantly Perry Christie is watching the tea leaves as far as Mr. Ingraham is concerned.  There was a physical fight they say at the FNM's headquarters on the night of the ratification for candidates.  They say the police had to be called.  This has been denied by one source.  But whatever happened, it left Mr. Ingraham reeling.  His two new faces were rejected.  The Candidates Committee dominated by Mr. Ingraham had chosen Ambassador Joshua Sears as the candidate for Exuma.  This was a bad decision on Mr. Sears' part to get involved in politics at this time but he would have been a formidable candidate.  Mr. Lockhart was nominated by overturning the Sears recommendation 70 to 20.  Mr. Ingraham also wanted no part of Floyd Watkins MP for Delaporte.  He wanted instead his bosom buddy Senator Ronnie Knowles.  It was not to be.  Mr. Ingraham is said to be in a sulk.  He told his party that if he could not get those two men, then he did not want them to nominate him.  And so the FNM has named 39 candidates, and the 40th would be Mr. Ingraham.  PLP Leader Perry Christie says that he will be meeting with his Candidates Committee on Monday 3 December with a new list of recommendations for candidates in light of the changed landscape in the last week.  Bahama Journal photo of Dupuch poster on a utility pole in part of the old Shirlea constituency.

SENATOR MIKE BETHEL IN ABACO
The FNM's Senator Michael Bethel is no longer to be the candidate in South Abaco.  Senator Bethel said that he has pulled out.  He said that following his vote with the PLP in the Senate on the constituency boundaries, he was called in by the Prime Minister and some of the meanest things he had ever heard in his life were spoken to him.  Some reports say that Mr. Ingraham called him an m.f.  Senator Bethel said that he had been raised by strict parents with firm principles and they taught him to stand up for what he believed.  He said that he had spent 20 years campaigning against the PLP changing boundaries so he could not support the FNM doing the same.  Mr. Ingraham was furious. Senator Bethel and Senator Darron Cash voted with the PLP to investigate the reports of gerrymandering of the boundaries during a Senate meeting on Wednesday 8 November (click here for the story).   The FNM has decided to renominate Robert Sweeting, the incumbent who had announced two years ago that he was retiring after the next election.  The PLP will oppose Mr. Sweeting with Edison Key.  Word is from Abaco that Mike Malone, another potential candidate for the FNM, feels angry that he was not given a fair chance to get the nomination after Senator Bethel pulled out.  He is threatening to run as an independent.

THE LAST DAYS, SAYS CHRISTIE
Leader of the PLP Perry Christie was all fired up in the House of Assembly on Monday 26th November.  He predicted that these are the last days for the FNM's administration. He said that Bahamians will no longer tolerate and accept people who pretend to be democrats and are trying to stop people from talking freely.  He added: "You cannot succeed by stopping people like the Member of Parliament for Bamboo Town, or the Member of Parliament for Marathon or any member on your side and that is why you are in you last days.  No question about it. That is why you are an outgoing Government and that is why the Bahamian people will not re-elect you because you have proven not to be trustworthy."  He spoke to Zhivargo Laing, the chatty Minister who glories in heckling in the House: "They have tried to cushion you to give you a chance to be re-elected by putting an 800 majority and you talk about running scared?  You cannot go back to the same people who elected you and even though they have taken your 300 majority and made it an 800 majority, you will be beaten in that majority. You are in your last days in the House."

THE LIST OF CONSTITUENCIES AND THE CANDIDATES
*(incumbent)
Adelaide - PLP Michael Halkitis FNM - Frank Watson*
Delaporte- PLP (no one chosen) FNM - Floyd Watkins*
Blue Hills- PLP Leslie Miller FNM - Dion Foulkes*
Carmichael -PLP John Carey FNM - Desmond Bannister
South Beach - PLP Agatha Marcel - FNM Tanya McCartney
Bamboo Town- PLP Sidney Stubbs FNM Calvin Johnson
Garden Hills- PLP Veronica Owens FNM Italia Johnson*
Mount Moriah- PLP Koed Smith FNM Tommy Turnquest
Golden Gates - PLP Shane Gibson FNM Theresa Moxey-
 Ingraham*
Fort Charlotte - PLP Alfred Sears FNM Zhivargo Laing*
Bain & Grants Town - PLP Bradley Roberts* FNM Philip McPhee
Centreville PLP (none named) FNM Pauline Cooper Nairn
Pinewood- PLP Allyson Gibson FNM Gaynell Rolle
St. Cecelia PLP Cynthia "Mother" Pratt* FNM Desmond Edwards
Englerston PLP Philip Galanis* FNM Gladys Johnson
East Street & Farm Road PLP Perry Christie* FNM Sonny Russell
St. Margaret's PLP George Hepburn FNM Loretta Butler Turner
Marathon PLP Ron Pinder FNM Algernon Allen*
Kennedy PLP Kenyatta Gibson FNM Ashley Cargill
Holy Cross PLP Glenys Hanna Martin FNM Carl Bethel*
Fox Hill PLP Fred Mitchell FNM Juanianne Dorsett*
Elizabeth PLP Malcolm Adderley FNM Lester Turnquest*
Yamacraw PLP Melanie Griffin FNM Janet Bostwick*
Montagu PLP Yvette Turnquest FNM Brent Symonette

FAMILY ISLANDS

Grand Bahama
West End & Bimini PLP Obie Wilchcombe FNM David Wallace*
Pineridge PLP Anne Percentie FNM C. A. Smith*
Eight Mile Rock PLP Caleb Outten FNM Lindy Russell*
Marco City PLP Pleasant Bridgewater FNM David Thompson*
Lucaya PLP Stephen Plakaris FNM Neko C. Grant I*
High Rock PLP Marcus Bethel FNM Kenneth Russell*
 

Abaco
North Abaco PLP Felix Sawyer FNM (No one named)
South Abaco PLP Edison Key FNM Robert Sweeting*

Andros
South Andros PLP Vince Symonette FNM Ronald Bosfield*
North Andros & the Berry Islands PLP Vincent Peet FNM Earl Deveaux*

Exuma PLP Anthony Moss FNM Elliott B. Lockhart*

Long Island & Ragged Island PLP (no one named) FNM James Knowles*

Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island &
Inagua   PLP Alfred Gray   FNM John Leigh Ferguson

Eleuthera
North Eleuthera PLP Damien Gomez FNM Alvin Smith*
South Eleuthera PLP Oswald Ingraham FNM Anthony Miller*

Cat Island, San Salvador &
Rum Cay PLP Philip Brave Davis FNM James Miller*
( Members of Parliament who are expected to retire: Sylvia Scriven MP St. Margaret's; William Allen MP Montagu; Gregory Williams MP Bain Town; Anthony Rolle MP Carmichael; Mike Smith MP South Beach; Vernon Symonette MP Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island and Long Cay (MICAL).

SURPRISES FOR INGRAHAM
According to Leader of the Opposition Perry Christie, he had not seen Hubert Ingraham so visibly shaken and pinned to the wall as he was on Wednesday 28 November.  Tennyson Wells accused him of knowing that Dion Foulkes was corrupt and still promoting him to a full Minister of the Government.  Mr. Wells said that persons had come to him accusing Mr. Foulkes of corruption.  He said he sent them to the Prime Minister.  The PM said from his seat that he took steps to stop it.  Mr. Wells charged fresh allegations involving contractual allocations of some half a million dollars to Herbert Styles.  He charged that Mr. Foulkes was involved in a pattern of corruption unmatched in the country over the last 50 to 60 years.   Mr. Wells said that all his life he had fought against corruption and he would not support corruption now by following two corrupt men.  The other man he was referring to was Leader designate of the FNM Tommy Turnquest who was the subject for separate allegations of corruption by PLP Chair Bradley Roberts.  Mr. Ingraham in that same meeting of the House of Assembly reported to the House on Mr. Wells' earlier allegations saying that there was no evidence of corruption in those allegations.  He must be as blind as a bat.  But he quickly promised that the new allegations would be investigated and a report given to the country.

BRADLEY ROBERTS ACCUSES TOMMY TURNQUEST
Tommy Turnquest has all along been sitting pretty as the Leader designate while Dion Foulkes was left to stew in the allegations of corruption against him.  Now the other shoe has dropped.  On Wednesday 28 November, the House was stunned to hear that the Ministry of Works had advised repeatedly that Cecil Smith of Smith's Air Conditioning not be used by the Ministry of Works when Mr. Turnquest was Minister of Works and again when Mr. Turnquest was Minister of Tourism.  Mr. Smith's company was repeatedly accused of overcharging the Government. The latest incident involved the installation and removal of chillers for the air conditioning system the Ministry of Tourism.  It turns out that the documentation shows that Mr. Smith overcharged the Government for the use of a crane.  The actual cost was 1500 dollars.  He charged the Government $5,000 on three separate occasions for the use of the crane.  There was also a lower bidder for the air conditioning system but Tommy Turnquest insisted that Mr. Smith's company be given the contract.  But to add insult to injury, it turns out that the victory party held at the home of Tommy Turnquest on Harrold Road after the leader-elect elections on 16 August were catered by Sun International and paid for by Mr. Smith's company.  Thus the question is asked: is that the reason why Mr. Turnquest insists on using Mr. Smith as a contractor?  You can click here for the full text of Mr. Robert's report to Parliament.

FINANCIAL LEGISLATION UNCONSTITUTIONAL
The country's lawyers were in a tizzy of excitement.  The Attorney General was furious.  He said that he would be appealing the ruling immediately.  Supreme Court Justice Anita Allen ruled on Monday 26 November that some of the provisions of the Financial Intelligence Unit Act were unconstitutional.  Justice Allen is the wife of dissident FNM MP Algernon Allen and we are certain that it is in the Prime Minister's mind it was no coincidence that she gave the ruling.  In particular the Justice thought that the provisions relating to the powers of the Director of the FIU to freeze accounts and to obtain information from a bank account was a power that was reserved by the constitution to the Supreme Court.  The action was brought by lawyers Arnold Forbes and Alfred Sears on behalf of Financial Clearing Corporation an IBC. The company has now threatened to sue the Government over the freezing of their accounts.  We agree with the ruling.  The legislation was passed by the Government in response to the blackmail by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) last year.  Instead of the Prime Minister taking time to look at what needed to be done he went rushing off, changing the way we do business in The Bahamas.  The result is that the Government has totally undermined the financial services sector in this country.  We agree with the Supreme Court Justice. We intend to challenge the laws on the Compliance Commission and the laws that require you to get a licence to incorporate companies. These are unlawful intrusions into the privacy of the individuals.  It is a challenge to the way we do business in this country and to our way of life that must be resisted. The Attorney General says that he will be working out a protocol with the Courts in order to speed applications on these matters.  What it will require is that the Government will have to get easier access to ex parte applications to freeze accounts.  The Attorney General's language was not judicious.  He gave the impression in his press conference that his Government will be conspiring with the Courts to get these matters on quickly.  People of this country are already suspicious of the independence of the Courts.  Mr. Bethel's statements at his press conference on Thursday 28th November were most unhelpful.

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GLASS WINDOW AT ELEUTHERA
We had a great joke at the expense of the Prime Minister after Hurricane Floyd in 1998.  At that time the Glass Window Bridge that links North Eleuthera to South Eleuthera was wiped out for the second time in a short period before that.  The repairs were supposed to have held during rough weather.  They didn't and some lost their life as a result.  At the time Hubert Ingraham went to inspect the bridge for himself.  We joked that here was Chief Engineer Ingraham inspecting the bridge as if he could design and fix it himself.  Now we know that didn't work.  Hurricane Michelle came along and bingo the bridge was wiped out again. The bridge has now been closed, after a couple ended up in the water while crossing it.  They managed to escape with their lives.  This is really ridiculous.  One stupid bridge that is less than a mile long and this Government can't get it right.

PM DEFENDING LAWSUIT
The Prime Minister's lawyer Michael Dean has asked the lawyer for Mohammed Harajchi, Derek Ryan, for more time to mount a defence in the defamation action that has been brought by the owner of the Suisse Security Bank and Trust.  The suit arose out of remarks made by the Prime Minister on the occasion of the opening of the temporary straw market back in October. You can click here for the story of the remarks.  We think that Mr. Ingraham's remarks were defamatory and irresponsible.

ALGERNON ALLEN'S FREE SPIRIT
Algernon Allen spoke in the House of Assembly on Monday 26th November.  It is the first time that the public has heard from him since his rally held on R.M. Bailey Park shortly after his dismissal in August of 2001 as a Minister of the Government.   Said Mr. Allen to the House: "Mr. Ingraham may have fired me from his Cabinet, but Mr. Ingraham will never fire me away from the love and the need that we must have for helping this nation along, for touching the darlings of the nation, for caring for the precious pearls, for causing society to become one Bahamas… I have been fired and ripped away from the Cabinet, wrongly unjustifiably, malicious with all intent of seeking to destroy me but I say to all of you that Algernon Allen is back again, to lead the charge for those who are in need in this nation.  Mr. Ingraham will never no matter how he may have fired me, ever fire, drown or destroy me. The end that we must always have to make a difference in our Bahamaland, to be caring, to bring the balm of compassion across the entire Bahamas.  That is what this country needs to be about and unless we do it this way, we will never be worthy of this place."  It is believed by many of Mr. Allen's friends that he is convinced that the FNM will lose the next electoral contest and that under the PLP Government, he will become Leader of the Opposition.

ST. AUGUSTINE'S NOT INVITED
Last year Coach Felix Musgrove refused to enter his kids from the St. Augustine's College Senior Boys basketball team in the Hugh Campbell Tournament, the biggest high school basketball tournament in the country.  The tournament is held during the mid term break usually in February.  This year from 18 to 25 of February.  The reorganizing Committee is making it easy for SAC this year by not inviting them to the tournament.  Mr. Musgrove was upset at the rules that allow kids who have already graduated from high schools in Nassau to move into Grand Bahama and repeat in the tournament.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY IRA

He is the apple of his father's eye, young Ira Colebrook, born 26 November 1995.  His father Een Colebrooke is a good friend of this Senator.  He is an adjuster at Sun International's Atlantis hotel property.  His mom is Sharice, formerly Williams.  Ira is a curious and bright child.  He celebrated his sixth birthday and Dad asked us to wish him happy birthday over the net.  And so for all the world to see, happy birthday Ira.

DESMOND EDWARDS CRIES LIKE A BABY
They say it was the most amazing thing to see: grown man cry, not just tears welling up in the eyes, but blubbering like baby, overcome with emotion so that one is unable to speak, snot falling from the nose.  He had to be led away by David Thompson, the MP for Marco City in Grand Bahama.  He was led way for emotional comfort so that he could compose himself in the kitchen before speaking again.  The reason: bitter disappointment that he did not get the nomination for Englerston where he had been working all along.  Instead he is put as a lamb to the slaughter to work against the PLP's Deputy Leader Cynthia  'Mother' Pratt. The FNM gave the nomination to Gladys Johnson, a bible toting sister of Speaker Italia Johnson, who they say is planning against the PLP candidate, a bible quoting campaign.  Mr. Edwards told the FNM Council on Thursday 30 November that it had always been his dream to be an MP, now it was out the window.  He said that he had called his wife and despite the fact that he was being hard done by, his wife had promised to support him in St. Cecelia.  He was overcome by emotion and led away.  Some of the FNM pundits are saying that they warned Mr. Edwards when he agreed to be moved out of the Senate and then later as Chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation that he could not rely on the promise of Dion Foulkes, who has his own problems these days, that he would get the nomination for Englerston.  Now it is clear that Mr. Foulkes cannot fulfil his promise and Mr. Edwards who has been toadying up to the leadership of the FNM has gotten shafted.  We feel sad for him.

NEW PLP HQ
PLP Leader Perry Christie officially commissioned a renamed Gambier House as the Lynden O. Pindling Centre on Thursday 29 November. The building is the headquarters of the Progressive Liberal Party in The Bahamas.  Lady Marguerite Pindling was there to commission the new centre officially.  Perry Christie made a strong address about his commitment to integrity.  He said that all those who are PLP candidates must come to office with clean hands, all the more since the allegations of corruption have damaged the new FNM Leadership. The Tribune was there and carried photos of the opening.  We congratulate the PLP on this half a million dollar refit to the building. The building has a brand new façade, a new roof, central air-conditioning, new offices upstairs and a new meeting room for the Council.  This has been a major project of Mr. Christie and the building is mortgage free.
 

