November 1999

While material on this web site can be used freely by other sections of the press, as a courtesy, journalists are asked to attribute the source of their material from this web site.

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

Supplies:    Contact the National Disaster Hurricane Committee
                    Fax the office of the Prime Minister [242] 327.5807

Financial Assistance:
                    Bahamas National Disaster Relief Fund
                    Account at Royal Bank of Canada Main Branch, Nassau

Note from the Publisher:
SAD NEWS TO REPORT. GLADSTONE CHRISTIE, THE FATHER OF THE LEADER OF THE PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL PARTY DIED ON THURSDAY 4 NOVEMBER AT 5 P.M. HE WAS 84 YEARS OLD.  MR. CHRISTIE WAS A TAXI DRIVER UP TO THE TIME OF HIS DEATH.  HE WAS ONE OF THE LAST SURVIVING MEMBERS OF THE CHOCOLATE DANDIES BIG BAND OF THE 1940S.  HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE NAOMI AND HIS FIVE CHILDREN. THE FUNERAL WILL BE HELD AT ST. GEORGE'S ANGLICAN CHURCH ON TUESDAY 9 NOVEMBER.  ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE VALLEY COMES TO A CLOSE.

The problem of putting up this site still exists.  BaTelCo has still not fixed its cable link between where the site is written in Nassau and where the site is constructed in Freeport.  We had an even bigger scare on Tuesday 2 November when the internet service in Nassau went down. Perhaps readers have some suggestions as to how to deal with this. Our thinking is that if the service goes down in Nassau, then it means flying to Miami to get the site up on time.  Batelco seems insensitive to the problem.  They have announced that full service to Grand Bahama will resume on Wednesday 10 November.  We shall see.

This week this columnist travels to London and to Budapest, Hungary.  The visit to London will be an official visit in the capacity as Opposition Spokesman on Foreign Affairs. During the visit, there will be an official call made on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the University of Buckingham, The Bahamas Committee at the British Parliament, the Boundaries Commission for Britain and Amnesty International.  The visit to Hungary is a private visit.

It will be quite a physical challenge to keep the column up and running during the travels, but we shall see.

 Last Sunday 31 October, this columnist was in new York city visiting his sister Dr. Marva Mitchell and her family including children Kyle and Zoe and dad John Clarke.  Click here for photos of a happy halloween.  Zoe dressed as Spiderman and Kyle dressed as an American GI.

And we feature here the Governor General Sir Orville Turnquest as he was hosted to a One Bahamas ceremony at Queen’s College last week.  A kiss for Lady Turnquest (Tribune photo).

 Crime continues to be the hot topic in the country as we now have 54 murders for the entire Bahamas for the year 1999, this exceeds last year’s total which was 31.  The latest gruesome murder was that of customs officer Sean Symonette,  son of Mable Smith, nee Symonette, nephew of Stella Knowles and Jaunita Carey.  Mr. Symonette was gunned down in front of his home with nine shots at point blank range. The FNM certainly has a lot to answer for in the crime area.

 We had 29,845 total hits for the month of October.  From 1 November to the present we have had 3533 hits.  Thanks for reading, please let us know what you think.  If there is a problem with the site please contact timbuktu@batelnet.bs for information.

OPPOSITION LEADER VISITS DEAD MAN’S FAMILY
Perry Christie MP, Bradley Roberts MP, Senator Obie Wilchcombe and this Senator visited with the mother of the dead customs officer Mable Smith on Tuesday 2 November.  The following day the Party Chairman Senator Wilchcombe asked for an explanation from the Government as to why they did not provide protection for the officer.  Senator Wilchcombe said that the chilling fact was that this sent a signal to the community that you should not cooperate with the police in solving crime because you will end up dead.

REMARKABLE POLICE PRESS CONFERENCE
What did the Commissioner of Police have to say about the crime?  Well his men said that they have leads and are following those leads.  They say that they do not believe that the murder had anything to do with the drug case.  And if that was not strange enough the coup de grace was a press conference by Acting Commissioner of Police Errol Farqhuarson who told the country that the police cannot stop guns from coming into the country.  He said there is nothing the police could do.  That’s one of those statements that even if it is true you should not say it.  It surrenders to the criminals the country.  The Prime Minister ought to have a frank chat with the Acting Commissioner, but then again Mr. Farqhuarson will be gone on 31st December.  All the more reason why we need to have a permanent man in the chair.

ARCHBISHOP LAWRENCE BURKE INSTALLED
Last week in a glittering and glorious ceremony in the Kendal Isaacs Gym, an envoy of the Pope officially proclaimed the Archdiocese of Nassau, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and Bermuda. It happened on 28 October.  This column reported that fact. One of our readers accused us of favouring the Anglicans, the denomination of this columnist, because we mentioned the Archbishop of the Anglican Church by name but not the Roman Archbishop. The new Archbishop is a personal friend.  He has given private advice to this columnist over the years, public support and even private criticism.  The name not being mentioned was an oversight.  This week, we present some pictures of the event by The Tribune.

ARCHBISHOP GIVES PAPAL HONOURS TO 45 BAHAMIANS
At the installation of the new Archbishop, the Roman Catholic Church revealed how politically adept an institution it is. The declaration of the Archdiocese was interpreted by many as an answer to the Anglican’s electing an Archbishop. Now many of the faithful have been rewarded by papal honours. Monsignor Preston Moss has been given the highest rank below Bishop, that of Protonotary Apostolic.  He will continue to be known as Monsignor.  Six priests have been named Monsignors: Patrick Holmes, Alfred Culmer, John T. Johnson, Patrick Pinder, Simeon Roberts and Ambrose MacKinnon.  In the local parlance, the Archbishop has fixed up all the fellows.The Pope gave medals Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice  to Sister Veronica Burrows, Sister Joan Anderson, Sister Mary Fitzpatrick, Sister Margaret Thompson, Rev. George Wolf, Deacon Peter Rahming, Deacon Patrick Darville, Harold Longley, Francis Cancino, Andrew Curry, Winston “ Tappy” Davis, Joseph Lucida, Pauline Allen Dean, Oswald Isaacs; Leonard Archer and Ora Ramsey.

Good Merit Medals went to Romelia Albury, Peter Neymour, Hazel Thompson, Dudley Gilbert, Henry Major, Ruth Symonette, Hazel Newman, Benedict Dorsett, Valgo Shannon, Clifton Deveaux, Earlene Thompson, Aramentha Farrington, Daniel Major, Harriet Cooper, Truman Major, George Johnson, Venus King, Alfred da Johnson, Odiles Paul, Eric Cash, Monis Moss and Nedley Martinborough.

We congratulate them all.

MEANWHILE ANGLICAN BISHOP HAS MOVES TO MAKE
The honeymoon period is apparently over in the Anglican Church and the troops are restless.  The Anglican Synod has approved the appointment of two Suffragan Bishops, but no one knows who, although the speculation is that one will be Dean of the Cathedral Patrick Adderley.  The vestry at St. Agnes is waiting with bated breath for the appointment of a rector to succeed retiring Archdeacon William Thompson. Chancellor and Governor General Sir Orville Turnquest has reportedly told the Archbishop who is unacceptable at St. Agnes. The people at St. Margaret’s are apparently up in arms over the transfer of Rev. James Moultrie.  A bitter attack on the Archbishop was published in the press by one parishioner.  We shall see.

REV. SIMEON HALL NOT TO BE OUTDONE
The President of the Christian Council Rev. Simeon Hall attacked the Government that he helped to elect.  He accused them of being lethargic and having an inability to get things done.  He was particularly incensed that during the debate in the House on Wednesday 27 October, Bradley Roberts had to stop speaking because there was no quorum in the House.  Government members left the House because they were afraid of Mr. Roberts’ scathing attacks on them.

BAHAMASAIR BOSS REMOVED
In a story written by Tribune editor Athena Damianos, it was confirmed that Glen Piccard the Managing Director of Bahamasair has not had his contract renewed.  It was earlier reported in this space that the Board had threatened to resign if Piccard did not go.  The bravery of the Board has finally prevailed.  Now everyone is waiting to see if the Uncle Tom factor comes out again, and the Minister for Bahamasair Frank Watson finds a job for his good friend Mr. Piccard.

OPPOSITION LEADERS MEET
The Leader of the Opposition in The Bahamas the Hon. Perry Christie and the Leader of the Opposition of Barbados the Hon. David Thompson met in Miami at the Office of the Consul General for Barbados on Wednesday 3 November.  Mr. Christie was accompanied by Foreign Affairs spokesman for the PLP Senator the Hon. Fred Mitchell.  The two Leaders were meeting to plan a summit of Opposition Leaders of Caricom countries in The Bahamas sometime next year.  From left Mr. Thompson, Senator Mitchell, Mr. Christie.