CONGRATULATIONS TO KEVIN BOWE
Kevin Bowe is one of the brightest of the next generation of leaders in The Bahamas.  He is a member of the Progressive Liberal Party and we met back in 1997 on a tour of the University of the West Indies campuses in Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados.  He emerged as one of the leaders of the students.  He is now in his final years as a medical student at the Princess Margaret Hospital.  His friends and family joined with him at his wedding ceremony performed by Rev Terrance Morrison at Zion Baptist Church, Shirley Street on Saturday 1 December. Friends came from Jamaica including a former Professor.  At the moment of the request to kiss the bride, Kevin's dad stood as his son kissed the bride and said: "That's my youngest son! Boy handle yourself! "  It stole the show.  Congratulations to Kevin, his beautiful bride the former Tamika LeKeisha Kemp. We hope to have a picture for you next week.  The wedding was immaculately planned by the new Mrs. Bowe.  The two met in Jamaica. We wish them many, many happy years ahead.

US AMBASSADOR ARRIVES
Richard Blankenship, the new U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas arrives on the evening of Sunday 2nd December.  He will present his letters of credence from the U.S. President to the Governor General of The Bahamas on Monday 3rd December.

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MAGISTRATE ANSWERS BRIBERY CHARGES
Carolita Bethel, the Magistrate who sits in what is colloquially called the drug court, was accused in her court by defendant Dwight Major, the man who himself has been accused of being a drug king pin from Long Island, of seeking a $50,000 bribe from him.  He reportedly said that the request came through an officer in her court who he alleged to be her boyfriend.  The report was carried only by The Punch.  Mrs. Bethel called a press conference about the issue on Friday 30 November. Said Mrs. Bethel: "To my mind, these remarks are scandalous and have brought this court into disrepute in the eyes of the community.  She claimed that the remarks had tarnished the administration of justice in the country.  Said she: "I have considered these past several days how best to address this matter so as to remove this smear and restore confidence and integrity of this court in the eyes of the public.  I am aware that the published article infers (sic.) that there is a tape to support these scandalous allegations and would invite the Attorney General to consider the same."  Cheryl Grant Bethel from the AG's office was there and promised a full investigation. We make no comment about the allegations.  However, we say that we have been concerned in the court of Mrs. Bethel at the way she speaks to Counsel in her court.  Perhaps she might rethink her attitude to Counsel when they appear before her.  Mrs. Bethel is married to Ferron Bethel of Harry B. Sands & Co.

SAD AND LONELY HUBERT INGRAHAM
On Friday nights, Hubert Ingraham and his buddy Senator Ronnie Knowles, the Minister of Health like to go to the fish fry at Arawak Cay in Nassau.  It is a gathering place for the young and upwardly mobile.  It reminds them of the old days.  They can think about being young again.  Mr. Ingraham was really thinking about the old days last Friday 30 November.  How times have changed.  He is a lame duck indeed.  Friends say that he sat there a lonely and dejected man as Anthony McKinney shuttled from the Prime Minister to his nemesis dissident FNM MP Lester Turnquest with 'fire bu'n'.  That is an old Bahamian expression for trying to start a fight between the two.  While words were exchanged, there was no physical fight.  The Prime Minister could not get Ronnie Knowles nominated for office by the party he leads.  Mr. Knowles who has no interest in politics, a happy go lucky grown man without a care in the world, is said to be privately relieved that his nomination was rejected.  He was only doing it because Hubert wanted him to.  Mr. Ingraham could not get his Ambassador to Washington Joshua Sears nominated.  He got him through the candidate's committee but the next night the slaves revolved and Mr. Sears' nomination was rejected by an overwhelming margin.  But what got Mr. Ingraham is that the Cabinet met on Senator Knowles and agreed unanimously that they would support him.  Yet when Tommy Turnquest, the Leader designate whose job it was to reverse the rejection of Dr. Knowles at the Candidates Committee, came to the Council, he did not even put the name forward.  Why?  It was clear that Dr. Knowles would be slaughtered politically.  And so the Prime Minister let it be known he will not accept a nomination in those circumstances.  He sat on Friday night, lonely, rejected, pouting and feeling sorry for himself.  We don't feel sorry for him.  We say he is getting exactly what he deserves.

NEWS FROM GRAND BAHAMA
Resorts Wants Employees Money -  1300 employees of the troubled Resorts at Bahamia are buzzing with indignation today Sunday 2 December as they ponder a company-wide memo inviting them to a meeting Monday 3 December.  The meeting is ostensibly to discuss an 'investment opportunity'.  Reports are that Resorts at Bahamia wants to use employees savings plan and pension fund money as collateral for a $1.5 million loan to be raised locally from Commonwealth Bank.  The directors of the employees funds are said to be furious. Said one, "That is our security and all we have to hold on to, after all, everyone knows they're broke."  Further reports reaching News From Grand Bahama confirm that all over Grand Bahama, merchants have put the Resorts at Bahamia on a cash-only basis and according to one accounts clerk at the hotel properties, "We don't know what to tell the creditors any more... we've run out of stories."  One small contractor reports that he has been owed $30,000 for many weeks.  Major renovations at Resorts at Bahamia remain incomplete despite the passing of deadline after deadline.

Man Made Beach Unfinished - Many motorists who initially gave grudging support to the idea of a man-made beach for Resorts at Bahamia are now outraged that the project has come to a halt, leaving the main east-west road in Freeport useless and impassable.  Work on the swimming pool is thought to have fallen victim to funding problems at Resorts.

Bahamia Residents Complain - When the Driftwood Group took over the former Princess Properties, one of the first actions was to raise the property service charges in the group's residential areas by sixty percent.  Now residents of Bahamia are complaining that their roads are being patched with concrete.  According to one area householder "All they do is send the concrete truck from the hotel renovations with leftover yardage to patch the road and put up a measly cone until it dries... it's disgraceful."

Questions on Due Diligence - Many are now asking, who in the Government did the due diligence on the new owners of Resorts at Bahamia to see if they were financially able to handle such a project?  Seasoned investment observers point out that the events of September  11 cannot be blamed because "these are capital works... people need to be concerned that a pattern is developing under the FNM.  There have been similar problems at a property taken over by foreign investors in West End,  in Bimini, in Exuma and also in Eleuthera."  Certainly a failure of Resorts at Bahamia in Grand Bahama would have serious consequences for its 1300 employees and for the economy generally.

Former Resorts Resident Manager Speaks - This week Mr. Jeff Hepburn, fired resident manager from Resorts at Bahamia responded on local radio COOL 96 to our lead story last week which reported his dismissal.  He confirmed how, after many years of faithful service he was unceremoniously told to leave the property.  Insiders say that he is being asked to take a pared down settlement and to collect it in weekly instalments.  Expatriate managers at the property have privately said that someone had to go and he was chosen.  Mr. Hepburn is a 1999 winner of the Cacique award, this country's highest tourism honour and is known to as competent, affable and loyal to a fault, a "company man".  The top Bahamian at Resorts, senior vice president Donald Archer was unavailable for comment on the matter.  Speculation is rife that the job description is to be changed before an expatriate is reassigned to Mr. Hepburn's former responsibilities.  The expatriate woman in question - one Dotty Cox - comes from another department of Resorts at Bahamia where she recently replaced another top Bahamian employee.

Ingraham Calling Around - Several civil servants in Grand Bahama were rendered all but speechless this past week as Prime Minister Ingraham personally conducted an investigation into Ministry of Education contracts.  One lady, a long-time Government employee, reportedly took with the weakness when told that Mr. Ingraham was on the line asking for tallies of students who are bussed to a particular school.

Deputy Leader Designate Fires Back - Dion Foulkes, the embattled deputy leader designate of the FNM and one of the two Ministers whose contractual practices are coming under heavy scrutiny, was said to be furious at Mr. Ingraham's personal intervention in the investigation.  friends of Minister Foulkes were putting around that perhaps they would conduct their own investigation of Mr. Ingraham's contractual dealings, particularly in Grand Bahama.  The words were interpreted by one observer as a threat.  "There's no question that it's a warning that there's about to be a big fight... Dion ain't a fellow to go down alone."  Meantime, insiders say that Mr. Ingraham will insist that monies be repaid if contractual overpayments can be shown!  We predict that this will put the cat amongst the pigeons!

Which Is It?  -  On the one hand, the Prime Minister is rushing around conducting an investigation of contracts given out by Minister of Education and FNM Deputy Leader Designate Dion Foulkes.  On the other hand, the chairman of the FNM is publishing expressions of the party's confidence in the same Mr. Foulkes.  How can that be and which is it?

To His Face - During a weekend trip to Grand Bahama, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham stopped by a local eatery favoured by political insiders Sunday 2 December.  Many FNM faithful in the same establishment 24 hours before had been openly calling for his political head on a platter.  But in the face of things, it was "Good morning, Prime Minister."  Some sycophants even went so far as to sit, break bread and 'grin-up'... Ah, the politics of power.  The question is, how will those same people behave next week?

Lady Senator Vexed - After being promised that she would either be given one of the seats in Grand Bahama or have one created for her, a prominent Freeport lady Senator is 'dead vex'.  Friends say that she feels "Out of those other two who got seats, one is but a child and the other has pretty eyes, but not one political brain in her head." Meoow!

Container Port Overtime - Workers at the Grand Bahama Container Port appear set to receive a favourable ruling from the Industrial Tribunal this week.  The tribunal is to rule on whether the workers are due overtime pay for the last three years.  In a possible indicator of what may happen, the workers were called into a meeting where FNM MPs voiced their support.  These are the same MPs who have been distancing themselves from labour problems at the container port for more than eighteen months now.  Election coming!

Island Construction - Labour problems worsen at Island Construction with a stand-off developing between the company and employees.  The problem, the company proposes to take back only some workers after a recent strike.  Reports are that they have instructed their negotiator that they will not separate.

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

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

ONE BRIEF SHINING MOMENT
It was a Monday, not a Tuesday but the excitement was palpable all the same. Two smartly dressed ‘boys’, you would call them from their looks, but they really are grown men, walked up to the Speaker’s Mace in the middle of the debate on Constituency Boundaries Monday 3 December and glued themselves to the Speaker’s mace.  They had obviously studied their history.

In 1965, Lynden O. Pindling, the founder of the modern Bahamian state, on a similar occasion 27 April that year against the dreaded United Bahamian Party (UBP) tossed the Speaker's Mace out of the window.  As he did so, he said that the authority belonged to the people and the people were outside, so the symbol of the Speaker’s authority belonged outside too.  The Mace was smashed into bits down below.

This time, all sides were aware of the history that should not be in the making.  Cassius Stuart, the bachelor half of the duo in one of the extra Parliamentary parties the Bahamian Democratic Movement (BDM) responsible for the latest Mace demonstration, had studied his history.  He was one of the last persons to talk to Sir Lynden about political action.  They in fact talked about Sir Lynden's throwing the Mace out of the window.  He was joined on Monday this past week by Omar Smith, married with four children, as the other half.  Both were immaculately dressed and manicured – no accusations of scruffiness and dregs there.  These were our brightest and best.

The PLP praised the actions, although Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt said that she was concerned about safety and security in the House.  But the FNM’s Leader just sat there, flat footed and unable to speak.  The Speaker seemed to jump on the Mace, muttering that they would not be throwing the Mace out that day.  But because the duo had glued themselves to it, with handcuffs and ‘krazy’ glue, the Mace had to accompany them to the Central Police station.

Ron Pinder, the youngest of our candidates at 27, was in a virtual state of overdrive.  He called saying “Cassius and them are trying to throw the Mace out of the House of Assembly.”  The young reporters at a press conference being held by this Senator that same day were so excited.  Gerrino Saunders, one of them, said that when he heard the news, he left his newsroom and ran down to see for himself.

This Senator, now safely a 48 year old curmudgeon, told them well done.  We in our generation wondered when the brightest and best of the next generation were going to rise up and do something.  We thought that they had simply lost their, shall we say, cojones.  The two were held for a day and half and then released following Madam Speaker’s consultations with Maximum Leader Hubert Ingraham. (Tribune picture of Stuart and Smith by Felipé Major)

The song says for one brief shining moment, there really was a spot that was known as Camelot.  Andy Warhol, the late Pop artist, said everyone will have their fifteen minutes of fame.  Whether this is just fifteen minutes for the two men or they can parlay it into something other than the momentary glow of one of those sparklers into real political capital, we will see.

This week, we had 27,587 hits on this site up to midnight  8 December 2001.  That makes a total of 30,133 hits on the site  for the month of December.  Thank you for reading and please keep reading.

FUNKY'S SHORT CORNER

by Kendal Demeritte

Funky will return next week...

PERMANENT LINKS
11th Review of the Judiciary
Mitchell Address to Senate: Why the PM is the way he is
Mitchell speech to PLP Convention 2000
Pindling & Me - A personal retrospective on the life and times of Sir Lynden by Fred Mitchell
Address to the Senate Budget Debate / Haitian Issue
Address to the Senate Clifton Cay Debate / Haitian Issue
Address to PLP Leadership meeting in Exuma / Haitian Issue

Address of Sean McWeeney / Pindling  funeral
Gilbert Morris on OECD Blacklist
Fred Mitchell Antioch College speech
The funeral coverage

Professor Gilbert Morris on the country's blacklisting	Coverage of Sir Lynden's death & funeral

THE DAY THE MACE LEFT THE HOUSE
The House of Assembly was interrupted for about twenty minutes as it began the debate on the constituency boundary changes on Monday 3rd December by Cassius Stuart and Omar Smith.  The two are Leader and Deputy Leader of the extra parliamentary party the Bahamian Democratic Movement (BDM).  They were escorted out of the House with the Mace stuck to their persons.  Later the Mace was returned to the House.  Speaker of the House Italia Johnson had them held in custody for one and half days.  They spent the night in the offices of the Commanding Officer of Central Police station in Nassau.  Technically, they were not prisoners of the Police but prisoners of the House of Assembly.  The Speaker Italia Johnson is still said to be in the throes of deciding what to do with the men.  The men brought the protest because they said that the constituency boundaries were being gerrymandered by the Free National Movement administration.  Mr. Stuart said that people were sick and tried of the foolishness. They can be charged with an offence under the Powers and Privileges Act.  The maximum fine is 600 dollars or six months in jail, or both.  But perhaps the Speaker ought to take a page from her party's political progenitor the United Bahamian Party.  In my study of the Mace incident in 1965, when Sir Lynden Pindling threw the Mace from the House, I spoke to former UBP Cabinet Minister Eugene Dupuch (now deceased).  Mr. Dupuch said that quite apart from whether or not it was possible to bring any legal action, the UBP Cabinet decided that Sir Lynden’s action was a political one and left it that. Q.E.D. Tribune photo by Anthony Morley / Magnificent Images Photography

HISTORY OF THE MACE
The Tribune sought to trivialize the actions of both Sir Lynden in 1965 and the latest political protest involving the Mace.  In reporting the matter, they gave the history of the Mace, saying about the incident with Sir Lynden:  “the Last time the Mace was mishandled…” Of course, this is part of their political agenda to trivialize important protests against the established order.  But they did provide some interesting history about the instrument itself and we quote: “The 201 year old mace was last mishandled in April 1965 when then Opposition Leader Lynden Pindling - later Sir Lynden Pindling - grabbed the Mace from in front of the Speaker’s dais and threw it out of the window, sending it crashing to the square below.  In 1968, three and a half years later, Lynden Pindling’s government introduced legislation imposing a fine and possible imprisonment on anyone found guilty of damaging or trying to damage any part of the House or Senate.  The Mace represents the authority of the House of Assembly, which is vested in the Speaker… The Speaker’s mace was made in 1799 by a London craftsman, Louis Paton, and was imported to the Bahamas in 1800 when the Speaker was also gowned for the first time. In 1965, after the Mace was broken, the 165-year-old ceremonial sceptre was repaired at a cost of 324 pounds.  In 1975, The Bahamas government received a new mace as a gift from the British Government which is stored in a vault of the Central bank.”  We believe that the gift was actually given in 1973 by the British for Independence.

THE NASSAU GUARDIAN ON CASSIUS AND OMAR
The Editorial of the Nassau Guardian of Friday 7 December read like one of those editorials they used to write when the UBP barons owned the newspaper prior to 1967.  Everything the PLP and Black people did was wrong.  The Guardian was the paper that led the way to raise public funds to repair the Mace after Pindling threw it from the House.  Now they have written that what Cassius Stuart and Omar Smith did was wrong.  Of course, they hail Mandela as a champion from South Africa, but never mind consistency.  Here’s what the editorial had to say in part: “The actions of Bahamian Democratic Leader Cassius Stuart and Deputy Leader Omar Smith this past week have been hailed as bringing to the surface the frustrations that young persons in The Bahamas are feeling about what is happening politically in the country.  However what both men did was wrong and their frustrations could have been brought out in another way.  Furthermore, after an overnight stay at the Central Police station, they held a press conference in Rawson Square on Wednesday (5 December), where they burnt a copy of the ‘Revision of Boundaries 2001 Constituencies’.  Of course, they were wrong again when they started a fire in a public place.”  The BDM says, “Wickedness still prevails in high places; the power of the people is still being stolen by political goons, democracy is still being undermined by low-life tactics and our beloved nation is being plundered by foul pirates and terrorists.”  The Guardian then commented further: “But as the more knowledgeable and older persons might say, the Bible points out that there will always be evil in the world.  Therefore, there will always be corruption and turmoil in the world.”  That’s a hell of a thing for the Guardian to say to young people. Nassau Guardian photo.

DUPUCH SPEAKS OUT
Pierre Dupuch stood up and spoke for himself after being denied a nomination by the Free National Movement.  He was speaking on the debate on the Draft Boundaries Order on Wednesday 5 December 2001.  He accused the Prime Minister of what he called Ingraham-mandering.  He told of how he heard the stories earlier in the term that his opponent in the last general election Gaynell Rolle then a PLP was going to get the nomination for his constituency.  He said that he had heard it was because of a certain friendship with the Leadership of the FNM.  Rumours have been going around the country of a close personal relationship between one of the Leaders of the FNM and Ms. Rolle.  With Mr. Dupuch's constituency of Shirlea now eliminated, Ms. Rolle is to run in the newly created constituency of Pinewood where she is expected to face the PLP's Allyson Gibson.  An argument ensued in the House between the Prime Minister and Mr. Dupuch.  Mr. Dupuch insisted that the Prime Minister had drastically changed the map presented to the Governor General by the Prime Minister.  Most observers think that the Prime Minister exceeded his authority when he ‘modified’ the boundaries presented by the Commission.   The Prime Minister claims that he only modified Centreville, Yamacraw, Bain Town, Grants Town, Fort Charlotte and St. Margaret's.  That sounds like drastically altering to me. But this guy is as thick as a gangplank these days so what more do you expect?

WHAT WILL WELLS AND DUPUCH DO?
Both Tennyson Wells and Pierre Dupuch, the two dissident FNMs who have been denied nominations by their party have announced that they will run for the House of Assembly in the next election.  They are expected to stand as independents.  There are reports that approaches have been made to the Leader of the Progressive Liberal Party by the two men, requesting the PLP to stay out of the races in St. Margaret’s and in Bamboo Town, the two constituencies respectively of the two men.  In return there is a promise that they will campaign on behalf of the PLP and help the PLP form a government if their support is necessary.  There is no official word on what the PLP’s leader thinks of all of this.  What some say will trouble the PLP National General Council will be the thinking that if you can make a deal with two FNMs why can’t you make a deal with Dr. Bernard Nottage, who left the PLP to form his own party?  This assumes of course that Dr. Nottage, like the other men, is interested in a deal.  So far that is not the case.  Things that make you go: hmmm!

US AMBASSADOR ARRIVES AND DOES THE ROUNDS
United States Ambassador Richard Blankenship arrived in Nassau on Sunday 3 December to begin his assignment for President George Bush.  The Tribune showed this photo of the arrival.  He was met at the airport’s private ramp by Dan Clune, the Deputy Chief of Mission who was Chargé while there was no Ambassador.   Mr. Blankenship is here with his wife Kendra Jones.  He met the press and said that he was anxious to get to work.  He said that he knows The Bahamas well.  He remembers when Paradise Island was Hog Island.  He gave this credentials to the Governor General Dame Ivy Dumont.  He met with the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister.  He has not met with the Leader of the Opposition.  Mr. Blankenship said that he is interested in helping education in The Bahamas and promised that he would try to bring Florida State University’s distance learning to The Bahamas.  His wife is interested in working with the Bahamas Humane Society.  Mr. Blankenship thanked The Bahamas for its support of the United States following the attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York on 11 September.  He needs to meet with the Leader of the Opposition. Tribune picture by Felipé Major.

AGATHA MARCELLE SPEAKS OUT
PLP Candidate for South Beach Agatha Marcelle issued a press statement that was published in all newspapers two weeks ago.  In it she criticized the Government for its road programme, saying that they had misplaced priorities.  Ms. Marcelle, who will face Senator Tanya McCartney of the FNM in the next General Election, said that as a result of the Government's road programme, the flooding in South Beach is worse than ever.  She questioned the Government’s economic priorities.  Most telling was her comment about the Sir Milo Butler Highway. This highway is being paved by the Government as part of the road improvement programme.  Ms. Marcelle asked how many times this road is going to be paved?

CONSTITUENCY CHANGES CONFIRMED
The House of Assembly confirmed the changes to constituency boundaries.  The FNM has also started putting its candidates in the field, with announcements every day about some rally or other.  They held their first of what they call mini-rallies on Wednesday 5 December to introduce the St. Margaret’s candidate (according to PLP Leader Perry Christie, this is because they can't pull a crowd anymore).  There are still 40 seats in the House of Assembly.  The House approved the draft boundaries order late Thursday 6 December.  They will meet again next week.

Back To The Top
 

LAURIE BUTLER’S DEBUT
The cross over of Loretta Butler Turner to the Free National Movement has caused a shock.  This is the granddaughter of Sir Milo Butler.  Many people were saying in PLP circles that her grandfather must be turning over in his grave.  That said; she will be a formidable candidate.  But it is interesting that she has chosen to run in a constituency that is deliberately gerrymandered by Mr. Ingraham as an enclave of white Bahamians.  That is part of Hubert Ingraham's racist tactic to defeat the PLP.   A Butler as an FNM seems like an oxymoron.  Yet, Mrs. Butler Turner said at the opening rally of the FNM on Wednesday 5 December that she was an FNM.  She was even dressed in the red of the FNM.  The Guardian showed a picture of her as she was escorted to the stage by her husband and Sylvia Scriven, the outgoing Member of Parliament.  No doubt she can make a great contribution to the country if she is elected.  But it is really sad to see her as a member of the Free National Movement - the party that has always stood for oppressing and repressing poor and dispossessed people.  They continue to do so today.  It is simply the wrong side to be on.  There, she is on the same side with Brent Symonette.  This is a man recently fired from his job as Chair of the Airport Authority for a conflict of interest.  The same thing that his father’s party lost the Government for in 1967 and which her grandfather fought against.  And the irony of it they say is there is Brent Symonette of all people in his introduction of Mrs. Butler Turner praising her grandfather Sir Milo.  All his life Brent Symonette and his kind fought against Sir Milo and his kind, including Mrs. Butler Turner.  Brent Symonette, a product of a racially segregated St. Andrew's School.  What a life! Guardian photo by Patrick Hanna.

A LETTER FROM SIR CLIFFORD
Former Governor General Sir Clifford Darling has written a letter to the press.  Sir Clifford’s letter was published in the Nassau Guardian of Saturday 8 December and makes the point that Government House was ‘open to the public’ before 1995.  Please click here for the full text of Sir Clifford’s letter.

MAJOR DRUG HAUL
The economic times are getting desperate again or so they are saying.  That is what many say accounts for the chance taking that is going on aboard vessels on the high seas.  This week the Bahamas Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) announced a seizure of 260 pounds of cocaine and marijuana, following a high-speed chase of a go fast boat from the Ragged Island chain to Eleuthera.  The police have arrested two men for the offence.  The DEU also arrested three men including a Jamaican and a Bermudian in connection with the seizure of an estimated 80 pounds of marijuana - worth up to $80,000 on the street. If this is what they are catching, imagine what is getting through.

JON ISAACS STILL AN ACTING JUDGE
Jeanne Thompson, a Bahamian lawyer of long standing is about to become a Judge of the Supreme Court, and so is a man named Faisal Mohamed who is not a Bahamian.  In fact, Mr. Mohamed has no judicial experience, having spent most of his Bahamian professional life as a draughtsman in the Attorney General's office and now as Law Reform Commissioner, in any event in the office.  None on the bench.   This week it was reported that the hearing by the Supreme Court to review the extradition order of Magistrate Carolita Bethel of Samuel ‘Ninety’ Knowles was delayed because Jon Isaacs the Judge who was to hear the case had not yet been sworn in.  Mr. Isaacs who has been acting Judge for over a year, needed to be re-sworn, his appointment having expired.  He is still to Act.  So what gives?  The dope is that Mr. Mohammed objects to coming on to the bench if he is to be junior to Mr. Isaacs.  He was called to the Bar before Mr. Isaacs.  So to protect the seniority, Mr. Isaacs is to wait and cool his heels as an acting judge.  Once Mohamed is on board then Mr. Isaacs can be confirmed.  This requires an investigation to determine the full facts on this matter.

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TOMMY CAN’T DEFEND HIMSELF
Tommy Turnquest spoke in the House of Assembly on Thursday 6 December on the changes to the constituency boundaries. We did not see the thing for ourselves but from what we understand his performance was quite pathetic.  He seemed to have a preoccupation with Fox Hill and why the PLP was spending so much time in making sure that the boundaries of Fox Hill were correct.  And he still didn’t get the right boundaries.  Mr. Turnquest was unable to defend himself on the corruption charges. And he was unable to defend why the Prime Minister changed the boundaries after he promised Bradley Roberts that there would be no further changes once the Commission report went to the GG.  In a word, pathetic.  But just for Tommy, this is the story.  Your colleague Dion Foulkes openly went around saying that the Fox Hill constituency would be abolished.  It was clearly an effort to ensure that I was eliminated from public life.  This was done while at the same time professing to be my friend.  The worthless representative for Fox Hill aided and abetted this by actively campaigning with her special friend the Prime Minister to exclude a key part of Fox Hill from Fox Hill.  Imagine that, a so-called Fox Hill girl, campaigning to keep Fox Hill out of Fox Hill.  She should be ashamed of herself.  But we the PLP wanted to protect the Fox Hill community, and we fought long and hard to protect the community for its historic importance to The Bahamas.  Mr. Ingraham has no interest in history.  He and his colleagues, unfortunately you are a part of that, approach life in boorish and crude fashion that does not become leaders of this country.  That is the story.  The PLP is proud of having fought for Fox Hill and we expect that the Fox Hill people will support us because we fought for them.

PLP RALLY COMING
The PLP will reintroduce candidates to the people of the country on Wednesday 12 December on Windsor Park.   The PLP's leader will be the featured Speaker.

TIM DONALDSON AGREES WITH ANITA ALLEN
On Tuesday 4 December, the Bahama Journal carried an interview with Tim Donaldson, former FNM Leader in the Senate, former Central Bank Governor, former Ambassador to Washington and now Chairman of Commonwealth Bank and the Securities Commission.  Tim who is a wealthy man, and quite comfortable in is skin these days told the Journal that he agreed with the ruling of Anita Allen, the Judge of the Supreme Court that the powers given to the Financial Intelligence Unit were unconstitutional, because it gives judicial power to a civil servant.  He says that the Banks had grave reservations about many of the pieces of legislation.  Well blow me down, if that is so why then did the Banks not take steps to protect their customers against this wicked government by opposing the changes?  In any event we thank Tim for these words.  Perhaps that will encourage the Attorney General to go out and learn some more law and leave the ruling of Justice Allen undisturbed.  Meanwhile Central Bank Governor Julian Francis weighed in by saying that Justice Allen is simply wrong in her ruling.
 

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
The Prime Minister has indicated that during the coming week, he intends to move the House of Assembly with an act to amend the constitution to eliminate all discrimination against women.  He claims that he has the consensus of all parties in the Parliament.  That is bull. The bill was laid on the table without consultation and no one has had an opportunity to study it.  Further the former PLP Attorneys General Paul Adderley and Sean McWeeney are in the process of sending the Prime Minister a letter explaining how the process of constitutional change ought to be initiated and done.  He did circulate a document to amend the constitution but he has everything and the kitchen sink in that bill.  No one can sign on to this worthless and untrustworthy politician until we see what the full implications are about what he intends to pass. For example, the gender equality clause, will that also affect the citizenship provisions of the constitution?  Being against discrimination on the grounds of gender is one thing.  What the actual amendment will say is another.

DARRON CASH’S REMARKS

Senator Darron Cash (FNM) has really crossed the Rubicon.  You remember that in the Senate he voted with the PLP to investigate constituency boundaries.  Now he says that those who are the subject of corruption allegations in the FNM should remove themselves from public life.  In a statement published in The Tribune on Tuesday 4 December, he said: “Candidates whose names have been dragged throughout the mud should voluntarily withdraw as party candidates.  That action would be a noble act in the best interest of the party.”

Back To The Top
 

INGRAHAM TO REMAIN IN POLITICS
The Prime Minister was speaking at his rally on Wednesday 5 December.  He said that while he was stepping down as Leader of the FNM he would not be stepping out of politics.  So this means that despite this stupid game he is playing about not nominating until he can get Joshua Sears and Ronnie Knowles as candidates in the next election (click here for last week's story), he intends to run again and this time he intends to be the puppet master.  He hopes to be directing his hopeless successor as a puppet master from the backbenches.  As some people have said, he simply needs to carry his you know what.  But come to think of it, if we win it will be fun to have the fellow sitting on the Opposition benches so we punch him up every time he opens his big fat mouth.  People say that the rally was so poorly attended that when Hubert called all the candidates up to the stage to introduce them to the meeting, most people were confused they thought the meeting was over.  There were no people left to form the audience.

LESLIE MUSGROVE DIES

Leslie Musgrove, a PLP, a former Young Liberal died at the age of 46 last week.  He was buried on Saturday 8 December from Epiphany Anglican Church.  We met Leslie as a PLP in 1982 when he helped us distribute the Herald and provided us with information for our newspaper.  We were surprised that he died so suddenly. In the midst of life there is death.  Mr. Musgrove is a former manager of Bahamasair and is the brother of the Rev. Simeon Hall, the former President of the Bahamas Christian Council.  May he rest in peace!

ALL GAGA ABOUT BENNY HINN
The island is in a swoon about the visit of Benny Hinn [never heard of him before now].  He is one of these evangelists who claim that they can heal the sick.  Don’t know if he professes to raise the dead as well.  Anyway, he held a crusade in Nassau on Clifford Park.  It is for three days.  Ministers of the Government and Parliamentarians were there present and accounted for, sans this Senator of course.  It began on Friday 7 December and ended on Sunday 9 December.  People were taking bets as to how much it would cost for front row seats.  Everyone wants the healing touch.  This reminds me of the same swoon the country was in when Oral Roberts visited the island as a boy.  He too professed to be healing people, and he did so at the Oakes Field Hangar, at the abandoned Oakes Field Airport at Thompson Boulevard, now the site of the Customs Building. Benny Hinn’s crowd was enormous.  Some say as high as 20,000 people.  The roads had to be blocked off, and every ill and afflicted person who could come seemed to have come.  Mr. Hinn himself professed his great surprise at the number of cancer cases in The Bahamas.  Perhaps he can heal the brains of the present Government and get them to do something to improve the environment and food supply of this country. Photo by Tim Aylen.

PRIVY COUNCIL JUDGE TO VISIT
Lord Steyn, a Privy Council Judge, will be in town on 13 December to hold a seminar on ‘The Interpretation of the Westminster Model Constitutions for members of The Bahamas judiciary and Bar’.  This is the second such visit by one of the Privy Council judges.  While on the face of it, this is about judicial education; this appears to be a public relations effort by the British and the Privy Council to put a human face on the Court.  The Court is fighting for its life now that the Caribbean leaders have said that they plan to abolish it as the final Court of Appeal.

MARIE MURRAY DIES

Condolences to the family of Mrs. Marie Murray, famous Bahamian quilter and sister of the head of the Bahamian Methodist Church Reverend Charles Sweeting.  Mrs. Murray was 73.  The Tribune published this photo with a retrospective of Mrs, Murray under the headline ‘Quilters remember ‘warm, loyal’ friend.  That was Mrs. Murray.  She was a great friend of my own mother Lilla Mitchell, also now deceased.

NEWS FROM GRAND BAHAMA
Freedom Under Fire - Disturbing news has reached us that the fourth estate in The Bahamas is under attack at Freeport, Grand Bahama.  Unconfirmed reports say that on the strength of a call from a powerful foreign investor, a leading journalist is to be forced into retirement.  It seems that the investor disagreed with a point of view exposed in the normal course of the journalist's work and apparently believes that free speech means nothing in The Bahamas.  If this turns out to be so, the regime of Hubert Ingraham's FNM must take the blame and face the consequences.  Under this Government, Bahamians have been relegated to pre-1967 second-class status, particularly it seems in 21st century Freeport.  Their tacit support for such heinous power moves by moneyed foreigners who invest in this country and in the city of Freeport has led to the dismissal or forced retirement of scores of middle and upper management Bahamians in the hotel and other industries recently.  Freeport Harbour, a middle management Bahamian gone.  Resorts at Bahamia, the former Princess Hotels, one senior Bahamian manager after another; dismissed.  Management and working class Bahamians everywhere in this economy are being reduced to a state of helplessness and powerlessness.  Now, even free speech appears to be at risk a most dangerous thing in any democracy.  When one foreigner can fly into town from his English country home and crash the career of a respected print journalist in our nation's second city with a single telephone call, what are we coming to?  If this is so, Hubert Ingraham and his 'market forces' FNM regime must take the blame and bear the consequences.