MILLIONAIRE IMPOSTOR TAKEN TO COURT
Remember the reports of lines of people last year going to collect money to pay all their bills from a man who lived in a shack in the bottom, named Derek Rolle.  Mr. Rolle claimed that he had inherited hundreds of millions of dollars and would pay off everyone’s bills.  He had people lining up to get the money.  They had to pay 60 dollars to get their bills paid.  He had a party off the money.  The Commissioner of Police called an end to the scam by warning that he was an impostor.  Now Mr. Rolle (Tribune photo at left) is being sued in court in a civil action to pay $5,000.  The case comes up 27 January next year.  The U.S. authorities will probably be interested to hear that Mr. Rolle plans to move to the U.S. for six months to try to get permanent residence. That’s what he told the court.

OUTSTANDING BAHAMIAN STUDENT
We publish this photo from The Tribune.  Congratulations to Tishka Fraser who came first in the 1998/99 Oxford Foreign Service programme. She spent nine months on a UK Government Scholarship at Oxford.  Shown are British High Commissioner Peter Heigl and Minister of Finance the hapless William Allen. Scholarship applications are now open. The closing date is 3 December. The scholarships are for graduate work only.
 
 

MORE ON OUSTED TAXI UNION CHIEF
The Bahamian song says: “Look what you could get when you tired of what you gat !” That must be what the taxi drivers are saying after dumping former President Patrick Gomez. They had one complaint after another then.  Mr. Gomez though was not involved in any scandal.  He kept the Union on even keel and had the clear respect of the Government and the Opposition.  Along came Felton Cox who was to make the Union more dynamic.  Well, no one ever heard a word from him until he resigned in a huff and under a cloud two weeks ago.  Now the press reports that the Union is having trouble getting its documents from him.

CAT ISLAND HOTELIER WANTS HELP
Remember the Cat Island hotelier who was burned out by suspected drug thugs earlier this year.  James Robertson wants help from the Government to rebuild his facility at Cutlass Bay.  Mr. Roberts, from Tampa, has his supporters and detractors.  His supporters say the root of his problem in Cat Island was his refusal to deal with the drug smugglers.  There are others who accuse him of being a racist.  The Government has not said what its position is. Perhaps it would help if Mr. Robertson had a word with PLP candidate for the area Philip Brave Davis.

LUNCH FOR THE NEEDY AT BETHEL
We congratulate Rev. Timothy Stewart, Pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, for his church’s kitchen for the needy.  This columnist and Senator Ronnie Knowles, the Minister of Health, got into a debate in the Senate his week.  This Senator insisted that poverty has increased under the FNM. Dr. Knowles said not.  Rev. Stewart should have a word with the Minister of Health who is, shall we say, out to lunch on this issue. The Tribune photo of Rev. Stewart is shown.
 
 
 
 
 

CANADIAN INVESTOR TALKS ABOUT CRIME
The Bahama Journal reported in its October 29-31 edition remarks made in a special interview on radio by Ron Kelly owner of the Hilton British Colonial.  He is concerned about foreigners being scared by guns and crime.  He warned the Government that it must get it under control or the economy cannot survive. We agree but Mr. Kelly needs to have a chat with the Opposition.  We are always concerned that no attempt has been made to contact and speak with the other side in these matters.  He has a wonderful property there and obviously, the PLP has an interest in it succeeding. The old order doth sometimes change. The Bahama Journal photo shows Mr. Kelly with the Prime Minister and His Deputy.  There has never been a photo with the Leader of the Opposition.

THE GUARDIAN’S PREJUDICE AGAINST PLP
The words political prostitute aptly describe the editor of the Nassau Guardian Oswald Brown.  Here is a fellow who has learned absolutely nothing from his time in exile. He is a bitter and disgusting man, who has forgotten everything in the world about fairness and balance in journalism.  He is a disgrace to our profession.  We have been railing against his prejudice for the better part of two years.  It has gotten worse.  But what a prime example of the prostitute that he is at work than the headline in The Nassau Guardian of Thursday 4 November. The Leader of the Opposition called last week for a blue ribbon panel of citizens to investigate the breakout at the prison.  That was reported on page 13a of the Nassau Guardian, the front page of The Tribune. But when Mr. Christie made a statement congratulating the Prime Minister for taking Philip Galanis PLP MP with him to the Heads of Government conference for the Commonwealth in Durban, South Africa, this week, that was front page news in the Guardian.  So here it is, if the Leader of the Opposition wants to get on the front page of The Guardian, he has to praise the Government.  When he does his job and criticizes the Government, he is not reported at all or in the back pages.  Then old prostitute Oswald Brown will say in a self-fulfilling prophecy that the Leader of the Opposition is not saying enough.

THANKS TO ED BURNS
This columnist attended the meeting of the Alumni Executive Committee (AEC) of the John F. Kennedy School of Government last weekend.  It was good to have dinner with friend Ed Burns at Henrietta’s Table in the Charles Hotel. Thanks for the great picture of the Charles River Basin.

PEEPING TOMS AT UWI CAVEHILL, BARBADOS
University authorities have received complaints from female students of peeping toms at the university.  Some women have reportedly found men standing at their windows peeping in, and fondling themselves while doing so.  The University took some action, but the problem has reportedly revived with a number of general safety concerns at the campus.  We urge the authorities to investigate and make sure that our women are safe.

DIVE SHOPS FACE CLOSURE IN THE BAHAMAS
The policy of The Bahamas Government in immigration turns out to be shortsighted in a number of ways. The FNM Minister Theresa Moxey, who has been dubbed the most lacklustre of them all, has established a new set of fees.  The hikes have been enormous in some cases.  The whole idea is to fool the public that the FNM really has a Bahamianization policy.  But Bahamianization can be foolishly applied sometimes, and certainly under the FNM, they fool no one.  So what they have done in the category of scuba divers is to increase the fees four hundred per cent, from one thousand dollars per year to $4,000 per year.  That has virtually wiped some dive shops off the map.  The Valentines Dive Centre in Harbour Island has had to close, and others may follow in Nassau and in Bimini.  C. A. Smith, the Minister is as usual, totally ineffective.  He is no doubt surprised and interested to hear it, but will do nothing to protect an industry where Bahamians are genuinely in short supply but which brings millions of dollars into the country each year.

HONOUR TO HAWK FINALYSON….BAAA’S BATTLE
This Tribune photo shows the forces all lined up to do battle for the 28 votes on 20 November to elect the new team to head the Bahamas Amateur Athletic Association, the governing body for athletics in The Bahamas.  Foster Dorsett is being challenged for President in what according to Brent Stubbs of The Tribune will be a tight race.  Mr. Dorsett is being challenged by Attorney Desmond Bannister.  Why a race now?  Well as Hawk Finalyson was being honoured at a special reception by Sunshine Chairman Franklyn Wilson for his elevation to the international body of the IAAAF on Thursday 4 November, Brent Stubbs told this columnist that everyone wants to grab a piece of the glory with the success of our athletes at track and field around the world. Let’s see what happens.

THE CAT SERVICE IS STOPPED
Bahamians were shocked to find that the popular catamaran service between Nassau and Miami has been stopped without notice.  It was convenient to take the Cat because you had almost unlimited cargo space.  With Christmas coming up, people will be scrambling to find space on the airlines.  The Cat people said they were not making any money.  Customers liked the sea service itself but complained about customs delays at both the Port of Miami and in Nassau.

U.S AMBASSADOR’S HALLOWEEN PARTY
Last Saturday 30 October U.S. Ambassador Arthur Schecter showed some good old southern hospitality by hosting scores of children to a halloween party.  If its anything like the Ambassador’s parties for the grown folk, a good time was had by all. This Guardian photo seems to show it.

DR. BERNARD NOTTAGE
Dr. Bernard Nottage stood quietly at the reception for Hawk Finlayson.  He was not asked by this columnist, nor was there any response to a claim in The Bahama Journal in bold headlines that he will be leaving the PLP. The Journal quoted unnamed sources.

WELCOME TO DWIGHT SAWYER, CHAIRMAN OF THE FNM.  YOU MUST ADMIT THIS IS A BETTER SITE THAN WHAT YOU HAVE.
THIS WEEK AT KRISTI'S
    Lockouts at Port Lucaya marketplace have the small Bahamian business community up in arms. 31 at last report. As we reported last week on this site, tenants at Port Lucaya have made a plea for Prime Minister Ingraham to intercede on their behalf. No such intercession has yet been forthcoming. Lack of business has meant unpaid rent, and now lockout. The shopkeepers say they are being starved out by interests intent on "cleansing" Port Lucaya for their own purposes. We shall see.

    Terea Grant daughter of Junior Grant, the five-star FNM general from Eight Mile Rock has found herself a victim of so-called 'rightsizing' at the Princess Casino. Junior only weeks ago named Hubert Ingraham as someone with whom he'd go "the last mile". Now Miss Grant finds herself in a situation where the normal 'downsizing' practice of last in, first out does not seem to apply. Today Terea is out of work. This columnist considers Junior Grant a friend and will help if needed.

FNM Vice Chair Iron Mike Edwards was having breakfast at Kristi's this week when he was besieged by a disappointed FNM political supporter. The lady told of feeling let down by this Government's inability to bring economic relief to her household. It is a situation multiplied many times over in Grand Bahama, and a constant source of discussion at the table.

Batelco now says it has "identified' the problem with its undersea cable which has cut Grand Bahama off from the world. We say arrangements should have been made for the island to get a satellite hookup even on a temporary basis. They say it will be repaired, but for now the disgrace continues.
 