Parliamentary TV - Grand Bahama watchers of Parliament on TV took exception this week to the Speaker's role during the debate on the resolution on constituency boundaries.  At a certain point in the debate, Fox Hill MP Juanianne Dorsett was in the Speaker's Chair and admitted that she didn't know the proper way to proceed.  It seems to us that in five years of acting for the Speaker on occasion, Mrs. Dorsett should have a good grip on Parliamentary procedure and likewise Abaco MP Robert Sweeting who also acts in the Speaker's chair.  The Bahamian democracy deserves it.

'He see them, he see them' - This was how one worker at Resorts at Bahamia expressed his joy at Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham being confronted with scores of Vietnamese labourers currently employed in the renovations at Resorts at Bahamia.  Mr. Ingraham was on a tour of the property last week assessing the progress of the project.  Said the worker: "They [the Vietnamese] were everywhere he went, they were in the lobby, they were in the back of the house; they were just everywhere."  It has been charged by PLP candidate Pleasant Bridgewater and others that the Vietnamese are being exploited by Resorts at Bahamia for cheap labour at a time when Bahamians who can do the same work or going unemployed.  The Prime Minister did not make any public utterance afterward about the tour, but some days later. Minister for Immigration Earl Deveaux informed the public that he would be looking into occurrences at Resorts.  Things that make you go, hmmm!

"I Was With You, Boss!" - Last week we reported on the move by Resorts at Bahamia to borrow against employees savings plan money from a local bank.  It is said that Resorts at Bahamia wanted to use some $1.5 million of the money to back a loan, raised locally at Commonwealth Bank.  In return, it was reported that they offered the employees an additional two percent interest on the money.  Well, the resolution was put to a vote of the savings plan board of executives.  Sources say that the discussion before the vote was entirely favourable to the move.  In fact, no one spoke out against it.  Everything was positive.  "Just sweetness and light" said one insider, "I just couldn't believe it."  However, when the secret ballots were handed out and the vote tallied, the count was forty-five to five against.  Resorts at Bahamia executives were dumbfounded and deeply disappointed.  It was said that they had been counting on the money being available.  Immediately after the vote, someone hurriedly moved a resolution that the ballots be destroyed, then, one by one, savings plan board members [most of whom are Resorts employees] were overheard to say privately to the various Resorts executives: "I was with you, boss, it was just those other fellows."  They just don't seem to understand Bahamians.  We wonder if the FNM was watching?

Gratuity Money Late - Bellmen, pool attendants and maids at Resorts at Bahamia are reportedly angry over missing gratuity payments, supposedly held in escrow, that were due last week.  Sources say Hotel, Catering & Allied Workers Union President Pat Bain had to fly in from Nassau to "read the riot act".  The workers have been promised their money for next week.  "It was an oversight, they said" according to one worker, "Well it had better be..." The sum is said to be around one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

Happy Birthday Mike - Happy birthday wishes to former FNM Vice Chairman and rising building contractor 'Iron' Mike Edwards.  Reports reaching News From Grand Bahama say that Mike celebrated in typical fashion wining and dining his friends from lunchtime into the late evening.  "Moet and Taittinger; enough to take a bath" informed one partygoer.  Nice one, Mike.

A Canon & Peacemaker - Reverend Father Harry Bain is apparently soon to be called upon to live up to his latest qualification of Justice of the Peace.  It seems Canon Bain was absent in the normal course of his church duties on recent Sunday from the Anglican pro-cathedral of Christ the King in Freeport.  Well, wouldn't you know it, that's the Sunday that no organists showed up to play the traditional hymns of praise without which no Anglican service is complete.  Insiders tell News From Grand Bahama that there is some dissatisfaction on the part of the organists with the choir, and they were simply making their point.  The congregation was said to have shuddered at the various 'a capella' renderings that became necessary.  Now that Father Harry is back, peace is sure to follow.  Wasn't there a beatitude about Justices of the Peace? It puts one in mind of the ancient fable where a king is disappointed when his daughter tells him that she loves him as much as meat loves salt... he's disappointed that is until he tries meat without salt.

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NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

THE WORK OF A MONGREL
In the 1997 campaign, Hubert Ingraham, the Prime Minister of The Bahamas, went to the Fox Hill constituency and proceeded to tell the people of Fox Hill not to vote for this Senator because he was someone who supported murderers.  The fact that he and I have the same position on the response to capital murder was apparently irrelevant.  You know, never let the truth interfere with a good story.

The Prime Minister in a political sense is a worthless man. He is an unscrupulous man.  He is vindictive.  In a political sense that makes him dangerous.  We have said before in this place that we believe that he would do anything to win.  His wind up address on Wednesday 12 December as the Parliament considered the boundaries of constituencies is a case in point.

In the course of his address, he twisted and contorted the facts.  He claims that what the PLP wanted with the constituency boundaries could not be supported because it destroyed the one man one vote principle.  But what he forgot to talk about is his inveterate racism by using enclaves of white Bahamian voters to try to defeat PLP candidates.  He purposely destroyed the seat of the Leader of the Opposition, and shifted lines about in order to throw the Opposition into confusion.

But he really crossed the line when he attacked Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt.  He called her a hypocrite.  ‘Mother’ Pratt, the PLP's Deputy Leader, never has an unkind word to say about anyone or anything.  So the attack left everyone speechless.  People whispered that it may have been the gin.  But whatever the reason, it was out of order.  Mother Pratt told the PLP's rally that she found it offensive, and we report on it below.

Mr. Ingraham also twisted the facts with regard to the Fox Hill constituency.  He said that this Senator was happy about the boundary changes.  He cannot and does not speak for me. Long ago, I left the side of this political mongrel.  In 1996, when it was unpopular to do so, this Senator found out what kind of worthless politician this fellow is.  The country will be glad to see the back of him and his crooked ideas on justice.

This week we had 27,602 hits on the site for the week ending 15 December at midnight. That makes a total of 57,692 hits on the site for the month of December.

FUNKY'S SHORT CORNER

by Kendal Demeritte

I am sorry my friends for my absence last weekend but we were attending the interment service for the integrity of our friend the Prime Minister.  As you may know his integrity was fatally wounded on the 16th of August 2001 the date of the FNM Leader Elect Elections.  The service was held at Symonette’s shipyard Bay Street.  Officiating was Brent ‘Gimme Some More’ Symonette assisted by Tommy Turnquest and others. To The Bahamian Electorate -  'The Trade Winds Of Our Time' Here I stand looking, looking all around me  while all around me what do I see…?  Unhappy faces behind those painted smiles Heartache and loneliness dress up in F.N.M. Styles Good people turning bad, some don’t but they are few,  The wind is blowing, the choice is ours to choose.  We are caught up in the trade winds of  Nepotism, cronyism, hypocrisy, lying, conniving,  Al-Caponism and nose browning,  Then out of the blue…comes “Tommy and I”.  Trade winds are blowing Unhappy and disappointed honourable men  Men such as, Tennyson Wells,  Floyd Watkins, Pierre Dupuch, and Algernon Allen,  Trying to show those fools the truth And if they don’t find it…God help our youths!  The trade winds of our time... But what do I see? Hatred and jealousy Brotherhood is slowly dying Corruption and shame has clouded some names.  The trade winds of our time! The answer my friend is blowing in the wind (Fresh). To Sir with Love: - Though belated…congratulations go out to Sir Arthur Foulkes on yet another deserved achievement for this valiant warrior, stalwart son of the soil, and servant for social and political change, from the time this corner was just a babe.  Well Done!  To Sir with love, from your friend . . .. “This corner”

PERMANENT LINKS
11th Review of the Judiciary
Mitchell Address to Senate: Why the PM is the way he is
Mitchell speech to PLP Convention 2000
Pindling & Me - A personal retrospective on the life and times of Sir Lynden by Fred Mitchell
Address to the Senate Budget Debate / Haitian Issue
Address to the Senate Clifton Cay Debate / Haitian Issue
Address to PLP Leadership meeting in Exuma / Haitian Issue

Address of Sean McWeeney / Pindling  funeral
Gilbert Morris on OECD Blacklist
Fred Mitchell Antioch College speech
The funeral coverage

Professor Gilbert Morris on the country's blacklisting	Coverage of Sir Lynden's death & funeral

AN ATTACK ON MOTHER PRATT
As Hubert Ingraham was winding up the debate on the crooked draft Boundaries Order, he attacked Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt, the PLP’s Deputy Leader.  The reason, during her remarks in the House Mother Pratt attacked the Government for destroying the seat of PLP Leader Perry Christie.  Mr. Ingraham called Mother Pratt a hypocrite.  Now if you know Mother Pratt she has not one unkind word to say about anything or anyone. This is a woman who would call the Prime Minister and pray for him every morning.  It only goes to show that you can’t pray for the devil.  Yet for all that, Mr. Ingraham had the temerity to attack Mother Pratt.  Mrs. Pratt responded on the Windsor Park where the PLP held a rally on Wednesday 12 December.  Said Mother Pratt: “Enough is enough. I am not going to sit there and let nobody step on my neck and say ouch.  I respect the Prime Minister and I give respect where respect is due.  But I want the Prime Minister to know that you have to show respect to me, you can’t talk to me any kind of way.”  Said Mother Pratt: “It is better to be a tall hypocrite than a short hypocrite.”  Well said.

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Now that Desmond Bannister has been nominated by the Free National Movement for the Carmichael constituency, the fissure lines in the constituency are beginning to show.  The PLP’s John Carey (pictured) is one of our best candidates.  He is progressing along, having been in the constituency for at least a year.  The wild card in the race is whether or not the person who thought she would get the nod for the FNM and who was the overwhelming choice of the FNM branch will enter the race as an independent.  The FNM branch is said to be extremely unhappy about the choice of a candidate being imposed upon them by the Prime Minister.  For himself, Mr. Bannister was introduced to the constituency at what the FNM calls mini-rallies.  Most people call them scrap rallies. The crowds have been thin on the ground.  No one can figure out why.  Is it because the FNM is unpopular or is it because it is the Christmas season?  The crowds are unenthusiastic.  We believe that it is because of the unpopularity of the FNM.  There was also another one of those scrap rallies to introduce Tanya McCartney and the candidates of the south in New Providence to these would be constituents.  Same problem.  That meeting was an absolute disaster.

THE FNM MEETING IN SOUTH BEACH
You can’t depend on the newspapers of The Bahamas to tell you what the truth is about the politics of The Bahamas.  If you read the reports of the rallies held by the FNM during the past week, you would think that all is well.  Not one of the newspapers told the public how Mr. Ingraham was booed at the rally in South Beach when he launched an unprecedented attack on Tennyson Wells.  This was a continuation of the attack begun by Hubert Ingraham on Mr. Wells in the House of Assembly on Wednesday 12 December.  The Prime Minister said that he was confident that if Mr. Wells wanted to visit the Parliament after the next General Election, he would have to do so in the strangers' gallery.  Mr. Wells said this in reply: “You wouldn’t be here to see it because I understand that you are in trouble in Abaco; that is why you are running away from it now.  Even after the FNM Candidate’s Committee nominated you, you called them up and told them ‘don’t ratify me now’ because you were afraid of what the results of the elections were going to be.”  The Prime Minister also said that there was no question about the fact that “my man” Calvin Johnson is going to win Bamboo Town.  Said he: “… I will do what is necessary.  The seat belongs to the FNM and we are not going to let anybody t’ief our seat, the seat belongs to us, we worked hard for it.”  Mr. Wells' reply: “I won that seat by myself as an FNM candidate and I assure Mr. Ingraham that when we return after the dissolution (of Parliament) I will either be sitting here or over there.  I will be back here.”

THE IRONY OF HUBERT INGRAHAM
As the PLP’s Candidates Committee meets to determine what to do in response to the latest political twist of the evil Prime Minister, we cannot help but reflect on the irony of Hubert Ingraham.  He is such a clone of Pindling that he now finds himself faced with two Members of Parliament that he has excluded from the FNM because of allegations of corruption against his regime.  The same position he himself was put in by Sir Lynden in 1987.  Now it appears that Mr. Wells and Mr. Dupuch may be running as independents unopposed by the PLP, the same position that Mr. Ingraham was put in when he and Perry Christie worked out a deal in 1987 with the then Opposition FNM that allowed them to run unopposed by the FNM.  Yet the Prime Minister talks about running an election as if he has the moral authority to run an election campaign without reference to the fundamental irony of it all.  The fact is like it or not, he leads a corrupt regime.  For that the Bahamian people must reject him.

THE RALLY IN SOUTH BEACH
The scrap rally was held in South Beach by the FNM on Wednesday 13 December.  The idea was to introduce FNM candidates Senator Tanya McCartney (South Beach); Ashley Cargill (Kennedy); Calvin Johnson (Bamboo Town) and Carl Bethel (Holy Cross).  Our informants say that the meeting was an unmitigated disaster.  Mr. Ingraham was booed when he launched an attack on Tennyson Wells.  He refused to acknowledge the presence of Ashley Cargill, the FNM's candidate for Kennedy.  Mr. Ingraham disagrees with Mr. Cargill being the nominee.  He also told the crowd that he thought that Senator McCartney was a bright hard working individual.  He said that he wished that he had someone like that to vote for in the Delaporte constituency where he lives.  That was a dig at Floyd Watkins FNM MP whom Mr. Ingraham despises.  Mr. Ingraham tried to have Mr. Watkins displaced by his nominee Senator Ronnie Knowles, but this was rejected by the Council of the FNM.  They say that the crowd barely numbered 200 and that Mr. Ingraham was so pissed (maybe it’s that gin again) that he jumped in his car just after the meting and presumably sped off to his latest watering hole.

WHAT’S WITH CALVIN JOHNSON?
Some people don’t seem to know when enough is enough.  That's the subject the pundits are pondering about Calvin Johnson, the Consul General at The Bahamas Mission in New York, former Senator and former Member of Parliament for Fort Fincastle.  Mr. Johnson agreed to come home to be lamb to the slaughter in Bamboo Town where he will face Tennyson Wells, the incumbent.  It seems like an inexplicable and foolish decision.  Mr. Ingraham took his nomination away from him in 1997 telling him that he was ineffective and a bad representative.  He did this in front of colleagues and reduced the man to tears.  Then he was appointed a Senator to keep him going income wise.  In Mr. Ingraham’s so-called reshuffle to reduce the size of the Cabinet two years ago, Mr. Johnson was packed off to New York as Consul General.  He was made to resign earlier this year from his Senate position and replaced by Tanya McCartney.  How much punishment is this guy going to take?

THE SPEAKER ON THE MACE PAIR
The reports are that the Speaker of the House of Assembly has decided to file a criminal complaint against Omar Smith and Cassius Stuart.  The two were the men who dominated the news over the past month when they daringly strode up to the Speaker’s desk and attached themselves to the Mace.  They were led away with the instrument and held overnight by the police.  If charged the two can face six months in jail or a $600 fine or both.  The pair themselves are sanguine about the whole thing.  The criminal charges do not disturb the men.  This week they were at it again in their finest suits on Bay Street at a press conference.  They attacked the Government for converting the site of the burned down straw market and Ministry of Tourism into a parking lot.  They called for a full statement.  While this stuff is good and the publicity helps their personal images, the two must work to convert their political capital into a real political force, not just entertainment value.  To do that they should join the PLP. Nassau Guardian photo by Donald Knowles.

TRAGEDY FOR TROTTY WOODS
He is a friend of many of us in this generation.  He is particularly close to Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, the PLP’s candidate for Cat Island.  He is a former engineer at Bahamasair and now has his own business in the private sector.  But despite all that success for Henry ‘Trotty’ Woods, tragedy has struck his family.  Alvares Woods, 29 years old and son of Trotty, shot himself to death, it appears.  He was found on the Montagu Foreshore with a single bullet wound to his head.  A revolver was found by his side.  Some are suggesting that Mr. Woods the younger was depressed about the fact that is girlfriend was seeing another.  This is the second such incident affecting the Woods family.  That means two sons are dead in as many years apparently by their own hands.  The book of Job offers some comfort when it says “The Lord gives; the Lord takes away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord!"   It is a tragedy.  The police said that they are investigating.  We offer our condolences to Henry Woods and his family.

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FNM CANDIDATE FOR MICAL UNDER ATTACK
PLP candidates Damien Gomez (North Eleuthera) and Oswald Ingraham (South Eleuthera) have told the press that the FNM candidate for the Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island and Long Cay Constituency (MICAL) has compromised the voter's list in Eleuthera.  This is because up until the nomination of Mr. Ferguson he was the Local Government administrator for Eleuthera.  He had the responsibility for registering voters in Eleuthera.  This was clearly wrong since Mr. Ferguson knew that he was going to be a candidate.  It was unclear whether Mr. Ferguson had resigned from the Public Service immediately upon his accepting the nomination.  He has now said that he has resigned.  An investigation into the matter is warranted.  The remarks of the PLP candidates were reported in the Tribune Tuesday 11 December.  Mr. Ferguson seems to be under fire from voters in the constituency as well.  There is great unhappiness amongst the voters that he is the chosen candidate.  In Inagua, the island that has more votes than all the other islands in the constituency combined, voters complained to The Tribune that they did not know who he was.  Former FNM Senator Sidney Collie was expected to get the nomination but he was not the Prime Minister's favourite and so he did not get the nod.  That has left the voters in Mayaguana unhappy.  FNMs are threatening to stay at home as a result.  The PLP’s candidate Alfred Gray is said to be making great strides in Inagua.

THE PUBLIC SERVICE UNION’S NEW VOICE
There is a new voice emerging from another generation of leaders in the Public Service.  This time it is James McPhee.  Mr. McPhee was upset about the opening of a newly renovated building, headquarters and gas station on Wulff Road in New Providence, owned by the Union.  It reportedly cost $500,000 to complete.  Mr. McPhee is running against now President William McDonald for the leadership of the Union.  Mr. McPhee says that he wants a full accounting of the funds spent on the building.  Mr. McDonald for his part says that he does not respond to frivolous allegations.  The building was officially opened by the Prime Minister on Saturday 8 December.

MAURICE GLINTON FILES SUIT
Maurice Glinton and Leandra Esfakis, both attorneys, have filed suit in the Supreme Court of The Bahamas to set aside the laws passed by Parliament last year to regulate the financial services sector.  The Attorney General has also been named, as is the Compliance Commission.  The suit alleges that the Acts that now regulate the International Business Companies and the Banking system ought all to be set aside on the grounds that they are ultra vires the constitution of The Bahamas.  The suit alleges that the Acts were passed at the behest of foreign countries and not in the best interests of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.  The suit accuses the Government of sabotaging the sovereignty of The Bahamas by responding to the foreign dictates instead of the best interests of The Bahamas and the Bahamian people.  We wish them success.  In November the Compliance Commission sent letters out to the Bar Association warning them that law firms would get visits from the Commission to see that they were complying with the new laws.  This Senator will oppose any such visit.  If they set foot on my property without proper authority they can expect a fierce reaction. ‘Nuff said.

MORTON SALT TO DOWNSIZE
Earl Deveaux, the anti-labour Minister of Labour has for some reason been interfering in the plans of Morton Salt to downsize its company payroll in Inagua.  Morton runs a virtual company town in Matthew Town, Inagua.  Morton is facing a revolt from their employees who have voted to have Shane Gibson’s Union represent them.  In response to that, the company is now threatening to lay off staff at the salt operation.  The Ministry has tried to get them to stay their hand.  Not to be out done, the Nassau Institute, formerly the Institute for Economic Freedom, issued a press release this week in which it said that the Government should, stay out of Morton's business.  The Institute is a right wing think tank in Nassau, whose executive director is Gilbert Morris.

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CARICOM PMS MEET ON TOURISM
Last weekend, the Caribbean Prime Ministers were in Nassau again to talk about the future of Tourism.  They came up with some ideas that will get us exactly nowhere.  But it gave Mr. Ingraham a chance to show off in front of his fellow Prime Ministers.  He touted the fact that tourism has been a better employer of our people than the traditional industries in our countries.  This was a fact discovered by the PLP during the oil crisis of 1973.  The Bahamas fared well because of its tourism sector, while agriculture and primary production suffered in the other countries. The PMs decided that they would with the Caribbean Tourism Organization jointly fund a 16 million dollar regional advertising programme to help promote the region as a safe and desirable tourism destination.  Trinidad’s Prime Minister Basdeo Panday was here for a brief minute.  He had to face a general election on 10 December amidst cries of scandal and corruption of the process. The result was 18 for the Opposition PNM headed by Patrick Manning and 18 for the Government of Mr. Panday.  Click on to trinidadexpress.com for more on the Trinidad situation.  The President of the republic has asked the two leaders to try to form a government of National Unity.  But Opposition leader Patrick Manning says that while he is willing to talk that talk, he must be the Prime Minister.  The only problem with that is that Mr. Manning's party did not win the popular vote. The PM's party still won the popular vote.

SUN LAYOFFS
This week when the Senate meets on Tuesday 18 December, this Senator will be moving for a Select Committee to look into cultural matters in The Bahamas.  The Senate meets again on Wednesday when this Senator will be opposing the passage of the Government’s Employment Bill.  This is being done in the face of layoffs without compensation by the middle management staff of Sun International and the merger of Barclays Bank and CIBC Bank.  The Bill takes away rights from workers and must be opposed.

IS SOL KERZNER WELL?
There are reports of unusual movements and activities at Paradise Island over the past month.  Some suggest that two of the towers at Sun - the Coral and Beach Towers have been sold to an Asian group.  No word from the Kerzner family, the principal shareholders in the facility.  Further, Mr. Kerzner himself is said to be ill, suffering from cancer.  If this is confirmed, then this may be a signal to investors that the brainpower behind the Paradise Island miracle is being sapped.  The Bahamas Government needs to say what the position is.

PM’S PS TO RETIRE?
The report is the Prime Minister's Permanent Secretary M. Teresa Butler is to retire when he does.  Ms. Butler has been a Permanent Secretary since Mr. Ingraham came to office.  And her only job as PS has been with the Prime Minister.  In fact her profile has outflanked the normally high profile Secretary to the Cabinet's position, causing some concern in the public service.  The PLP is unlikely to keep that arrangement.  Ms. Butler is said to be thinking about taking an early package.  Her retirement when the Prime Minister leaves would of course obviate any uncomfortable feeling if a new administration takes over.  She is a smart woman.

EDUCATION PS ON LEAVE
There are reports that the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Education Creswell Sturrup is on administrative leave.  The Public Accounts Committee has been investigating the conduct of his Minister Dion Foulkes, who is also the deputy leader designate for the FNM.  Mr. Foulkes has been accused of corruptly dispensing contracts from the Ministry of Education.  The Public Accounts Committee was reportedly shocked to hear Mr. Sturrup take full responsibility for the dispensing of any contracts.  He appeared to say that the Minister had nothing to do with it.  People are generally flabbergasted at why he would take the fall for Dion Foulkes.  But in a way it doesn’t matter.  It is constitutionally impossible for a Permanent Secretary to take the fall for a minister. The minister is still responsible for the conduct of his subordinates in his Ministry.  No word on when Mr. Sturrup will return to work.  Meanwhile former Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary Luther Smith who was also arbitrarily removed from office continues to be on administrative leave after almost two years.  No word on when he can be expected back on the job. Mr. Sturrup is pictured at right with his Minister in this file photo.

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'MURDER' ON THE FINANCIAL SECTOR
The Tribune's Business Section reported that Julian Francis, the Governor of the Central Bank says that the year 2001 has been murder on the financial sector. The remarks came as the Central Bank Governor spoke to Leadenhall Bank and Trust Company’s 25th anniversary and at the opening of its new headquarters. Mr. Francis said: “The last year has been murder for many of us.  It has been a very trying time.  And it’s brought with it many changes to The Bahamas as a financial centre, and many changes to the way our institutions are required to do business.”  That’s true.  But nothing from the Governor on how the Government sold this country's way of life out without putting up a fight on our behalf.  We hope that Maurice Glinton can persuade the Privy Council that our sovereignty has been compromised by the ridiculous laws passed without thought last year.  The Governor did confirm that our reserves are down from 360 million dollars last year to 295 million dollars this year.

INGRAHAM ON PAY INCREASES
The Prime Minister addressed the nation at the beginning of December to tell us that the Government was in financial trouble and could not pay its bills.  One of the austerity measures announced was that civil servants would not get promotions, increments or pay raises.  He said that would not happen until economic circumstances permit.  He repeated that promise at the opening of the newly renovated building owned by the Bahamas Public Service Union on Saturday 8 December.  Of course we know when the economic circumstances will permit - just after the House is dissolved and the General Election is called in January, the Government will find the money.  Anything to bribe the voters.

NEW RHODES SCHOLAR FOR THE BAHAMAS
When Desiree Cox-Maksimov, the first Bahamian Rhodes Scholar heard the news, she broke into a broad smile.  She was one of the referees for the application of Christian Campbell.  Mr. Campbell, now a student in his third year at Duke University in North Carolina, has become the second Rhodes Scholar ever for The Bahamas.  Mrs. Maksimov is a 1992 graduate of medical school at Oxford University.  Mr. Campbell is the first male recipient of the scholarship from The Bahamas.  He is one of two who won the scholarship this year from the Caribbean.  The Rhodes Scholarship was endowed by the colonialist Cecil Rhodes whose name was given to the country Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.  It gives Mr. Campbell an opportunity to study at Oxford.  His parents are Christopher and Helen Campbell.  His father, Chris, is a chemical engineer and himself the son of former Out Island Commissioner James Campbell.  This is a proud day for the Campbell family and all of us in The Bahamas.  The parents praised Christian's aunt Christine Campbell for her role in his educational training.  She is a former St. Augustine's College teacher and former Executive Director of Bahamas Family Planning.  And added the father to The Tribune Thursday 13 December: “This now places our males in a more positive light and I am hoping that we can get more males out there willing to achieve what is in them to achieve.”

VERNELL ARMBRISTER DIES

Vernell Irma Albury Armbrister will long be remembered for her humour and style.  Mrs. Armbrister, 'Vernie' as she was called, was a well known educator for almost fifty years in Bahamian schools.  She is also remembered for her war time service to the country in the British Women's Land Army during the Second World War.  Mrs. Armbrister was buried Saturday 15 December in the cemetery of St. Mary's Anglican church after a service there.  She was 77.  Predeceased by her husband Delroy 'Roy' Armbrister in 1980, Mrs. Armbrister is survived by two sons, Edward and Peter; three daughters, Vernay, Kathi and Patricia; a brother Harry Albury; one sister Wilhelmina Munroe and a host of other relatives from the Albury family.  Our most sincere condolences.

JUNKANOO PARADE ORDER
The Junkanoo running order has been decided by lots.  This year the order for the parade is as follows: Barabbas and the Tribe, Roots, One Family, Saxon Superstars and Valley Boys.  We wish them all luck but particularly our good friend Percy ‘Vola’ Francis, the leader of the Saxons. The order was decided on Monday 10 December.

NEWS FROM GRAND BAHAMA
40 ft Containers Missing - "I ain' see nothing, I ain' hear nothing, I don't know nothing and don't ask me nothing."  This was the refrain of employees at the Grand Bahama Container Port this past week as officials searched for two missing forty-foot containers.  Monday morning 10 December, the town was abuzz about the story.  Unconfirmed reports are that the containers were being tracked across the world by the American Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) when they suddenly  'disappeared' from the port in Grand Bahama, owned by the Chinese mega company Hutchison Whampoa.  Authorities found one of the containers just outside a hole in the container port's security fence and the other in the upscale Freeport residential area of Bahamia - empty.  ZNS Northern Service News reported that a secret compartment was discovered in one of the containers thought to have held illegal drugs.  News From Grand Bahama has long called for the country's uniformed services to be in charge of national security at the Container Port.  Currently, the Police and Immigration departments must have permission to enter the premises, with the Customs service on duty only during normal working hours.  In the face of criticism, Minister for Immigration Earl Deveaux offered the opinion that the security was "adequate" and that Police would be a waste of money.  The only Government revenue from the container port is 25 cents per container paid on the way in and on the way out: a total of 50 cents.  We say that it is now time for Whampoa to foot the bill for Police and Immigration officers stationed on their premises.  The drugs that were presumably in those containers are no doubt destined for the US mainland, but before they arrive there, Bahamian youth will be tainted and some may die.

Edward & Jack's Shares - The Grand Bahama Port Authority officially responded to our story this past week that its chairman Edward St. George had divested himself of his shares in Whampoa's Grand Bahama Container Port.  Mr. St. George confirmed that he had sold his shares in the container port and further that so had Sir Jack Hayward, the other principal owner of the Port Authority.  He denied that the power base in Freeport was changing and vowed that he and Sir Jack would hold on to the Port Authority itself "at least until the year 2054".  Incidentally, it was said that the Port was responding to a story in the Bahama Journal.  In fact the Bahama Journal carried the story AFTER fredmitchelluncensored.com and they didn't quite get it right.  Next time guys, how about some deserved attribution and please, get it right.

Large Dry Dock - The Shipper facility in Freeport has just taken receipt of one of the largest dry docks in the world, capable of handling the largest tankers and cruise ships.  They have also announced they are to drill a six hundred foot disposal well for water contaminated in the process of cleaning dry-docked ships.  We wonder what the BEST commission has to say about the environmental and safety aspects of this ship care facility?  We shall monitor the situation.

No Christmas Bonus at Resorts - Executives at the Driftwood Group's Resorts at Bahamia have told non union staff at the hotels that they will not get a Christmas bonus this year.  Instead, Resorts has promised a 4 percent pay raise in January.  Said one affected worker, "Yeah, right...  If they can't find the money now, where's it going to come from in January?"

Chef Under Fire - In a related story, reports say the knife is about to fall on the executive chef at Resorts at Bahamia.  The chef has been with the resorts for more than 25 years and is married to a Bahamian.  One wonders, with all the talk about abolishing discrimination against Bahamian women and their foreign husbands, whether the chef can expect the same level of concern and protection from the Government as a Bahamian.  Sorry, that comes to exactly nothing.   However, there are Bahamians, both in Grand Bahama and elsewhere who have credentials from some of the finest culinary institutes in the world.  If they are bent on the shame of putting this chef's Bahamian family among those with jobless breadwinners, what about another Bahamian?  We shall see.

'Teabag' Turnquest - The Grand Bahama FNM general was outraged.  He had come home to report on his party's 'mini' rally.  "First of all there wasn't even two hundred people there! Then, the fellows were laughing, saying that Ingraham (is) using Tommy like a tea bag, pulling him up and down in the water until he like(s) how the tea looks.  That's the only reason he chose Tommy."  Out of their own mouths.

Minister on FTAA - At breakfast Sunday morning 16 December, we may have discovered how, if not why, The Bahamas Government seems so foreign-oriented.  A respected national economist held a seminar in Grand Bahama this past week on the need to further educate the Bahamian people on the choices presented by the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA).  This man, who has studied economic principles and theories is of the opinion that we must first know what the rules are and then take a conscious decision on which models to use in terms of tax structures and our general economic future.  The seminar was up for discussion.  In weighs Minister for Works and High Rock MP (FNM) Kenneth Russell with the opinion that these so-called intellectuals should stop lying and just tell us the truth that we have no choice but to sign on and take what's coming.  Out of their own mouths.

Bahamian Arrested in the Carolinas - A former Syntex middle manager and popular local Grand Bahama businessman has reportedly been arrested on drug trafficking charges in the Carolinas.  Friends and family of the man are aghast and unbelieving.  "No one can say that he ever had a hint of being involved in the drug trade", said one, "We just don't believe it.  It has to be a mistake or a set up"  We shall follow the story to see whether formal charges are filed.

BOXING DAY JUNKANOO 2001: Junkanoo results are finally in.  Overall 1st Saxons Superstars 3044 points 2nd One Family  2832 points 3rd Valley Boys  2720 points 4th Music Makers 2519 points 5th Roots  2462 points 6th Barabbas & The Tribe 1867 points Best Music 1st Valley Boys 2nd Saxons Superstars 3rd Music Makers Division B 1st Fancy Dancers 2nd Colours 3rd Redland Soldiers Children's Groups 1st Aztecs 2nd Positive Youth 3rd Bain Town Crusaders This year's parade was postponed from the usual early morning start first to 5pm Boxing Day and then to 7pm Boxing Day.  The first group began to rush just before 9pm, with the major groups completing just one round.  9am Thursday 27 December the Junkanoo Committee released the results.

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

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

CLEAR COOL GIN
An FNM told me this joke.  You know that when there is disorder in the House of Assembly or the British House of Commons, the Speaker stands to her feet and shouts: “Order! Order!” Well, says this FNM, Hubert Ingraham was in the House of Assembly during a particularly slow debate.  He fell asleep during the debate.  A row broke out, whereupon the Speaker stood to her feet and shouted: “Order! Order!”  This startled Hubert out of his sleep and he woke up with a start, forgetting where he was and shouted: “Gin and Tonic”.