 

While material on this web site can be used freely by other sections of the press, as a courtesy, journalists are asked to attribute the source of their material from this web site.

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

Supplies:    Contact the National Disaster Hurricane Committee
                    Fax the office of the Prime Minister [242] 327.5807

Financial Assistance:
                    Bahamas National Disaster Relief Fund
                    Account at Royal Bank of Canada Main Branch, Nassau

Note from the Publisher:
This column is being written from London, where this columnist is on an official visit to the United Kingdom on behalf of the Progressive Liberal Party.  This columnist is pictured on the eve of departure from Nassau with the British High Commissioner. It has been a punishing schedule. The British are undergoing major changes in their society which threaten to make Britain a different kind of state from the one to which we have become accustomed.

Bahamians generally think of Britain as a place of tradition and conservatism.  It appears that younger Britons no longer appreciate that tradition business and they are fast trying to rid themselves of it. They are passing new laws and regulations which will fundamentally change the way their country is constitutionally structured. The question is will they recognize themselves when the process is over, and will we recognize them?  In short, no matter what happens we shall have to recognize them for what they are and their new definition of themselves.  But it is interesting to see the process.

We made an important journey to Buckingham, England.  It was to pay a visit to Britain's only private university, the Law School of the University of Buckingham,  headed by Vice Chancellor Robert Taylor. We were hosted to lunch by the Vice Chancellor and to a tour of the Law School by Irvin Stevens, Senior Law Lecturer at the University. It
was great to see the Bahamian community and Buckingham, to have lunch and to be hosted to a discussion at the Senate Room of the University on some of the problems which we face as a country. There are some 20
students at the University from The Bahamas, making it the largest single Bahamian community in Britain. Next week, there will be a full picture spread of the entire British visit.

This columnist returns to The Bahamas on  17 November after a brief trip to Budapest, Hungary and  Salzburg,  Austria. From all accounts the House is on fire, as crime dominates the agenda of the country. No one seems to know what to do.  It is exasperating.  Three murders have taken place in the week since this column was last written.  It appears that in each case, the murders appear to be brutal, and without reason on the face of it.  But then the spectre of drugs always seems to appear in the background.  The FNM must now admit that the situation is back to pre-1992 levels with regard to drugs. The FNM has failed on crime as it has failed in so many other areas. Now it is the PLP's time.

The question is: what are we going to do? One hopes that it is not silence that we hear.

We have had 10,518 hits on this web site since 1 November, up to 8 a.m. Sunday.  We apologize for the late upload this week due to continuing problems with the Internet. Sunday, Internet access was impossible in both Nassau and Freeport. Please keep reading.

THE HEADLINES OF DEATH
The newspaper headlines are a story in themselves and perhaps deserve no further commentary.  Here is a sample for the week: BLOODY NIGHT (POLICE LAUNCH FRESH APPEAL FOR PUBLIC'S HELP); BAMBOO TOWN MAN KILLED WHILE SLEEPING IN BED WITH HIS WIFE; POLICE CAPTURE TWO ESCAPEES; RENTAL CAR COMPANY AND HOTEL ROBBED; TURNQUEST PUSHES FOR POLICE STING TO FIGHT FIREARMS PROBLEMS.

THE STORY OF THE MAN SHOT IN BED
Last week it was the story of customs officer Sean Symonette who was buried on Saturday 13 November in Nassau. If you remember, it was Mr. Symonette who was helping the police bring certain alleged drug criminals to justice.  Mr. Symonette 38 years old was gunned down in front of his three-year old son.  Now comes the story of a Bamboo town resident Lynden Brown.  Mr. Brown 28 years old was asleep with his wife at 3 a.m. Someone entered the home at that hour.  A gun was
put to the head of the wife and she was told not to move. The gunman then shot the husband in the right side of the head.  He is believed to have died instantly.   That is it, horrible as it is, but here is the rub-a quote from an anonymous neighbour about what happened: "They have a steel door.  They didn't jimmy no steel door.  Something stink in there, man and it aint cheese.  Something aint right about that.  Lynden had his home based business... I don't understand that. It's too fishy... He was quiet and never bothered people, but we are living in the wild wild west right now. Drugs, guns and prostitution are on the rise because Bahamians are too greedy and they try to live above their means."

JUST WHAT'S GOING ON ABOUT DRUGS
We have to begin seriously to call the FNM into account for the crime problem in The Bahamas. This is the same group who when they were campaigning against the PLP prior to the 1992 General Election, they made the claim that if they were elected to office, if the country got rid of the PLP then the crime problem will be solved.  Now, of course, it is a different story.  It is not their problem, they want it to be a community problem.  But while it is a community problem in its broadest sense, in the narrow sense, the problem is one of the failure of the FNM to address this issue over the past seven years. Senator Ronnie Knowles, who is the Minister of Health has a favourite response every time this issue is brought up in the Senate.  He responds that there are no seven year old criminals.  So that means that the FNM's argument is that only offences created by persons who are under the age of seven, the time during which they were in office are the ones for which they are responsible.  That is so stupid that it does not deserve commentary. The interesting thing about both the Sean Symonette murder and the Brown murder is that drugs crop up. You see drugs cropping up in the death of two young Defence Force officers a year ago, gangland slayings. No one has been caught for those murders. You heard whispers from the public about drugs in connection with the death of another high-profile murder one month ago. The FNM must tell us what is the story on drugs.

OUR STORY ON DRUGS AND CRIME
We believe, this columnist believes that drugs and drug money are in wide circulation in The Bahamas again.  The Government of The Bahamas is trying to sell the argument to us that the reason that reserves are as high as they are, in excess of four hundred million is because of their great financial policies which have led to large capital inflows.  But examine the story of the Bank of Nova Scotia in Governor's Harbour, a recently opened branch.  If you know the story of the South Eleuthera economy, you will know that the economy there is as dead as a doornail.  Nothing happening.  The FNM has failed to allow the tourism industry to get up off the ground in that part of The Bahamas.  Yet, the bank is said to be awash with money.  So if
there is no money going on in the legitimate economy, where is the money in the bank coming from.  The answer would seem to be obvious.  But of course, the public officials both American and Bahamian are too busy patting themselves on the back about well they have done in fighting drugs.  It seems that the drug smugglers have become more adept at hiding how they make their money, or it may be that corruption has in fact reached the highest levels of our Government. In short, someone has been paid to keep their mouth shut and hoodwink us about the state of our economy.

ONE FINAL THING ON CRIME
This is how Mark Symonette of The Nassau Guardian began his story on 11 November: " Two murders, a stabbing and the shooting of a suspect in police custody within hours of each other..."    Police spokesman Arnold Josey has this to say in response to it all, perhaps because the police have not made an arrest in any of these murders within the last month: " We want them [the public] to understand that more than 90 per cent are killed by someone known to the victim.  The killings are either revenge killings or the persons were involved in some underhand activity, or it was a domestic situation." The question is what is the Government doing and saying. The answer is: sweet, fat nothing.  And as we shall see Hubert Ingraham is off in the rarefied world of state craft... too busy to take care of The Bahamas, but not too busy to dine with the Queen.  The police themselves as we have said before have much to answer for.  They are not doing an effective job, largely because they are hobbled by bad political decisions about the leadership of the Force. The crime problem is also and largely though,  a consequence of the anti-intellectual response of the Bahamian public to crime and to those who in fact have the solution. The solutions are long-term and have to do with education of the young and lifting the country out of poverty but we will not get the chance to apply sensible solutions because everyone wants instant pudding and no one wants to take the time to give the right people the opportunity to lead, so you suffer with what you have.

THE PRIME MINISTER IN SOUTH AFRICA
One of the final trips which former Prime Minister Lynden Pindling made just before leaving office was a trip to Zimbabwe to the Heads of Government conference in Harare.  The FNM was livid.  There was a 45 person delegation that went with Sir Lynden. There was even staff to ensure that the distaff side got their hair done.  You will remember that Hubert Ingraham was then the Leader of the Opposition.  Now guess who is the Prime Minister and guess who had taken his own form of Pilgrim's Progress this time to a Heads of Government Conference in the Indian Ocean port of Durban in South Africa.  It is none other that that same Hubert Ingraham and he has taken quite a group with him, including five Ministers of the Government.  He must be getting like those African leaders who took the whole Cabinet with them for safety when they left the country.  No coups could take place.  The FNM Chairman responding to public criticism about the visit, claimed that the criticism about the visit was mischievous and frivolous.

THE COST OF THE SOUTH AFRICA TRIP
The Tribune reported on Friday 12 November that a partial cost of airfare alone for the Prime Minister's trip was $80,000.  The Prime Minister also said that Ronnie Knowles, the Minister of Health is with him because "he is my only friend." We wonder why that is.  The Prime Minister was so angry about the call of The Tribune that he hung up the telephone on them.  Things that make you go: " hmmm!"
 