On Monday last 17 December, the House of Assembly met to consider an Act to Amend the Public Holidays Act, one to allow Sunday shopping during the holidays.  The Prime Minister had just made one of those pre-emptory, dismissive remarks that he tends to make when he is under pressure.  Somehow, he got into a contretemps with Pierre Dupuch, the FNM dissident MP for Shirlea.  Mr. Dupuch asked the Prime Minister if he had drunk his breakfast that morning.

The late Sir Lynden O. Pindling would always get a laugh during his last days on the campaign trail, when he would ask for a glass of water.  He would then deliberately lift the glass up into the night air, and remark on its clarity and assure the crowd that as clear as it was, it was water; it was not gin.  His opponent was Hubert Ingraham and the subtext and innuendo was clear to the crowd.

The Prime Minister on Wednesday 19 December brought to the House of Assembly a bill to amend the constitution to change certain provisions dealing with inequities between the sexes.  He claimed that the amendments would eliminate the remaining vestiges of discrimination against women.  The matter comes at the end of his term.  It is rushed, ill considered.  And he made a mistake in law by suggesting that he could hold the referendum at the same time as the General Election.  His Attorney General claimed privately that he gave no such advice to the Prime Minister.  But in the end after Perry Christie, Leader of the Opposition, and Algernon Allen, dissident FNM MP, objected to the illegality of it, the Prime Minister pulled back.

People have begun openly to speculate why the Prime Minister’s political behaviour is so erratic and unstable.  Who knows?  All we know is that the round of jokes about gin are increasing.  People are talking about how clear cool gin affects the mind and its ability to make stable decisions that are reasonable and logical. A night of gin drinking makes the memory foggy, as Dud Maynard would say; it gives you a memory lapse.  One prominent doctor in town is openly diagnosing manic depression.  It’s probably none of the above, just plain bloody-mindedness.

This week we had 18,922 hits on this site for the week ending midnight Saturday 22 December 2001.  That makes a total of 76,627 hits on this site for the month of December. Thanks for reading and please keep reading.

FUNKY'S SHORT CORNER

by Kendal Demeritte

“Well mama come here quick and bring that lick’in stick!”  I just hear Ingraham beat out Turnquest by half of half of a point for the Uncle Tom of the decade award and mama you know my money was on Turnquest.  However Ingraham’s victory was brought on by …”In the judges minds”, for the keen and skillful way he had defeated L.O. Pindling and masterfully returned his liberated people to their colonial proprietors.  The panel of judges based on that one skillful act by Ingraham, not withstanding Turnquest's forever passion and love for “Massa”, and his belief in “Master is all I care about and need” was not sufficient in this decade to tip the scale in his favor. Other runner ups in the competition were Watson, McPhee, Thompson, and placing very very close for the third runner up was Allen….And not “Algernon”  THIS JUST IN! - It is believed that Turnquest has just launched a protest of the judges’ decision, citing favoritism and corruption in the judging process. This corner can justifiably understand Turnquest's frustration and point, cause after all ….”HE DUN NAME TOMMY”. That’s good enough for a win…..  “Remember it’s ALL POLITICAL”  To the F.N.M- In 1990 you thought you married a woman, but you married a big, black, bird, “DAMN FOOL you married a gaulin”. And when you cut Algernon Allen, Pierre Dupuch, and Tennyson Wells down, you took so much away from you. You can now do a Marvin Gay number, the one that I would suggest is…”Distant Lover”, because all they wanted to do was to serve and please this country and NOT YOU!….”Damn Fool!” And I urge all well thinking Bahamians, make it your New Year’s wish… “Return Allen, Wells, and Dupuch, ALL THE WAY back to parliament.”  To ALL Bahamians From THIS corner….A Christmas Prayer- As we gather with family and friends in common with God, to feast on the bounty of food and wine….and while we exchange gifts and other pleasantries, let us so be reminded of those less fortunate brothers and sisters, not so much  in our own Bahama land, but far and beyond.  Let us say a special prayer for the starving and sickly children of this world whose wish for Christmas is just to have a basic meal Oh God!  Please shape our consciousness.  So we may be as we ought to be….”Our Brothers Keeper”.  Remove selfishness and greed from our midst…..Merry Christmas Everybody! ! ! !  This corner…… PLP ALL THE WAY! ! ! ! !

PERMANENT LINKS
11th Review of the Judiciary
Mitchell Address to Senate: Why the PM is the way he is
Mitchell speech to PLP Convention 2000
Pindling & Me - A personal retrospective on the life and times of Sir Lynden by Fred Mitchell
Address to the Senate Budget Debate / Haitian Issue
Address to the Senate Clifton Cay Debate / Haitian Issue
Address to PLP Leadership meeting in Exuma / Haitian Issue

Address of Sean McWeeney / Pindling  funeral
Gilbert Morris on OECD Blacklist
Fred Mitchell Antioch College speech
The funeral coverage

Professor Gilbert Morris on the country's blacklisting	Coverage of Sir Lynden's death & funeral

EQUALITY OF THE SEXES
We think that the Prime Minister gets much too polite a hearing in the Parliament.  The attack on him while he speaks should be so unrelenting that he gives up in frustration, but instead there is silence as he speaks.  This gives this bold and brazen man the impression that he has the support of the country, and that he is able to intimidate the Opposition.  The Prime Minister brought a series of amendments to the constitution of The Bahamas which would change the laws on citizenship and the definition of discrimination as it applies to gender.  The idea is to make it possible for the husband of a Bahamian woman to get citizenship based on the fact that he is her husband, just as it is now the case with a wife of a Bahamian man.  Further, he wants the children of Bahamian women who are married to foreign men and whose children are born overseas, for those children to be able to claim as of right Bahamian citizenship. The PLP started off by saying through its principal spokesman on the issue Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt that it was going to support the bill.  The bill is the right issue but should have been opposed because the method and manner of its presentation is absolutely inappropriate.  It is rushed at the end of the term of the Prime Minister who is simply seeking to distract the Bahamian people from the allegations of crookedness against two of his Ministers.  Further, it is ill considered and badly drafted.  Knowing the number of mistakes this Government makes in drafting legislation who can trust the Prime Minister to draft an amendment to the constitution that will have far reaching affects, without a proper constitutional commission and without proper consultations with the people?

A FOOT WRONG ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
The first thing that the Prime Minister did wrong in seeking to amend the constitution was suggesting that he would hold it during the General Election.  In his usual twisted and contorted way, he believed that this would confuse the electorate.  The PLP if it opposed the question would be portrayed as anti women and people would be persuaded that in those circumstances they ought to vote FNM as the pro women party.  If the people of The Bahamas fell for that dumb trick, then they would have deserved this fellow we have as Prime Minister.  He was advised against it, and after a bit of bravado he relented.  Two former PLP Attorneys General Paul Adderley and Sean McWeeney signed a letter to him advising him that such a move would be unlawful.  Now he proposes to hold the referendum on the question before the General Election.  So here we have this man at the end of his term.  The House must be dissolved by 14 April 2001, and he is proposing to have virtually two general elections within the space of three months.  This is going to be a terrible expense and drag on the economy of this country at a time when we are facing possible economic disaster.  This is a foolish decision.  But what the Prime Minister intends is to use the money in the public treasury to fund the trips of FNM ministers across the country ostensibly promoting the referendum while at the same time they are actually in their General Election campaign.  Then following the referendum, we plunge into another campaign, this time as to who will run the country.  We ought to persuade people to vote no in the referendum.  Leave the constitution as it is.  Mr. Ingraham cannot be trusted to draft the changes to our constitution.

HOW DO YOU AMEND THE CONSTITUTION?
The Constitution of the country is the supreme law of the land.  The provisions on amending the constitution make the process deliberately difficult.  In addition to requiring either a two-thirds or three-quarters majority in the Parliament for its passage as a bill,  there must also be a referendum putting the question to the people of the country.  They must vote yes or no to the proposed change.  Only a simple majority is required for the amendment to become law.   It has never been done before in the 28 years since independence.  It is clear that the constitution needs to change.  But our view is that changes in the constitution must only be made after the widest possible consultation with the Bahamian people explaining what is intended to be changed.  And if we are going to put questions to the electorate, those questions must be framed, fairly, and in precise language so that everyone knows what it is they are voting on.  The Prime Minister is being deliberately obscure in the proposals he has put forward.  He says it in a deceptively simple way, but it is not simple.  Already, one political leader with deeply religious leanings is calling the amendment anti-family.  We know the Prime Minister needs to save Janet from demise in Yamacraw by promoting this smokescreen about women’s equality but the beating is coming anyway, no matter what he does for her.

OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
The Prime Minister lied to his House colleagues when he said week before last in the House that he proposed to bring only one amendment to the Parliament on which we could all agree, that of equality for women. In his final address on Wednesday 19 December, he said that he intended to bring others.  They are: A Teacher's Service Commission—this will replace the Public Service Commission as the agency that hires teachers.  Then there is an independent Director of Public Prosecutions proposed.  He wants to take the ultimate conduct of prosecutions out of the hands of a politician.  I am opposed to that.  No pubic servant who is not accountable to Parliament and to the electorate should have the ultimate control of prosecutions.  Then there is an amendment to change the retirement age of judges. I agree that this provision should be eliminated from the constitution altogether and give Parliament the power to prescribe the age of Judges but not to be able to lowered while they are in office.  Then he proposes that the Parliamentary Commissioner be a constitutionally protected office and that there be an Independent Electoral Commission.  One must look at these provisions very carefully before proceeding with them.  The fiasco in Trinidad shows that an independent electoral commission does not necessarily solve all problems.  Further, as one saw in the case of the Commissioner of Police Bernard Bonamy, even if you have a constitutionally protected post the Government has ways of forcing you out if they don’t want you.  Sometimes this man just talks off the top of his head but the problem with the Opposition forces, is that we always take it for granted that we are dealing with a sane and rational man.  The moment we come to accept that sanity and rationality have no place in the Ingraham mode and manner of doing things, the better we will be prepared to fight him.

WHAT WILL THE REFERENDUM QUESTION BE?
On Thursday 20 December, the House voted on the proposed amendment to the constitution and it passed unanimously.  There were 39 members in the chamber.  One was absent: Elliot Lockhart in Exuma.  The Prime Minister made a spectacle of himself by shouting: “absent! absent!”, at the top of his lungs.  The vote took place at 2:20 p.m. The Prime Minister was shown outside the House later in a Nassau Guardian photo with he and his putative successor Tommy Turnquest grinning from ear to ear.  This is the referendum question: Do you agree that all forms of discrimination against women, their children and spouses should be removed from the Constitution and that no person should be discriminated against on the grounds of gender; and do you approve the proposed amendments to Articles 3, 5, 8,10,13,14,26, and 54 of the Constitution as provided for in the Bill for An Act entitled the Bahamas Constitution (Amendment) Act 2001?  The Opposition disagrees with the way the question is put because it does not allow the citizens to vote up or down on each amendment,  Instead, they must vote the whole package up or down.  That is a serious problem.  But the old bull in a china shop has decided that it will be up or down.  The point is that he knows that there are some amendments that are objectionable on their own.  But they are in accordance with his views, so in order to get his way on all of them, he lumps them all together, the good and the bad on the ballot paper.  The framing of the ballot question must be challenged in the Courts.

WILL THE MEN BE BRAVE ENOUGH?
We believe that the amendment to the constitution proposed by the Prime Minister is deeply resented by many Bahamian men.  It is  a bit of misogyny at work but also a backlash because many men feel put upon by what they perceive as an unrelenting and unquenchable  women's movement.  They would love to object to this amendment.  Many voice the concern that the expatriate foreigners will come to Nassau fill the women’s heads up with ideas, sweep them off their feet, marry them, then dump them as soon as they get citizenship. They point to many examples where that has happened today.  In the church, pastors like Bishop Neil Ellis preach that the Bible says that there is a role for women to play and for men to play, and in the church that means that men must take the lead. But we predict that while some Bahamian men will be simmering with resentment, not one of them will open their mouths to object.

THE HAITIAN PROBLEM
The Tribune Wednesday 19 December carried a story written by Rupert Missick Jr. under the headline: HAITI BEGS FOR BAHAMAS HELP.  Weekly the press in The Bahamas reports groups of Haitian nationals making their way into The Bahamas.  They are poor, dispossessed and desperate.  The Bahamas repatriates them and then they begin the cycle all over again.  The Tribune spoke to Haiti envoy Joseph Etienne.  He says that The Bahamas ought to use its influence to get the funds earmarked for Haiti by the Organization of American States to be released so that the work of reconstructing Haiti can be revived.  There is no possibility of that.  British Under Parliamentary Secretary of State in the Foreign Office Baroness Amos visited The Bahamas this week and she said that the British are unwilling to commit to the release of the funds, unless Haitian President Aristide comes to terms with the demands of the international community in its relations with its internal opposition. This past week, the Haitian Government reported a coup attempt that failed.  Most people thought the so called coup attempt was so comical that it must have been staged by the Haitian Government of President Aristide itself.  What this boils down to is more trouble for The Bahamas, more refugees, more repatriation, and more money from the Public Treasury of The Bahamas.

RHODES SCHOLAR’S MOTHER
Last week in our story on Christian Campbell, the Rhodes scholar, we spoke of the fact that he was the son of Helen and Christopher Campbell. While a great deal was said about the father’s side of the family, his mother called and rightly objected to the fact that there was nothing said about her contribution to his upbringing.  Helen Campbell is a Trinidadian by birth and a naturalized Bahamian.  She has been a teacher for 22 years in The Bahamas, nine of those in Freeport, Grand Bahama.  She has been in teaching for 35 years.  Unquestionably, as the mother of Christian she would have made a contribution to his upbringing and a primary contribution.  During the first nine years of her time in The Bahamas, there was no extended family in Freeport to assist.  She says that Christian embraces both parts of his heritage, the Trinidadian and the Bahamian.  Sorry about that!

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PLP NOMINATIONS

The Progressive Liberal Party has decided the nominations of  Allyson Gibson for the new Pinewood Constituency.  Mrs. Maynard-Gibson is the daughter of former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Clement Maynard.  Pictured from left, Mrs. Maynard-Gibson joins Glenys Hanna-Martin (Holy Cross); Agatha Marcelle (South Beach); Veronica Owen (Garden Hills); Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt, PLP Deputy Leader (St. Cecilia); Senator Melanie Griffin (Yamacraw); Yvette Turnquest (Montagu); Pleasant Bridgewater (Marco City) and Ann Percentie (Pineridge) as the female candidates for the PLP in the next General Election.  Also decided by the PLP’s Council on Thursday 20 December was the nomination of Frank Smith, previously for Shirlea, now for St. Thomas Moore, the reconfigured Centreville and Shirlea seat.  Leader of the PLP Perry Christie has been selected for the East Street/Farm Road constituency.  This will mean a change is necessary in the previously known Bain Town constituency, now known as Grants Town/Bain Town.  It is thought that Bradley Roberts is likely to run there but the matter was left in abeyance pending some other decisions.  The clock is ticking on the elections and all PLP candidates that have been chosen are in the field.  No candidate has been selected for Delaporte or Long Island.

ACTING GOVERNOR GENERAL CONFIRMED?
This columnist speaking in the Senate on Wednesday 19 December told the nation that the Government had secretly confirmed the Acting Governor General Ivy Dumont.  Dame Ivy Dumont was appointed Acting Governor General on 13 November, succeeding  outgoing GG Sir Orville Turnquest.  The appointment brought howls of protest from the public.  It was thought that the Prime Minister had given assurances to the Leader of the Opposition that the Governor General would not be confirmed by the present administration but that would be left to the new administration.  The Prime Minister has now apparently changed his mind and without reference to the Leader of the Opposition has gone and confirmed Dame Ivy in the job.  The result of this will be that when the PLP comes to office, she will be removed.  There will then be four living persons from that office, all receiving their full salary as pensions. The fifth will then be the holder of the office appointed by the new administration.  That is why I warned the Government that it was inappropriate for the present government with less than three months in its term of office to appoint a new Governor General.  When I challenged the Leader of the Government in the Senate Ronnie Knowles to deny it, he was mute in response.

THE PLM JOINS THE CDR AND THE BFA
The Labour based party the Peoples Labour Movement (PLM) has now joined the Coalition for Democratic Reform (CDR) under Dr. Bernard Nottage and the Bahamas Freedom Alliance (BFA) under Halson Moultrie.  PLM, CDR, BFA – a virtual alphabet.  They are to fight the election under one banner.  At a press conference on Tuesday 18 December they announced 25 candidates for the Assembly including Dr. Nottage for Kennedy where he is the incumbent; Obie Ferguson for Grants Town/Bain Town and Halson Moultrie for Pinewood.  Many people are concerned that this sets the stage for the same debacle that faced the BDP/FNM split in 1997.  We think they are wrong.  The PLP will win.

CASSIUS STUART AND OMAR SMITH TO BE CHARGED?
We reported last week in this column that Cassius Stuart and Omar Smith, the pair who shackled themselves to the Mace and were arrested by the police for doing so, were to be charged in the Courts.  The next day Monday 17 December Speaker of the House Italia Johnson reported to the press that she had decided to file a complaint with the Attorney General.  We understand that the pair is to be charged with disturbing the House of Assembly.  Members of the FNM backbench have reportedly been lobbying for them to be charged but its maximum leader Hubert Ingraham made the call.  He thinks that the pair ought to be taught a lesson.  And so it is now up to Carl Bethel, the Ingraham malleable Attorney General, to make a decision.  The law requires the fiat (permission) of the Attorney General for a charge to be brought.  The offence is triable summarily and carries a maximum penalty of a 600-dollar fine or six months in jail.  The men were back at it again this week visiting a poor neighbourhood in New Providence and exposing the low quality of life in the neighbourhood.  Charging these men is a big mistake but you know that they say those whom the gods destroy they first make mad.  Tribune photo.

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THE RESPONSE OF MACE PRISONERS
When Mr. Smith 33 and Mr. Stuart 30 were released, they were released with the Speaker calling for them to meet with their pastor Richard Pinder of Bahamas Faith Mission and their parents.  The two men have refused any such meetings as well they should.  How ridiculous.  Only Italia could think of something so stupid and inane.  As for the two men they issued a statement to the press that said in part:

“When Omar Smith and I carried out political action and voted in the last two or three elections in this country, we did not consult our parents or our pastors, as we correctly reasoned that we were mature adults and capable of making political decisions and executive political acts on our own behalf and without parental or pastoral consent or guidance.  Consequently when we planned our 3 December action of handcuffing ourselves to the Speaker’s mace to protest the election rigging practices of the Free National Movement government, we did not consult our parents and our pastors.”

Mr. Stuart continued: “As for Speaker of the House, the Hon. Italia Johnson, when she ran as a candidate for Garden Hills constituency in 1997 and canvassed for my vote, she did not consult my mother or my pastor, as she correctly  reasoned that I was a mature adult capable of carrying out political actions and making political decisions for myself, without parental or pastoral consent and guidance…

“This attempt by the Speaker to drag my mother and my pastor into a war that is outside of their spheres of influence, is a nasty FNM plan to belittle the position taken by the BDM and gives the nation the impression that Omar Smith and myself are two impetuous and misguided little boys, who should be reprimanded by her and then sent home in the protective custody of our parents and pastors.

“The truth of the matter is that the only misguided political action I have ever carried out was when I voted for Italia Johnson and the Free National Movement in 1997 and when I convinced hundreds of my neighbours to do the same.  The truth of the matter is that what we did on 3 December was just the beginning of our attempt to reprimand ourselves and correct that grave error.

“We will not submit, therefore, to these feminizing tactics of the Speaker and her corrupt party, neither will we stand still and allow our action of 3 December to be emasculated by the immoral Free National Movement.”
 

NEW CHARGES BY BRADLEY ROBERTS
Bradley Roberts, the PLP Chairman and Member for Grants Town, levelled new charges against the Government in the House of Assembly on Monday 17 December.  He accused the Government of being complicit in a fraudulent scheme by John Bull to use the Hawksbill Creek provisions to evade the paying of stamp duty to the Treasury.  Mr. Roberts revealed that some two million dollars may have been lost to the Public Treasury by John Bull, that does not have an active store in Freeport, passing all their foreign currency draft transactions through Freeport, where no stamp duty is payable. The goods purchased by those drafts were, however, destined for Nassau. Click here for the full address in the House.

DESMOND EDWARD BLOWS IT ON AIR
On Sunday 17 December, the FNM's candidate for St. Cecilia Desmond Edwards appeared on the Jones Communications (Love 97) interview talk show.  Wendall Jones put some peppery questions to him and Mike Smith about the state of the FNM and corruption.  The two men could not admit that there were corrupt acts by the FNM administration. They hemmed and hedged.  Mr. Jones reportedly became so frustrated that he brought the show to an early close and threw Desmond Edwards out of the building.  Oh well!

FRED MITCHELL IN THE SENATE THIS WEEK
The Senate met on Tuesday 18 December and Wednesday 19 December.  This Senator moved a request for a Select Committee to look into all matters relating to Cultural Development.  Please click here for that address.  The Government defeated the request but not before they heard a charge of corruption on the purchase of the so called National Centre for the Performing Arts.  Also in the Senate, this Senator spoke on the Employment Bill, you can click here for that address.  The Bill was passed without objection by the Opposition but with one attempt to amend its provisions.  This bill will be substantially revised should the PLP become the Government.  It proposes to create a 44 hour work week as at 1 February this year and a 40 work week as at 1 February 2003.  See story below on Gilbert Morris’ response to the Bill from the right wing think tank the Nassau Institute.

CONGRATULATIONS ON CALLS TO THE BAR
Carlson Shurlund and Melissa Thompson were called to the Bar of The Bahamas amongst 12 others on Friday 21 December before the Chief Justice Burton Hall.  Carli is a former PLP Vice Chair and a Vice President for Engineering for the Crystal Palace.  He is a self made man and plans to practice in Freeport.  Melissa Thompson is an employee of Higgs and Johnson.  She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Thompson of Freeport, Grand Bahama and the niece of PLP Stalwart Councillor Ezra Thompson.  Congratulations to them both.

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BRITISH MINISTER VISITS

British Under Parliamentary Secretary in the Foreign Office  Baroness Amos came to Nassau for a 24 hour stop on Wednesday 19  December and Thursday 20 December.  This Senator attended a lunch in her honour in my capacity as Opposition Spokesman on Foreign Affairs.  It was a fact finding mission, to see how the region is faring after 11 September and report back to British Prime Minister Tony Blair.  Baroness Amos said that Britain cares for the Caribbean and that relations between the Caribbean and  Britain are very much alive.  She says that the issues that are of interest are security and law enforcement to counter the threat of drugs; economic development and trade; HIV/AIDS; the environment; culture and education.  She left for Antigua following a lunch in Nassau.  At the lunch, she addressed a number of high ranking pubic servants. Tribune photo.

GILBERT MORRIS ON THE ATTACK
Gilbert Morris, the executive director of the right wing think tank the Nassau Institute was livid about the passage of the Employment Bill.  He told the Tribune Thursday 20 December that the Bill rewards the laziness of workers.  He complained about the costs to the economy and said that it will cost jobs.  Independent studies have been done of the issues raised about costs to the economy and the loss of jobs.  While there is some truth to the side of the union that it has no affect on the total number of jobs but raises the quality of life of workers and there is some truth to the business side of the argument of costs and loss of jobs, both sides tend to exaggerate their claims.  The truth is somewhere in the middle.  The economy eventually adjusts.  The Pope has said that capitalism must have a social conscience and that is why the Parliament must intervene in the market place to ensure that workers are treated humanely and paid reasonably well.

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER RULE COMPLIANCE

John Delaney an attorney and director of the Financial Services Board, told The Tribune’s Business section that The Bahamas was 80-95 per cent there in terms of complying with the know your customer rules laid down by these silly pieces of legislation passed in a rush by Hubert Ingraham's Parliament just before Christmas last year.   At least one of them has been struck down as unconstitutional.  The words were not out of his mouth for a day when Paul McWeeney, CEO of the Bank of The Bahamas told The Tribune the next day that the banks are going to ask the Government for another six month extension to put the rules in place. Tribune photos, Delaney at left, McWeeney at right.

THE WHALES THAT DIED LAST YEAR
In March 2000 when 16 whales beached themselves in The Bahamas, Re Earth headed by Sam Duncombe sounded the alarm.  They accused the US Navy of using sonar in the waters of the tongue of the ocean in The Bahamas that caused the whales to beach themselves.  Six died.  The US denied the report.  The Bahamas asked the US for an investigation and an explanation.  Now it turns out that the US Government lied to the Bahamian people in March 2000.  They now admit that the sonar caused the whales to beach themselves.  The US has now promised it won't happen again and that they will include Bahamian scientists in future work in connection with sonar in our waters.  This was reported in the Tribune of Thursday 20 December.

NEWS FROM GRAND BAHAMA
Tommy 'Teabag' Turnquest - Word from various FNM generals in Grand Bahama is that their leader-elect will have some work to do over the holidays.  "If he is to salvage anything that resembles leadership Tommy will have to take Hubert aside and tell him to simmer down."  The generals were talking about the Prime Minister's vicious attack in the House this week on Pierre Dupuch.  "That didn't go down well," they said "Hubert should stop being so antagonistic or better yet go away quietly."  Well, it isn't our problem.

Resorts at Bahamia - This week Resorts at Bahamia made the headlines by putting their Vietnamese tile layers to work digging trenches on the main road in Freeport.  PLP National Vice Chair Pleasant Bridgewater protested and reminded Resorts of the terms of the Vietnamese's work permits and that there were plenty of Bahamians capable of digging ditches.  That was on Monday.  The men were removed, but by Wednesday they were back digging ditches and laying steel foundations for a wall.  Immigration came and collected the men for a warning, but not before the job was done.  Croupiers at Resorts complained that this is the standard operating procedure of the new group running the hotels. They make their own rules.  Recently croupiers protested plans to close the gaming tables in the Resorts casino, leaving only slot machines.  The Gaming Board eventually prevailed in telling Resorts to stick to what their licence called for and keep the tables open.  Remember, this is the same group that was fined for breaking the Customs seal on a trailer of imported goods earlier in the year.

More on Resorts at Bahamia - Last week we reported that the employment of the executive chef at Resorts at Bahamia was in jeopardy.  Now it has been reportedly decided to send the chef over to the casino and bring in a new executive chef.  Further reports have it that high level cutbacks planned next for the company's realty division.  Sources say that beginning early next year, Resorts at Bahamia's hotel executives are also to take direct responsibility for that division and that top staff there will be fired.

From Their Own Mouths - A quick check of some women in Grand Bahama on the proposed constitutional amendment reveals that many say they're not sure about suck a law;  "Give these men automatic citizenship for marrying Bahamians? That sounds like citizenship up for sale and I ain' for that... some of these woman mout hard enough now."

Merry Christmas and a special thanks to some avid Grand Bahama readers of this site:  Junior Grant from Hanna Hill, Max Quant, Wilkey 'Cochise' Hanna, 'Iron' Mike Edwards, Earl Godet, Sonny Martin, F.A. Seymour, Kelly Burrows, Ken Russell, Neko and Barbara Grant and the two Grant children, George Hanna.... Thank you all for reading and please keep reading next year.

Ahh, The Gin - An irate reader of this site has called to inform us that the preferred drinks of power are añejo, Campari, red wine or Beck's but not gin.  "Get the beverage right, don't give all the blame to gin."

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

OLD MAN TROUBLE
There is so much that is working against Hubert Ingraham, it appears to us that either he will soon go mad, if he isn’t already or he will simply sag under the weight of his own stupidity.  Words are barely adequate to describe the man we now have for Prime Minister.  One of his Ministerial colleagues perhaps said it best this week when we spoke on Bay Street: “This some shit we in”.  Indeed!

As the week began, the Prime Minister began floating past the Opposition his wish to further amend the Constituencies Boundaries Draft order.  He wants to help Dion Foulkes and Italia Johnson out in Blue Hills and Garden Hills.  The fact that he is functus officio and has no authority to do such a thing has totally escaped him.  Our advice is go right ahead bulla, do it.  Nothing you can do now will help you.

When I was a youngster, our history teacher Paul Christophilis used to take us to see these films about English kings.  The times seemed to be completely mad. The kings themselves seemed crazy and capricious.  They killed people at will, condemned them to a life of imprisonment at will.  As children most of us thought we were living in an enlightened age.  But now having come to these times, it is clear that nothing has changed from those times.  We can still get rulers that are capricious and whimsical, often crazy.  And despite all the talk of the rule of law, there is still only a law for who has the power at the time, because those who administer the law often fail to follow the law.
No one can deny that this is the state of play in The Bahamas today.  The fact that we have a second rate brain in charge of us all, is in part the fault of all of us.  To paraphrase former Chief Justice Telford Georges in another context: either we are the biggest fools or Ingraham is the greatest genius.  We prefer the former.

Mr. Ingraham proposes to have virtually two general elections within the space of three months: a referendum to approve the amendments to the constitution and the consultation which it will require, calls for the same mechanisms as a general election and then there is the general election itself.

All we know is that Ingraham must go.  But the scary thing is that what may be awaiting us is the impasses that we see now in the United States, where the Supreme Court of the country is widely believed by one half of the electorate to have grabbed the election out of now President Bush’s opponent’s hands.  And what about the graveyard that is Trinidad at the moment?  There is an absolute impasse with the Black President being accused of racism against the Indian majority.  What if we get an impasse here?

We note in passing the birthday of Robert Ian, my brother, born on 29 December 1954, he is now 47 years old.  And of course my mother Lilla, now deceased, would have celebrated her 79th birthday on Christmas Eve.  This is also the first year that our family has been without both our parents, Fred Sr. having died on 22 May 2001.

This week we had 21,874 hits on this site for the week ending 29 December 2001.  That makes a total of 98,556 hits on this site for the month of December.  Thanks for another successful year.  Please keep reading in the New Year.  HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL OF US AT THIS SITE.

FUNKY'S SHORT CORNER

by Kendal Demeritte

Excuse the 'short corner' this week. I’m down with the flu, so I’m just sending a little something just to soothe you.  To The Dream Team      To dream the impossible dream      You are fighting the unbeatable foe      Do not send your foot soldiers      Where the brave dare not to go.      It may be your quest but not your victory      Therefore come and hear the things you cannot hear          Close your eyes and look at what I show you      Let your mind go whirling      And let the dewy breezes blow you      For the things that I am saying may disturb or serve to quell you.      Don’t mind Ingraham . . . . . .       All that he hopes for you is just a dream.      “But you MUST FOLLOW” To the true true Allen in the F.N.M - My New Year’s wish for you…….Hello Sir Algernon!

PERMANENT LINKS
11th Review of the Judiciary
Mitchell Address to Senate: Why the PM is the way he is
Mitchell speech to PLP Convention 2000
Pindling & Me - A personal retrospective on the life and times of Sir Lynden by Fred Mitchell
Address to the Senate Budget Debate / Haitian Issue
Address to the Senate Clifton Cay Debate / Haitian Issue
Address to PLP Leadership meeting in Exuma / Haitian Issue

Address of Sean McWeeney / Pindling  funeral
Gilbert Morris on OECD Blacklist
Fred Mitchell Antioch College speech
The funeral coverage

THE SAXONS WIN JUNKANOO
Junkanoo was almost a disaster, as strange as that may seem.  It poured down rain on the parade as it was about to begin at 1 a.m.  A cold front passed through The Bahamas that morning and brought torrential rains to the city of Nassau.  The Junkanoo Committee postponed the parade until 5 p.m. on Boxing Day.  The same thing happened in Freeport a decade ago.  That led to the permanent change in Freeport from morning Junkanoo to an evening Junkanoo. Now the representatives of the Ministry of Culture are saying that they are considering a permanent change here, with Junkanoo starting on the evening of Christmas Day.  We do not agree.  But what made us happy was that Percy ‘Vola’ Francis of the Saxons won the parade again on Boxing Day, late as it was.  The parade took some twelve hours and did not end until near 5 a.m the next morning.  The whole town slept through the day after Boxing Day on what was supposed to have been the first day back to work.  The press carried extensive pictures in both The Tribune and the Nassau Guardian and we show some of what they showed in their papers.  We also publish the scores as we uploaded them on our site when they became available on 27 December just after 9.am.  Similarly we will update you with the New Year’s day Junkanoo scores when they are available.

 

FIASCO AT JUNKANOO
The Junkanoo group Roots held a press conference on Friday 28th December to refute charges that they were responsible for the delay in the Junkanoo parade.  The crowd heard some good music and saw great costumes but the whole thing was so long and drawn out.  Barabbas and the Tribe appeared at 5 p.m.  That was supposed to have been the starting time.  But they were not informed that the Minister of Culture Theresa Moxey Ingraham had changed the time with the Committee to 7 p.m.  No one communicated that to half the Junkanoo leaders.  The result was a delayed parade.  But in the media the group Roots was blamed for locking up the parade.  The point was made by all Junkanoo leaders that none of the leaders of the groups are on the Junkanoo Committee.  That is a terrible error that needs to be corrected.  Now the public has gotten into the act after a long and sloppy parade and have asked why they have to pay the exorbitant prices to go see what used to be a free public festival.  Tickets for the event are now as high as 30 dollars per seat.  The lowest price is $15.  Someone ought to answer for that.  Clearly, that defeats the whole purpose of the festival, that it should be a free cultural event for Bahamians and our visitors alike to see.