 

OFFICIAL CALL ON BAHAMIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER
Basil O'Brien, retired Secretary to the Cabinet, and Mrs. O'Brien have joined the Prime Minister in South Africa.  Mr. O'Brien is now the High Commissioner for The Bahamas to London.  It is believed that he will also be accredited to South Africa.  It was a pleasure seeing him.  As Opposition spokesman on Foreign Affairs this columnist paid a courtesy call on Mr. O'Brien.  We met at lunch on Monday 8 November with Donna Lowe, First Secretary of The Bahamas Mission to London. It was an honour to call upon both officers.

DR. BERNARD NOTTAGE
The Chairman of the Progressive Liberal party has issued a statement on the status of Dr. Bernard Nottage.  The statement came in response to speculation in the press that an announcement was to be made shortly by Dr. Nottage about his departure from the Progressive Liberal Party.   Senator Obie Wilchcombe, the PLP's Chairman, said on 10 November that Dr. Nottage is still a PLP.  The Opposition has an excellent chance of recapturing the Government, particularly with the FNM about to self- destruct over the succession to Mr. Ingraham's leadership.  This situation had better be sorted out soon.  Everywhere one goes, the question is asked, what is the status of Dr. Nottage and the PLP?

BAHAMAS FOR INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION
Donna Lowe, the first Secretary at the High Commission of The Bahamas to London is working overtime, with little support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but a big push from the new High Commissioner Basil O'Brien to get The Bahamas a seat on the International Maritime Organization (IMO).  The IMO is centred in London and is the governing body which regulates the maritime affairs of the world on the merchant marine side.  The Bahamas is the third largest of the so called 'flag of convenience' countries and so should be on the IMO.  Last time up, we missed a seat on the executive by two votes.  We need to work hard to get it this time.  Maybe while that Hubert Ingraham character is wining and dining with the Queen he can take time out from feeding his gut and get us the seat.

BATELCO STILL DOWN IN FREEPORT
The Tribune reported on Tuesday 9 November that the telephone cable is still not up and running between Nassau and Freeport.  There's a big surprise. According to writer Samora St. Rose, the people of Freeport will have to be patient.  The cable ship was supposed to have arrived on the night of Monday 8 November.  Meanwhile, it is hit or miss getting Grand Bahama.  The internet service is still down as is credit card access, ATM service and various other critical banking services.

CID TO BE SCRAPPED?
The Nassau Guardian reported that the Government is considering scrapping the Criminal Investigation Department as a result of a confidential report by British Firm CDR.  The CID is said to be furious about it.  No word on whether the Government will consider it.  This columnist has suggested in the past that the CID be scrapped but he does not agree with the model proposed by CDR.  They propose that the functions be spread evenly throughout the Force.  This columnist believes that a new agency ought to formed separate and apart from the Commissioner of Police in the way that the FBI in the U.S. is organized.

'DARK' HORSE IN FNM LEADERSHIP RACE
Political circles were abuzz this week over the main topic reportedly discussed at a recent dinner party on the Eastern Road and at secret meetings on Paradise Island. FNM insiders with powerful connections say the wealthy businessman son of a former premier is considering a run at the post of FNM leader. A friend of the potential FNM leader was overheard saying "It's time we take our party back, because obviously, the coloured experiment has failed."  The idea is taking the upper echelons of the FNM by storm with some saying "over my dead body,"  but others convinced that middle class and women voters would love the candidate and "At least Br___ gon let us live and give us a play..."  A figure of 15 million dollars has been mentioned to run the next FNM campaign for Government, pocket change for this faction. The apparent front runners now have their work cut out for them to withstand this move. Word is that there would be little resistance at the very top of the party because this move would finally settle old debts.

THIS WEEK AT KRISTI'S
David Thompson's Tour - In an apparent response to our story on many contractors in Grand Bahama being upset with the Hutchison Group and their main contractors Centex Rooney, this week Minister Thompson took Immigration Officers, officials from the Department of Labour and a contingent of news media on a 'surprise' inspection of Lucaya strip construction sites... Surprise! After a brief tour Minister Thompson reported that all seemed to be in order and that Bahamians were getting their fair share of the work.
 Meanwhile still disgruntled Grand Bahama contractors charged that that whole deal was stage-managed and they remain unconvinced.
 Minister Thompson then toured the straw market where many vendors face eviction if rent payments are not current by the 18 November. He promised to "try to see if they could do something about bringing more people into the marketplace." The straw vendors too, remain unconvinced.

Taxi drivers in Kristi's this week said that their union will "damn the day and curse the hour" it reached an agreement with the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board to allow buses at Freeport Harbour and Freeport International Airport. The drivers say that the Grand Bahama Taxi Cab Union President "saw the handwriting on the wall and eventually caved in."
 This Week At Kristi's reported a few weeks ago that the stage was set when the Director General of Tourism came to Freeport and called Grand Bahama taxi drivers "the worst in the region".  At that time, word on the street had it that someone was about to set up a bussing business...

The FNM convention is again off for April and will be rescheduled. The pols at Kristi's insist that the Prime Minister is about to teach some of the rebels in his camp the error of allowing a political leader to buy time. The six month delay of his moment of truth at the convention is enough time to "smoke out the opposition and move against them". The controversial 'African Safari' is seen as the start of a move to cut these would be leaders' support out from under them. Talk is that Ingraham called the announced candidates nothing more than a bunch of ingrates, and says they are now only rabbits in the race.

The New Strategy... A veteran but bitter FNM told us that the new strategy by highly placed local MPs on Grand Bahama is blame. Blame the taxi drivers, blame the straw vendors and blame the hair braiders for the economic hardship in Grand Bahama. The pol says that Government seems to have missed the boat on the true reasons - Hutchison Whampoa's inability or unwillingness to live up to any of its agreements in the tourist sector in a timely fashion.
    Hutchison is two years behind on their hotel project and industry-watchers say the one property that they have opened is not being marketed or managed properly. That hotel is like a revolving door for its executive team. Overseas professionals continue to walk away after only a few months on the job complaining "these people don't know anything about the hotel industry."  The latest laugh is that two foreign executives told their boss that they were going to Miami for the weekend, but never returned.
    All week, Kristi's regulars with connections to the hotel industry were calling for Government to aggressively enforce some of the clauses in its heads of agreement with Hutchison, especially those that deal with time frames and deadlines.

While material on this web site can be used freely by other sections of the press, as a courtesy, journalists are asked to attribute the source of their material from this web site.

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Supplies:    Contact the National Disaster Hurricane Committee
                    Fax the office of the Prime Minister [242] 327.5807

Financial Assistance:
                    Bahamas National Disaster Relief Fund
                    Account at Royal Bank of Canada Main Branch, Nassau

Note from the Publisher:
This is the day before the fateful 22 November.  It is a day for a certain generation that remembers precisely where he or she was when the shot was fired that killed John F. Kennedy, the former President of the United States of America. This columnist was 10 years old in 1963 when it happened. Virginia Stuart who is the wife of former PLP candidate for Grand Bahama Doc Stuart and this columnist were close friends.  She took care of the Mitchell boys when our parents were away.  We always talked politics.  She sent for this columnist while he was munching on tuna and grits, telling him to come straight away.  There was a track road between our home and hers. Running fast as little legs could go, we listened to radio together.  John Kennedy was dead.

Our photo shows this columnist with The Bahamas High Commissioner to the Court of St. James Mr. Basil O'Brien and Dr. Pandora Johnson, Vice President of the College of The Bahamas. Dr. Johnson was visiting London on her way back to The Bahamas from a meeting of the United Nations Educational & Scientific Commission (UNESCO) in Paris.  The visit to London last week was exceptional.  Special thanks to the United Kingdom High Commissioner to The Bahamas Peter Heigl for arranging the trip.  This columnist was able to meet with the political consultants for the party while in London.  Allyson Gibson is London this week.  She will also meet with the political consultants for the PLP.   Thank you again to the students, faculty and administration of the University of Buckingham, to Carlsun Shurland for arranging a wonderful visit, to Holborn College, to the Director of Holborn Professor Cedric Bell and the students there for a great reception. Special thanks to Lee Travis Davis, our friend and ally from the next generation for his unstinting assistance on a difficult trip.  And to Jenny Steeples of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Philip Collins, our driver. Thank you all so much.  Click here for a full photo spread for the visit.  Next week, the pictures from the Holborn visit.

 The visit was a chance to look at issues relating to electoral reform, the Boundaries Commission and the system of voting; also access to the media by Opposition parties.  Hopefully, this will all inure to the benefit of the Progressive Liberal Party.

 It appears that our hopeless telephone company may have finally gotten its act together.  The Internet is said to be back up in Freeport and long distance service has been restored. Thank the Lord.  The Government is to blame for all of this.  They have demoralized the company, destroyed it so that no one wants to work and it cannot function properly.

 We had 17, 186 hits on this site up to 8 a.m. this morning for the month of November. Please keep reading.

PINDLING GETS CHEMOTHERAPY
Appearing on PLP Chairman Obie Wilchcombe's radio programme on Tuesday 15 November, former Prime Minister Sir Lynden O. Pindling told the nation that his cancer of the prostate has recurred. He said that the cancer has metastasized and  he is taking chemotherapy for the disease.  Sir Lynden will be 70 years old in March 2000.