HUBERT & BARABBAS
They say that the political observers were quite amused at the reception given the Prime Minister at the annual Boxing Day Junkanoo parade.  He was booed several times. But the best was, as the Junkanoo group Barabbas and the Tribe passed, the cry went out to the crowd: “Who do you want? Hubert or Barabbas?” and the crowd cried we want Barabbas!  You remember another crowd some 2000 years ago when asked, “Is it Jesus or Barabbas?” they shouted, “Give us Barabbas.” Ah well!

AFTER FIVE YEARS A MURDER CHARGE
Joyann Williams was the Manager of Club 601 and she was found some five years ago dead in her apartment.  No one had a clue as to what happened.  But in what appears to be the end result of dogged police work, someone has now been charged with the murder.  He is Ashley Newbold 35, a resident of  Lifebuoy Street.  Mr. Newbold appeared before Magistrate Linda Virgill on Friday 21 December and was remanded in custody to await the preliminary inquiry and trial.

IN THE SENATE
The Senate met on Wednesday 27 January 2001. The Government  moved for the first reading of a bill to amend the constitution.  We do not oppose the removal of discrimination against women but we oppose the bringing of this amendment in this form and at this time.  It is ill considered and unnecessary.  The Government did not quite have its act together.  It wanted to proceed with the first reading of another amendment but was stopped by Senate President Henry Bostwick who said that he disallowed the first reading because the bill had already been originated in the House of Assembly.  And while it is possible to originate a bill in the Senate, it can’t be done in circumstances where the Bill is already originated in the House.  The result, the Senate was adjourned to 9 January.  At that time, the Senate will also present a resolution to the family of the late Yvonne Johnson, the late Assistant Clerk of the Senate who died in February 2000.  This Senator moved a request for a Select Committee to investigate all matters relating to Clifton Cay and gated communities as well as to looking into the protection of traditional communities.  The request was denied by the Government.  You may click here for the full statement in the Senate.

MINIMUM WAGE BILL
The House of Assembly met late into the night on Wednesday 27 December 2001 to approve the Minimum Wage Bill and the Occupational Health and Safety Bill.  The minimum wage is to be set at $150 per week.  The two bills are opposed by the business community.  Employers wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to delay the passage of the Bills at this time.  The Prime Minister refused and barrelled ahead.  The Bills now move to the Senate.  Also considered and passed in the House were a Wills Bill and a New Inheritance Bill.  The two bills threaten to revolutionize the laws of The Bahamas on these matters.  The Government's proposals have met with Opposition from the church.  In the House, members objected to provisions that will alter the provisions of a person’s will.  The argument is that a man ought to have an absolute right to dispose of his property.  The new laws will also abolish dower, the one third right of a woman during her lifetime in the real estate of her husband following his death.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE
We have been predicting on this site for weeks that the report on the corruption allegations against Frank Watson, Deputy Prime Minister, by the Public Accounts Committee was to be laid before the House of Assembly.  The Public Accounts Committee is the only committee of the House of Assembly on which the Opposition has the majority of members.  The PLP’s members are Perry Christie Chair, Bradley Roberts and Philip Galanis. The FNM’s members are Elliott B. Lockhart and Anthony Miller.  There is to be no minority report.  The Leader of the Opposition has the report and it has now been signed by all members of the Committee.  So far the Prime Minister has been preventing the report from being given by moving the order of the day.  That means that Government business supersedes all the other business on the order paper for the Parliament.  So the Opposition needs to get to the place where there is a report of Committees.  Our advice is that our team in the House should simply rise to their feet and during a contribution to the Assembly on some other matter lay the report on the table.  At least it will be in the public domain.  Too many times the PLP has the jump on the FNM and then by our delay the FNM gets the jump on us and a perfect opportunity to slay the FNM is missed because of delay.  We need to act quickly.

INGRAHAM TO TRY TO UNDO NOMINATIONS
Just When FNM nominees Floyd Watkins of Delaporte and Elliott B. Lockhart of Exuma thought it was safe for them to start campaigning, comes the report that Hubert Ingraham, the Prime Minister, has not accepted the defeat of his candidates at the nominating table of the FNM.  He has decided that he is going to make one more stab at trying to remove Watkins and Lockhart.  He will not leave well enough alone.  Some suggest that FNM nominee Lester Turnquest is also on the chopping block.  Now there is where the fight will take place.

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THE TAPPING OF TELEPHONES
On Wednesday 27 December 2001, the Prime Minister and Bradley Roberts had it out in the House.  Bradley Roberts, the PLP’s Chairman, alleged that his phones were tapped by the Government.  Mr. Ingraham objected saying in his response the following: “I am the only Prime Minister of an independent Bahamas who has never caused anyone’s phones to be tapped.  I am the only Prime Minister who has never caused anyone, in my entire history from 21 August 1992, to now and until I leave, it is my hope and expectation that I would never have to do so.”  The clear implication of this statement is that Sir Lynden Pindling, the only other Prime Minister of an independent Bahamas did cause phones to be tapped.  The law is clear, the Prime Minister plays no role in the tapping of phones, save and unless one means that he has made a criminal complaint to the police and they acted upon a complaint.  This is a matter for the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Police.  Mr. Ingraham himself said that a record has to be kept of all telephones that were tapped.  We do not believe Mr. Ingraham.  We find it particularly slimy that he would cast aspersions on his predecessor when the man is now dead and can no longer defend himself.  That is what slimeballs do, however.  Mr.  Roberts stood by his allegations that his phones were tapped.  It is widely believed throughout this country that under all Governments since independence phones are tapped by those in authority.  The result is that often conversations between friends are spoken in codes or are stilted in the extreme so that someone will routinely say: “I don’t want to call the names on the telephone.”  Such is the state of Hubert Ingraham's democracy in The Bahamas.

ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

The Nassau Guardian published a stunning photograph of the winners of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Association’s Awards (BAAA) for athletes of the year on Friday 28 December 2001.  The winners are no surprise: Avard Moncur, the winner of the gold medal at the World Championships last year and a silver medalist at the Goodwill Games.  The female winner was Debbie Ferguson.  Debbie Ferguson won a gold medal at the world championships last year.  Congratulations to them both.  The Nassau Guardian also highlighted a picture of Olympic Gold medalist Maurice Greene at Junkanoo in Nassau on Boxing Day.  Welcome Mr. Greene.  We show the photos of Mr. Moncur and Ms. Ferguson (Patrick Hanna / Guardian) and that of Maurice Greene (Donald Knowles / Guardian).  Below are Junior Athletes of the year Grafton Ifill (Felipé Major / Tribune) and Uticia Edgecombe shown with the BAAA's Mike Sands in the photo by Patrick Hanna / Guardian.

A KNIGHTHOOD FOR ALBERT MILLER
The gods are saying that Hubert Ingraham is acting to confer honours on all of his allies before he demits office.  Albert Miller, the Co-Chair of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, is one such ally.  And it is being said that Buckingham Palace will announce that he has been knighted by Her Majesty the Queen in the New Year’s honours list.  It has a nice ring: arise Sir Albert.

THE STATE OF THE BANKING SECTOR
The Ingraham Administration will go down in history as the administration that did the most to wreck the legacy of their political father Stafford Sands.  Uncle Toms as they are, it should actually be the opposite effect, but instead of protecting the man's legacy they contributed to the downfall of the industry.  The Bahamas Stock Exchange is teetering on verge of collapse.  The Governor of the Central Bank Julian Francis this week told The Tribune that he did not think that the BISX would get the two million dollars from the Government that they were begging for to keep them afloat.  We have already said that we are opposed to this corporate welfare.  We can’t believe that this is the same crew that believes in the free market.  But the Governor was not unequivocal.  He said that The Bahamas could not afford to have the world see the stock exchange fail.  We do not think that is correct.  Let it fail.  This is not a case for taxpayer’s money to be used.  The taxpayers are being turned to on another front.  The Prime Minister in a national address foreshadowed a new appropriations bill that will allow taxpayers' money to be used to bail out hotel workers who are on two days work.  All of this just in time for elections.  So we go deeper and deeper into debt.  Bank of The Bahamas executive Paul McWeeney said that his bank's concerns about the state of the stock exchange led them not to list their stock on the exchange.  The Bank reported a 31 per cent increase in earnings over the past year when compared to the previous year.  Next year threatens to be a rough year for this country what with the Prime Minister intent on taking us through two major elections in three months in the middle of the tourist season.  Interesting times.

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ALLYSON GIBSON STARTS HER CAMPAIGN
Now that the nomination is official Allyson Gibson has begun to campaign actively.  She held a party for the children of the Pinewood constituency on Sunday 23 December.  The  pundits are betting that the race in Pinewood will be the most expensive ever for any Bahamian election with two wealthy opponents.  One is Mrs. Maynard Gibson for the PLP and the other is Gaynelle Rolle, daughter of Theophilus Fritz who, shall we say, is swimming in the money. Mike Jordan the basketball player likes to frequent Gaynelle’s father when Jordan is in town.  Her dad is known around town as Mr. T.  Mr. Jordan’s favourite past time is gambling.  And so they say that Mr. T will be dumping some of his loose cash to provide for the needy in the Pinewood constituency.  Mrs. Gibson is said to be able to more than match in kind.  So that should be quite a race. We predict that Mrs. Gibson will win the hearts and souls of the people though. Poor Gaynelle, can’t make it! What does the song say? “You’re a rich girl and you’ve gone too far but you know it doesn’t matter anyway.  You can’t rely on your old man’s money! You can’t rely on your old man’s money! Money! Money! Can’t get you too far.”  The bets are on that it will be Christmas for four months in the Pinewood constituency this year.
 

A NON POLITICAL DIRECTOR OF PROSECUTIONS
Article 78 of the Constitution gives the Attorney General the absolute say over all prosecutions in the country.  This is a power that has often been abused but in most cases it has worked fine.  Right now people are saying that Carl Bethel is taking a political view by not seeking to properly investigate and charge his brother-in-law Dion Foulkes for the allegations of corruption made in the House of Assembly.  But we do not support the proposal of the Prime Minister for a Director of Prosecutions who will  able to act without any political authority.  This was a fashionable idea when Ingraham was in Opposition and he wanted to get at the Pindling administration.  The idea has outlived its usefulness.  We have seen in the United States how a prosecutor was able to engage in a purely political witch-hunt without regard to any check or balance or any accountability and almost ruin the career of the President of the United States.  There must be some accountability for a prosecutor.  The law in another case gives the Minister the ultimate authority over life or death as Chair of the Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.  So why not on prosecutions?  If we want to we can bring an additional level of independence in the case of investigations involving politicians.  But ultimately, the Attorney General is responsible to Parliament and must face an election every five years.  A civil servant in a protected job will have no such check.  He is there until retirement.  Imagine what a prosecutor run amuck can do in that time and you cannot move him.  I oppose that provision.  But Senators ought to make their own proposals for amendments to the Constitution and I have a couple of suggestions.  One is that judges ought to be appointed with the advice and consent of the Senate.  The other is that the Senate ought to be elected from across the entire Bahamas on the basis of proportional representation.  That the Governor General appoints a Leader for Government Business on the advice of the Prime Minister and a Leader for Opposition business in the Senate on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition in the House from amongst senators elected to the Senate.  The proportional representation system will have a threshold of five per cent.  That means that every party that gets more than five per cent of the vote will end up with representatives in the Senate.  Further, the constitution will allow for Parliament to make laws  for the registration of political parties under this system.

ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE JUDICIARY
This Senator will present his 11th annual review of the Judiciary on the 7 January at 9.30 a.m. under the fig tree in front of the Supreme Court, Nassau, The Bahamas.  The entire report will be carried on this site.

CURTIS MACMILLAN PARTY
We want to thank Dr. and Mrs. Curtis MacMillan for a wonderful Christmas/New Year’s party at their wonderful home on the south-eastern shore of New Providence on Saturday 29 December.

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NEWS FROM GRAND BAHAMA
Missing VP - An expatriate vice president (formerly) of Resorts at Bahamia has bailed out.  One Edward Maynard, an American and no relation to our Bahamian Edward Maynard, reportedly left in such a hurry that he simply sent back to Freeport for his belongings.  This is the same man who was brought in to replace a fired high-level Bahamian and the same man who fired longtime employee Jeff Hepburn.  Observers say that his sudden departure means that he saw into the future of Resorts' financial problems and decided to leave.

Casino Layoffs Coming - Hotel Unions reps and Gaming Board officials have reportedly been warned of impending major layoffs at Resorts at Bahamia's casino.  One of the casino's top financial bosses is said to have tendered his resignation in advance of the layoffs to return to the accounting field in Nassau.  Other line workers at the casino may not have the good fortune of such flexibility.  Other news from the 'Casino at Bahamia' suggests that a 39-year-old foreign chef is being brought in to replace a Bahamian there.  This is an unfortunate picture of what is happening throughout the Freeport economy.

Cutbacks At Bahamia Realty - The coming situation at Bahamia Realty is now said to be worse than we initially reported last week.  Inside sources now tell News From Grand Bahama that "the system is to be gutted from top to bottom... they say that just four lots left in to whole inventory cant justify having a whole realty division." Notwithstanding that Bahamia Realty has increased its' property service charges by sixty percent, our friends there should start looking towards new employment.

Container Port Investigation - Reports say the Bahamian Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) has been reduced to hiding in the bush outside the Chinese conglomerate Whampoa's Grand Bahama Container Port in order to effect its investigation of missing containers.  Initial reports spoke of two missing containers from the port; both involved in suspected drug transhipment activities.  Both were found abandoned.  Now comes word that a third container was also missing and has not yet been found.  Meanwhile, DEU and Immigration are caught in the shameful situation of having to ask permission to enter the container port.  Further, inside sources say that Bahamians to be charged in connection with the scandal were, in fact, attempting to cut in on a sophisticated drug operation being run on a high level at the facility.  Privately, police complain that by the time they had applied for and received permission to enter the container port, any incriminating evidence had long since disappeared.  This sort of arrangement could only have been agreed to by a Government with no regard for the sovereignty of The Bahamas.  Shame!  The investigation of this matter cannot be a whitewash.  The main and true culprits must be found out and made accountable.

Small Potatoes? - Late word in from our informants is that drug smuggling around the container port may be small potatoes next to income derived from reported traffic in illegal immigrants on their way to the US mainland.  An investigation is warranted here as well.

Earl Deveaux, Jackass Of The Week - Last week in Parliament, Government Minister Earl Deveaux, former Ambassador for the Environment revealed that he had no knowledge of any foreign company coming into The Bahamas and leaving an environmental mess behind.  We beg to differ.  In Grand Bahama alone, Bahamas Oil Refining Company (BORCO) for years, oil seeped into the ground at that facility.  At neighbouring Syntex, improper storage allowed chemicals to leech into the surrounding soil.  The Grand Bahama ship care facility publicly promised that effluent containing toxic waste from the blasting of ships' hulls would be disposed of in a third country.  We have heard nothing more about which third country nor how the waste is to get there.  Sources say a local contractor has been given the job of carting off the toxic waste, but where?  Polymers manufacturing facility.  Anytime an inspector from the Department of Environmental Health visits he has to call in advance.  Duh?!  Reports persist of unusual insects and other non-indigenous creatures coming into the container port at Freeport.  Is that enough, Minister?  According to one irate caller to this site, "I might be an FNM, but this man is not looking out for the country."

Hubert Doesn't Report - Readers are becoming impatient with the lack of progress from the Prime Minister's various promised investigations.  What, for instance, has happened to the investigation into the missing $135,000 from Frank Watson's Bahamasair?  How long does it take to find the details surrounding a contract for the bussing of Grand Bahama schoolchildren given to an FNM insider by FNM deputy leader-elect and Minister of Education Dion Foulkes?  How much more investigation will it take to determine whether the Ministry of Works did in fact recommend against the hiring of an air-conditioning contractor that was then given a contract by the Ministry of Tourism and who later paid for the victory party of the FNM's leader-elect?  The list goes on and on.  One vocal reader opined "This is the kind of thing which brought Argentina and countless African countries to their knees; plunder, plunder, plunder."

Police Contract - The Police in Grand Bahama have a brand new building complex.  After being completed for many months, the complex has yet to be occupied.  News From Grand Bahama has learned that the holdup has now finally been resolved.  According to one spokesman, the contract for furnishings has now been given to a legitimate company with a legitimate licence and no kickbacks necessary.  “A big scandal was averted here because if this thing had gone the way it was going, someone may have gone to jail.” Transparency, accountability?