OBIE WILCHCOMBE AS A CONSULTANT
Senator Obie Wilchcombe told The Tribune that he has been contracted to MORE FM as a consultant to the News Department of the station.  This is in addition to his contract to host a daily radio show.

THE DR. NOTTAGE SAGA
It is not clear exactly what Dr. Bernard Nottage intends to do politically, but it looks increasingly like he is about to announce a break from the PLP at the start of the year, although not to form a political party.  This will be most unfortunate and he should be persuaded from doing so. Here is a summary of quotes on the Nottage situation in the press over the past week. PLP Leader Perry Christie said on 15 November: " Until such time as Dr. Nottage tells me that his beliefs have changed, I refuse to accept that Dr. Nottage will embark on a third political party ... Any splinter party, any third party, any decision by Dr. Nottage to move out of the PLP will in some form cause problems to thousands of Bahamians who are looking to Dr. Nottage being a part of our team as we move into the next general election."

WHAT DR. NOTTAGE HAD TO SAY
On Saturday 13 November speaking at his Centre for Positive Change Dr. Nottage had this to say: " I have not yet resigned from the PLP, but over the past few years Bahamians in this society have not been well served by the two party system.  It has been abused and misused. I am fed up with the level of representation, the way that the affairs of the country and the way the business of Parliament is handled... and frankly I do not know how much longer I can submit myself to it."

ADVICE IN THE PAPERS ON DR. NOTTAGE AND PLP
A letter writer on 15 November in The Tribune who signed themselves concerned:  " I remember when the PLP was in the minority, the same way it is today and Paul Adderley and others became full of themselves and got unruly.  Mr. Pindling, as any real leader should, put his foot down and put those fellas in their places and in some cases out of the party." Raynard Rigby, writing in his Nassau Guardian column wrote that it was time for a third party to be formed of young, new faces.

BILL ALLEN'S SON COMMENTS ON PLP
On Monday 15 November, Andrew Allen writing his column 'Perspectives' under the headline THE PLP'S PROMISING TRANSFORMATION had this to say about the PLP.  He compared what Perry Christie is doing with the PLP with Tony Blair's new Labour in Britain. Said Mr. Allen: "Mr. Christie seems to realize that those on the rowdy fringes of opposition politics (perennial critics such as the BFA, who make rather more noise than sense) ultimately squander the political currency that is crucial to anyone who expects to be seen as realistic government-in-waiting... The present low profile adopted by Mr. Christie is (for all the criticism it has engendered) a first step in the right direction."

THE HISTORY OF THIRD PARTIES
Etienne Dupuch, the late editor of The Tribune and former Member of Parliament, started the Bahamas Democratic league in 1956.  It was meant to bring men of goodwill together between the extreme racism of Bay Street and the black power appeal of the PLP.  It failed.  People voted either PLP or UBP, forerunner to the FNM.  Then there was the National Democratic Party, formed after Paul Adderley, Spurgeon Bethel and Orville Turnquest were expelled from the PLP in 1965.  That failed. People voted in 1967 either PLP or UBP.  By 1972, it had dissolved and Paul Adderley was back in the Senate as a PLP.  From 1972 we saw the UBP dissolve to be succeeded by the FNM as the other party in The Bahamas.  There followed a succession of third parties: Norman Solomon's Social Democratic Party; Eugene Butlers' People's Democratic Party; Henry Bostwick's Bahamian Democratic Party.  Don't' forget the Vanguard Nationalist and Socialist Party.   The FNM remained the major of the minor parties and the only other party in Parliament except the PLP up to 1992.  Sir Randol Fawkes thought in earlier days he could run a Labour Party. By 1972 that had disappeared.  Following the FNM's defeat in 1987, there was disgruntlement.  Hubert Ingraham and Perry Christie won their seats as independents, only because the FNM supported them in their constituencies.  The third force was formed to bring persons of goodwill together.  This columnist formed the Peoples Democratic Force, spent $60,000 and got nowhere.  By 1992 PDF had disappeared.  The FNM won and the PLP remained as the main opposition party.  Now Dr. Nottage with that behind him thinks that at 55 he can form a third party by bringing together men and women of goodwill.  Unlikely. The choices are either rejoin the PLP full time or get out of politics all together.

PLP WOMEN'S BRANCH - SENATOR MELANIE GRIFFIN
The Women's Branch of the Progressive Liberal Party held a day long meeting at the Clarion Beach Resort at South Ocean last Saturday 13 November.  Senator Melanie Griffin was among those who spoke.  She told her colleagues: "Women in politics are expected to be everything to everyone."  And added Cynthia 'Mother' Pratt, PLP Deputy Leader: "You can't be a cry baby and hope to make it in the House of Assembly... It is not those with the loudest mouths that do most of the work, but those with the tender hearts and hands who don't always seek publicity for their good deeds."

KING OF TOGO IN TOWN FOR MYLES MUNROE
His Majesty Foli-Bebe Ayi  arrived in The Bahamas last Saturday 13 November for the Leadership Conference of Bahamas Faith Ministries. He was a guest speaker.  Perry Christie, PLP Leader and Bradley Roberts MP PLP Grants Town along with party Chair Obie Wilchcombe attended the opening night.  The King was greeted by Pastor Myles Munroe of  BFM.

CUSTOMS OFFICER BURIED
Sean Symonette, a customs officer, who at 34 was senselessly and brutally gunned down on 29 October in front of his three year old son was buried in Nassau on Saturday 13 November, he was churched at the Golden Gates Assembly.  Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson said that law enforcement agencies will pull out all the stops to ensure that the culprits who are responsible for the death of Mr. Symonette are caught.  We will believe that when we see it.  A $50,000 reward has been offered to catch the culprits. The Tribune took the photo of Mr. Symonette laid out in his coffin, a penchant of Bahamian newspapers.

PMH TREATS MORE CHILD MOLESTATION
According to Parliamentary Secretary Lester Turnquest of the Ministry of Health, 160 cases of sexual abuse of children were seen at the Accident and Emergency Department of the Princess Margaret Hospital. Mr. Turnquest said: "Sexual Molestation is everyone's responsibility.  We as a community must, therefore, join forces in the fight against this socially unacceptable behavior."

TENNYSON WELLS READY TO RESIGN
The Tribune reported that Attorney General Tennyson Wells is ready to hand in his resignation from the Cabinet as soon as the Prime Minister returns from his progress across Africa.  The Tribune says that Mr. Wells wanted to resign as early as September but held off at the request of the Prime Minister.  He wanted to resign again before the Prime Minister left for the Heads of Government trip in South Africa but was asked to hold off until the return.  Mr. Wells told his Bamboo Town branch that he does not intend to wait beyond the end of the year.  He wants to spend four full days per week campaigning for the Leadership of the FNM.  This assumes that the FNM will hold a convention in April.  Already Mr. Ingraham's people have been leaking word to the press that there will be no convention in April.  They say all the hotels are booked.  So that means no convention for Mr. Wells, until Mr. Ingraham is ready with a successor in mind other than Mr. Wells.  But Mr. Wells' friends and allies say he has all the money that he needs to get his hands on the FNM's power levers.

MOVEMENTS - INGRAHAM TO REDUCE CABINET
When Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham returns from his progress across Africa it is expected that he will reduce the cabinet. Mr. Wells departure as Attorney General will allow Mr. Ingraham to give either Dion Foulkes or Carl Bethel a full ministry as Attorney General. Dion's appointment would satisfy the Foulkes clan. It is reported that Dame Ivy Dumont will retire and so the Ministry  of  Education will become available for some other people to promoted to a substantive ministerial post. People close to Minister Zhivargo Laing are saying that this is his last year with Junkanoo as he expects to get the job as Minister of Economic Development with Carl Bethel who is now the Minister of Economic Development, going on to become the Minister of Finance. Bill Allen, the current Minister of Finance is planning to retire. Brent Symonette is reported to be getting that nomination in the ensuing bye election.

ONE OF GOLDEN GIRLS IN TICKET FLAP
Debbie Ferguson, one of the Golden Girls at the World Championships in Spain last summer, has returned to training in Atlanta following a flap about a repayment owed to her by the BAAAs.  The BAAAs was supposed to repay her plane ticket to Spain.  The BAAA claims that Ms. Ferguson did not provide them with a receipt so they did not pay.  Presumably that did not stop them reaping the rewards of the victory in Spain. There is one born every day.  Ms. Ferguson now has her money. Good for her!

BATELCO ON ITS LAST LEG
The Government has tabled the draft Telecommunications Act which will repeal and replace the Batelco Act as well as amend the Public Utilities Commission Act.  The Bill is being circulated for public comment, and almost certainly means that BaTelCo is on its last leg as a telephone company.  Under the provisions of the Bill regulatory functions will be taken away from Batelco and given to the Commission, and a new company is to be formed to be called  The Bahamas Telecommunications Company.  This company is to be formed pursuant to the Companies Act 1992.  This company's shares will be owned by the Treasurer. The PLP ought to scrutinize this bill extremely carefully and raise again the issue of selling off the wealth of The Bahamas to non-nationals.

BEC REMAINS THE SAME
Since returning to The Bahamas, the residence of this columnist has been plunged into darkness on two occasions because of blackouts by BEC, the Bahamas Electricity Corporation.  There is a new Manager now Bradley B. Roberts (no relation to the MP).  The Tribune reported on 12 November that on 11 November the whole island plunged into darkness when all the generators went down.  The island was off line for one hour. The FNM promised that all of that would stop under them.

BAHAMAS MAKES US DRUG LIST
The Tribune of 12 November reported that The Bahamas has made a list of 26 countries that are regarded by US authorities as a source of drug transshipment.  No surprise there.  We reported last week that drugs infest The Bahamas again.  However, throughout the country people have their heads in the sand on the issue.  There appears to be no developed public opinion on the subject and no sense of outrage.

BRADLEY ROBERTS ON THE WARPATH
Frank Watson, Deputy Prime Minister known as the nation's chief Uncle Tom, had to defend himself following an allegation by Bradley Roberts PLP MP that he was in business bed with Glen Picard, the recently fired Manager of Bahamasair.  Mr. Watson denied the claim.  No one believes him though.  Mr. Roberts also wanted to know why the lease provisions for a Bahamasair 737 jet were so disadvantageous to Bahamasair.  Bahamasair admitted they were wrong and said the deal is now rescinded and they have asked for their deposit back on the jet.  Mr. Roberts also wanted to know why  the ATT phone card, the company credit card and car were still in Mr. Picard's possession.  Bahamasair announced just before press time that they had recovered their property from Mr. Picard.

FRED MITCHELL VISITS AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
During the recent visit to Britain, this columnist as Opposition Spokesman on Foreign Affairs paid a courtesy call on Amnesty International.  The one hour visit covered such areas as the death penalty in The Bahamas, flogging and Amnesty's General concern about the human rights of Bahamians.  Amnesty has asked the assistance of the PLP in getting The Bahamas to honour its commitment to Caricom to sign the convention establishing the International Criminal Court. Pictured with this columnist at Amnesty's London HQ is Jonathan O'Donohue of Amnesty.
 
 
 

VISIT AT UNIVERSITY OF BUCKINGHAM
This Senator graduated from the University of Buckingham in December 1985.  It was treat to return there, and be hosted by Vice Chancellor Robert Taylor and Senior Law Lecturer Irvin Stephens, together with the Bahamian Students Association headed by Neville Wilchcombe.  The visit took place on Thursday 11 November.  Thank you for a warm welcome.  The University is looking toward expanding its base in The Bahamas by trying to attract not only law students but students in the Hotel Management programme. Group Photo L-R: Prince Bonamy, Richard Bootle, Irving Stevens, Jannet Bullard, Milton Cox, Vice Chanc., Mr Mitchell, Rouschard Martin, Neville Wilchcombe, Samuel Rahming, Michael Saunders, Olivette Missick, George Missick, Onan Williams, Takia Miller, Sandrina Benjamin, Melissa Selver, Nkrumah Mulmi and Carlsun Shurland.
 
 

THE STATE OF THE AIRPORT
The Nassau International Airport is a disgrace.  Nothing works.  Stepping off  the British Airways plane into the Nassau terminal, it was embarrassing to see filth, broken air conditioning and in the customs hall the bathrooms don't work and the conveyor belts don't work.  And this is a tourist destination.  The FNM said they would change all of this.  They ought to go.

JENNY STEEPLES AND PHILIP COLLINS
Greetings from the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to Mrs. Jenny Steeples of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Mr. Philip Collins, our chauffeur during the visit to London.  Thank you for all of your help. Our photo shows them in front of the car.

THIS WEEK AT KRISTI'S
FNMs Restless In The Camp - A report our Kristi's correspondent this week indicates that Grand Bahama Ministers and MPs took a real beating during an FNM conclave held in Freeport this week. David Wallace is said to have got wind of the beating that was to come and did not attend. Reports say Wallace was accused of being interested only in attending weddings and funerals or any other function where there is television. Meanwhile, said the source, his constituents in West End are suffering from lack of representation. Lindy Russell MP for Eight Mile Rock also came under fire. "He has no influence or control over his constituency whatsoever," complained FNMs at the conclave. "Lindy can't even get his branch started, and always needs someone to hold his hand." Trouble in the camp. David Thompson came in for perhaps the worst criticism. "He was sent to Parliament to represent the people of Marco City, not to be an apologist from the Grand Bahama Port Authority." FNM street soldiers are said to have advised Minister Thompson that the Port "doesn't vote."

Movie Studio Deal - This week an announcement was made foreshadowing a private share offering by a company called Sun Cay They were said to be revitalizing a decrepit movie studio in eastern Freeport. They appeared on television with Minister of Tourism C.A. Smith in tow. Saturday's newspapers, however, carried a release from the Grand Bahama Port Authority highlighted in yellow on the front page saying that no licence had been issued to the group and none had been applied for. Late this weekend, FNM insiders were saying that the deal is in fact, straight up, but that the Port is annoyed because land for the project is not being purchased from them. We'll be watching.

David Thompson Attends PLP-Sponsored Forum - This week Minister David Thompson took many a hard knock from his FNM colleagues... The Minister attended a non-partisan, PLP-sponsored forum on coping with the aftermath of hurricane Floyd. Good show to the Minister for his attendance. We remind his detractors of the "new political culture" they're always touting. FNMs are boiling with resentment over Thompson's attendance and have threatened to take their case to the highest level of the party. At the meeting, Minister Thompson took the emotional brunt of Queens Cove residents furious over the lack of relief and assistance for their hard-hit area some six weeks after the disaster. "Not all the people in Queens Cove are rich and in no need of assistance" they said. Has Minister Thompson and the FNM gotten the message?

Rent Relief at Port Lucaya - Later in the week, Minister Thompson went back to Port Lucaya and told shopkeepers and straw vendors that he had spoken with the Grand Bahama Port Authority about rent relief. Soon afterward, Lindy Russell MP publicly announced a one third reduction in rent for the next six months. The Government has missed the point again. The problem is no tourists and no business, all because the Prime Minister in his wisdom personally blew up the Atlantik Beach Hotel and allowed all Lucaya hotel properties to be closed at the same time. He has also allowed everything to be sold to Hutchison Whampoa which seems to have no interest in running any hotel.

Bahamasair -  Startling reaction from FNMs in Kristi's this week to Bradley Roberts' expose on corruption at Bahamasair. One FNM stalwart said it looks as if "there's a mad dash to tief or grab everything before this gravy train is over." Another FNM faithful blamed Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson  "Frank knew or maybe he's a part of this sordid affair. As soon as Hubert gets back," said the disappointed FNM, "I gon tell him what I know." Kristi's regulars were angry about Bahamasair Chairman Anthony Miller not being able to repossess the corporation's car, cell phone and credit cards from Mr. Picard. "No one will cry for Miller when he gets what is coming, because he is just plain stupid." This is the second scandal involving improprieties at Bahamasair under Miller's chairmanship. FNMs believe that Bradley Roberts didn't say all he knows about goings on at Bahamasair.

FNM Leadership Update - A highly-placed insider this week told Kristi's regulars that if the FNM don't come to their senses soon, "even the Vanguard will get a couple of seats..." He was referring to the three way race for the FNM leadership between Tennyson Wells, Algernon Allen and the 'dark' horse known as Brent. A random Kristi's survey this week about this latest entry reveals that few are prepared to openly offend such a rich man. Tennyson and Allen aka the Minister for Idle Poetry would do well to check with their generals from to time to make sure they have not defected to greener pastures.

While material on this web site can be used freely by other sections of the press, as a courtesy, journalists are asked to attribute the source of their material from this web site.

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

Supplies:    Contact the National Disaster Hurricane Committee
                    Fax the office of the Prime Minister [242] 327.5807

Financial Assistance:
                    Bahamas National Disaster Relief Fund
                    Account at Royal Bank of Canada Main Branch, Nassau

Note from the Publisher:
Let's see.  How can we describe the atmosphere in Nassau this week? It was like a foretaste of what it would be like if Frank Watson succeeded Hubert Ingraham as the Prime Minister: core incompetence and corruption.  The country would self-destruct even further than it already has.  It appears that no one in the Government knows what he or she is doing.  Mr. Ingraham is on a progress across Africa and Europe, having a grand old time at the country's expense.  Frank Watson does not know how to make a decision as Acting Prime Minister; apparently has been told by Mr. Ingraham in at least one instance to make no decisions until he gets back.  Then Mr. Watson has admitted to approving a questionable contract for Bahamasair.  The town is buzzing that the Minister has to go, and the Chairman of Bahamasair has to resign.  More about it below.

We are adding as a permanent feature the visit to Europe. It will be added to the list below where you can simply click and bring up the visit.

The country got to salute the Golden Girls finally on Saturday 27 November at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre.  The celebrations were put off because of the Hurricane.  There are massive pictures of the five around the town.  Bahamians are still proud of what the five young women accomplished at the World Championships in Spain.

BaTelCo, the telephone company, is the other public corporation that is still in trouble.  They finally got the submarine cable up and going again but now the company faces a go-slow by its employees, and possibly a strike from the remaining workers left there.  More on that below!

This week, we had some 23, 514 hits up to 12 midnight on Saturday 26 November.  We would like you to continue reading and encourage others to read. We especially welcome our readers back from Grand Bahama and Bimini who were offline because of the cable fault.  Thanks for reading.

CHRISTIE ASKS WATSON AND MILLER TO RESIGN
The Bahamasair scandal is getting larger and larger.  At Mr. Christie's press conference he was able to charge further that the Bahamasair cargo division had been scuttled in favour of an independent operator.  Mr. Christie asked who is the owner of the new company that is doing the cargo service.  The new cargo service is renting warehouse space Miami for which the airline is having to pay $2,000 per month, even though Bahamasair cargo itself already has a warehouse at the airport in Miami.  Further, the new cargo company has no planes.  The suspicion is that Frank Watson and Anthony Miller are somehow both tied  to this transaction.  The company that has the contract to operate the cargo service is thought somehow to be connected with Glen Picard, the recently dismissed General Manager of Bahamasair.  Glen Picard was finally dismissed when the entire Board of Bahamasair threatened to resign en masse.  Mr. Picard was known as the Minister's man around the company.  He could do no wrong because he was protected by the Minister. Even after Mr. Picard was fired, he continued to have the company car, its phone card and credit card.  It took a public demand by Bradley Roberts, the PLP MP, to cause the Deputy Chairman of Bahamasair to personally go and pick up the company car.

BAHAMASAIR CHAIRMAN DEFENDS GRAYCLIFF LUNCH
According to Anthony Miller a lunch for a party of eight complete with champagne and lobster that cost the Bahamian taxpayer $1,831.92 at Graycliff  restaurant in Nassau was needed in order to reciprocate the hospitality of Air France executives seeking a code sharing arrangement with Bahamasair .  The lunch took place on 20 January 1999. Mr. Miller was answering an allegation made by Bradley Roberts the PLP MP for Grants Town.  Mr. Miller said that they were treated to lunch by Air France and felt that they had to reciprocate.  No word on whether the code sharing arrangement ever concluded.

SCANDAL SURROUNDS THE FNM
The supporters of the FNM are getting demoralized around The Bahamas.  The recent scandals surrounding Bahamasair have the supporters embarrassed.  The Board of Bahamasair must soon do the right thing before the board gets infected with the virus of corruption.  It's no good sitting with your resignations in your briefcases hoping against hope that this is going to come out all right.  Hubert Ingraham is trying to pull on the loyalty of the Board members to the FNM by saying that the Government cannot be abandoned at this time.  But clearly, Frank Watson has to go, and so must Anthony Miller.  And if they don't go, the Board knows what it has to do.  Anthony Allen threatened to resign in April of this year but was persuaded not to do so.  Now it is surely time to leave.  It appears to us that the persons who are involved in this corruption scandal simply studied the last Commission of Inquiry into Bahamasair and perfected the art of "tiefing" by looking for loopholes in how the last crew were able to take money from the Bahamian people by buying planes for Bahamasair.  The result should be the same, the politicians should have to face the music and go.  The FNM must surely not plan to re-nominate either Frank Watson or Anthony Miller for office in 2002.

FRANK WATSON SKIPS TOWN
Frank Watson was the Acting Prime Minister while Hubert Ingraham was on his progress through Africa and Europe at the public's expense.  The times got too hot in town for Frank Watson, however. One scandal after the next, including an allegation that he may have been cutting arrangements with Bahamasair.  He denied it all.  Then the Batelco union denounced him after he was told by Hubert Ingraham not to sign any deal with the Union until Mr. Ingraham got back to town. The Union called Frank useless. Now Mr. Watson has skipped town.  Gone on business says the Government announcement.  Hapless William Allen, the Minister of Finance is now the Acting Prime Minister.  No word on how long and when Frank Watson is expected back.  The heat is on!

MIKE EDWARDS FNM VICE CHAIR SPEAKS OUT
The pressure of the incompetence of the FNM is getting to even its most senior members.  The man we call Iron Mike had finally had enough.  He gave a scorching interview to The Tribune about the situation in Grand Bahama. It was reported on Wednesday 22 November 1999.  In it he accused the Government of not doing enough to assist with getting Bahamian contractors jobs in Freeport at the Hutchison Whampoa construction project in Lucaya. "I speak not as the national vice chairman of the Free National Movement," Mr. Edwards said. "I think any sensible Government would try and make sure that Bahamians play a full role in the construction of the project and there should be full Bahamian participation." Ahh!  But the FNM does not believe in Bahamianization and Iron Mike will have a job convincing a glad hander like C.A. Smith, a Minister and Freeport representative, to agreeing with his point of view.  The PLP is the nationalist side in The Bahamas.  The PLP puts Bahamians first. There are many who feel that Hutchison has no intention of finishing the Lucaya project. Mr. Edwards and others think that there is rank discrimination against Bahamian contractors and that the Government is not doing enough to change that. Well Iron Mike, there is room at the cross for thee.

MACHIAVELLIAN MOVES BY ALLEN
There he was, the Minister of Idle Poetry Algernon Allen, sitting with a hand of cards in his hand and waxing eloquent about the beauties of the whist tournament.  It seems that Mr. Allen is embarking on a campaign of public relations image sprucing.  But no amount of sprucing can hide the Machiavellian mind.  Mr. Allen wants PLP Dr. Bernard Nottage to resign from Parliament, since Dr. Nottage is said to be leaving the PLP.  Mr. Allen then promises that the FNM will not oppose Dr. Nottage, and will cause its supporters in the subsequent bye-election to support Dr. Nottage, causing him to win and defeating the PLP.  Once that is done, then the FNM will be able to claim that the PLP is finished and Dr. Nottage will get a boost for his new party.  The FNM's view is that it will be better for them because it will take at least ten years for that new party to be a force to be reckoned with, but at least the PLP will be destroyed. The Tribune photo of Mr. Allen appeared on Wednesday, 24 November, 1999. One could not help thinking about a corkscrew though as you looked at the picture.

DEATH OF GLORIA LOCKHART
Mrs. Gloria Lockhart, née Cumberbatch died in hospital on Friday 26 November following a massive stroke. Mrs. Lockhart is the wife of PLP stalwart Calvin Lockhart (no relation to the actor).  They lived at Dick's Point in New Providence and were among the few PLPs in the Montagu Constituency. Mrs. Lockhart followed her mother Meta Davis Cumberbatch into the arts.  She wrote plays and poetry.  In addition to her husband, she is survived by two children including Attorney Gail Lockhart, Greg Barrett of the Ministry of Tourism and a sister Lady Zoe Maynard. We offer our heartfelt condolences.
 
 
 

BLACKOUT AT THE AIRPORT
Last week we neglected to report that on Monday 15 November, Air Traffic controllers at the Nassau International Airport led a one day protest because of the unlawful suspension of Bryan Wilson one of the union's members.  The Civil Aviation Department quickly rescinded the suspension.  The photo taken by The Tribune shows Roscoe Perpall, Union President and Mark Major, Union Public Relations Officer at a press conference on the day of the sit in by the Union.  On that same day, the airport had a massive electrical failure resulting in backed up flights.  The two incidents were said not be related.  Again, this is another sign of the unrest in The Bahamas.

HUGH SANDS PLEADS NOT GUILTY ON BEHALF OF COB
The Union of Tertiary Educators of The Bahamas, the COB Union, has been trying to get the College of The Bahamas to court for at least six weeks.  Members of the Union filed criminal complaints before a Magistrate that the College of The Bahamas had sought to intimidate them as a result of their membership in the Union.  Fourteen counts of intimidation and altering the terms and conditions of employment to their prejudice were filed against the College by lecturers Michael Stevenson, Brigit S. Hogg, June Wilson and Gurth Forde. Margo Blackwell has brought another four complaints before another Magistrate. Those will be heard on Tuesday 30 November.  The College's Lawyers sought to argue that the summonses were defective and therefore null and void.  On Tuesday 23 November Magistrate Vera Watkins disagreed.  She ruled in favour of the employees and went further; she asked where was the Chairman of the College of The Bahamas?  The college has contemptuously sent a low ranking officer to represent it at the hearings.  This columnist was the lawyer for the Union members and insisted that Mr. Sands be brought before the Courts.  It was pointed out by this columnist that if any other criminal defendant had refused to show up in Court on a summons, a warrant of arrest would have been issued without question as a matter of course.  There could not be one rule for the rich and another for the poor.  Mr. Sands appeared after one hour's break.  He then pleaded not guilty to the fourteen counts.  The bail was set at $300 on each count on his own recognizance.  This is a real triumph for the rule of law. Our photo shows Hugh Sands leaving the Magistrate's Court on Tuesday 23 November.

ADDRESS ON AIDS DISCRIMINATION
This columnist appeared last Saturday 20 November at a seminar sponsored by the National AIDS Secretariat.  The issue was discrimination against persons with AIDS.  The Guardian photo shows this columnist with fellow panelists Attorney Lester Mortimer and National Insurance Assistant Director Arlene Strachan. There is discrimination against persons with AIDS in the workplace and by insurance companies.  These issues have to be addressed by amendments to the law but more importantly by a change in the attitudes of people about the disease.  While AIDS sufferers are living longer because of new drug therapies, it remains the major killer of person in The Bahamas between the ages of 15-44.

OZZIE BROWN'S NEW(?) LEXUS
Spence Finlayson used to be an employee of The Nassau Guardian, now boasting about celebrating 155 years of existence this week.  Oswald Brown, the political prostitute of them all, is the Editor of the paper.  Mr. Brown is now seen riding about town in a Lexus, the luxury automobile.  He recently married the Governor General's younger sister in October of this year, just a little over a year after the death of his former wife by drowning on Saunders Beach in Nassau.  The question is, where did the Lexus come from?  Well Spence Finlayson had a Lexus as well.  Mr. Finlayson lost his job at The Nassau Guardian because he was assigned to work on that lousy paper they started called The Observer, an afternoon paper which no one read and which was a financial disaster for the company. As a result of losing his job, he reportedly lost his car to the bank.  Mr. Brown is now driving a Lexus.  It looks mighty close to Mr. Finalyson's Lexus. Tongues are wagging at The Guardian about how a man could cause another to lose his job then buy his car off the bank. We are not asserting that its true but then we are not surprised that anything that this unscrupulous man Oswald Brown would do.

MYLES MUNROE AND THE KING OF TOGO
Last week we spoke about the visit of the King of Togo to The Bahamas for the Christian leadership Conference sponsored by the Bahamas Faith Ministries of Dr. Myles Munroe.  This week, we show the photo of the King being welcomed by Dr. Munroe.  It was published in The Nassau Guardian on Tuesday 16 November. 

NASSAU GUARDIAN BOYCOTTS PLP NEWS
Reporters have called the leaders of the PLP to tell them that they ought to lodge an official complaint or commit to some form of public protest about Oswald Brown, the Managing Editor of the Nassau Guardian.  Mr. Brown has refused to allow stories related to the PLP about the Bahamasair scandal to be reported in the Nassau Guardian. The press conference of the PLP's leader on Thursday 25 November was not reported by The Nassau Guardian, despite the fact that there was a reporter present at the press conference. This columnist has been trying to get the PLP on this tack for well over  a year, but at some levels of the party it is believed that this was just a personal protest because of discrimination against Fred Mitchell personally.  Now one hopes that the party will see that this is a general problem which must be addressed. The Guardian must be made to perform its role as a public instrument.  It must be fair to all sides. At press time, the Guardian's Saturday edition, the least read of its papers of the week, carried a story on one aspect of the PLP news conference. A day late, and many topics short.

BAHAMAS ELECTED TO INTERNATIONAL MARITIME
The I.M.O. is the International Maritime Organization.  It is headquartered in London and is the governing body for international shipping.  The Bahamas is one of the so-called flag of convenience countries, the third largest ship registry in the world.  This is our second time at trying to get elected.  Thanks to our team in London, headed by Basil O'Brien and Donna Lowe, we made it this time.  The Bahamas is one of 15 members on the council.  The announcement was made by the Ministry of Transport's Permanent Secretary Archie Nairn.

THE STORY OF BAHAMIAN TENNIS
Roger Smith had an excellent reputation as a tennis player and still does, but something is terribly amiss at the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association's National Tennis Centre. Mr. Smith seems to have been in a constant conflict with the governing body of that Association.  Edith Powell is the President.  Ever since her presidency, there has been one report or the next this year of conflict between Mr. Smith and the Association.  There was a story about an application for a liquor licence with which Mrs. Powell disagreed.  Then there was Mrs. Powell's election itself which occurred because scores of would be members were excluded from the election.  Now we learn that Mr. Smith's contract will not be renewed when it expires because of lack of money but many suspect because of the disagreements.   At the start of this week, there was a report that an injunction had been obtained by Godfrey Pinder, lawyer for those who were prevented from voting at the elections.  It turns out that the report was not true.  At week's end Desmond Bannister, attorney for the Association, issued a statement in which he quoted a letter from the judge of the Supreme Court that no injunction had been granted.  Whatever the situation, it looks like a mess and that tennis is suffering after its glory days with Roger Smith and Mark Knowles.  Mr. Knowles himself has lost his long time doubles partner Daniel Nestor.

DARRON CASH WRITES A SENSIBLE LETTER
Some times it's difficult to figure out where this younger generation of politicians is coming from.  No doubt they are no more self-centred, scheming or selfish than the last generation but in so many respects they seem untrustworthy. Every once in a while though, a bolt out of the blue comes along that renews the faith that some of them have some sense.  That is what we thought this week when a letter appeared in The Tribune answering an editorial which traced the roots of crime in The Bahamas to the PLP.  Senator Cash  responded: "I am sure you could not be serious in laying the blame for the roots of crime in The Bahamas at the feet of the PLP." Now bear in mind that this is an FNM Senator writing this stuff. This is surely against the party line, since the FNM seeks to blame its failure to deal with crime as a matter of party policy on the PLP. Concluded Senator Cash:  "... the PLP was not all good, but by no means were they all bad, they reflected society's rage and we all ought to be thankful a full-scale revolution did not occur.  The injustices perpetrated against the majority of Bahamians was certainly deserving of such."  There may be hope for that Senator after all. The letter appeared in The Tribune of Wednesday, 24 November, 1999.

NASSAU THE TOWN OF BEGGARS
The FNM has to answer the question why the level of public begging in Nassau seems to have arisen so alarmingly.  It is a perfect nuisance. Everywhere you go, within minutes you are deluged by requests of people, many of whom are working for money.  It has become impossible in some areas to enjoy oneself when on a social outing because of the begging.

BATELCO WORKERS ARE FED UP
The pressure is on the FNM and their loud-mouthed leader to pay up or BaTelCo will collapse.  Union President Shane Gibson ordered a go slow this week in response to the failure of Frank Watson, the Deputy Prime Minister to conclude a deal with the Union.  The Union and Mr. Watson have been negotiating to settle a promise made voluntarily by the Prime Minister to buy out certain clauses in the existing contract of the workers left at BaTelCo that the new buyer of Batelco might find unacceptable. The Prime Minister promised on 19 July to resolve the issue by 30 September.  Now Mr. Watson says that he can't sign off on the deal because the Prime Minister, who is in Rome, says not to sign anything until he gets back home in a few weeks.  Shane Gibson rightly denounced Frank Watson as useless and hopeless (our words).  He said what was the point of having an Acting Prime Minister and a Cabinet if they can't make a decision?  He said we should do away with the cabinet and just have Mr. Ingraham decide everything.  Well that's how it is Mr. Gibson.  We hope the people see the light and elect the PLP and get rid of this man.

CIBC IS WATCHING FRED MITCHELL
Shortly before the departure for Europe this Senator as the Opposition spokesman for Labour issued a statement in connection with the downsizing of CIBC in The Bahamas.  The report is that some six jobs would be lost in the exercise.  CIBC responded that it was not true and that only two jobs would be affected and no one would lose their job.  It was also this Senator's information that certain credit functions would be transferred to Barbados.  That now means that anything over half a million will have to be decided in Bridgetown.   Now that CIBC has denied it all, there has been a curious response by the company.  They have been searching all the fax records and questioning the employees to find out who gave the information to this Senator. Question: if the information is untrue why the search?

SHANTELL BROWN'S GIFT TO FRED MITCHELL
Senator Fred Mitchell was presented with the gift of a bubble bath by Shantell Brown, a Fox Hill constituent.  Ms. Brown claimed that she thought that it was a just reward for the hard work of the Senator.  She called up to say that she liked the spirit of the Senator.  He was everywhere in the Fox Hill constituency and for all occasions.  She said he deserved a bubble bath.  She is an employee of a body shop.  Thank you Shantell Brown.  She came and gave a little speech at the Fox Hill HQ of the PLP on Monday 22 November and left.  We took a picture.

THIS WEEK AT KRISTI'S
Who said these words: -  "If I catch you with your hand in the cookie jar, I gon chap it off! I gon chap it off!" Quote from the 'victory' rally in 1992 at the Sunrise Shopping Centre parking lot in Freeport and from the 'Rally in the Ally' in Nassau, also in 1992. Thing that make you go Hmmm. As the late Senator Austin Grant from West End used to say, "Gentlemen, turn yourself in!"

C.A. Smith & Crime - Last week Saturday morning's FNM conclave saw party generals tongue-lashing Minister Smith for never listening since joining the Cabinet. "He has wisdom from above and answers for everything." One FNM organizer was in the process of backing up Vice Chairman Iron Mike's stand on the uneven distribution of wealth in Grand Bahama and suggesting that this may be one reason why some young people may turn to crime. Bemused informants report that C.A. was in the midst of a spirited and scathing rebuttal, warning the gathering not to be mislead about the level of crime when a woman burst into the room shouting, "C.A., they break open your car and tief your stuff."  Truth is often stranger than fiction...

Iron Mike & Albert Miller - The week at Kristi's began with talk of the Tribune front page story featuring FNM Vice Chair Iron Mike (See above) and Albert Miller of the Grand Bahama Port Authority. Some say Mr. Miller is the second most powerful man in the country and the only person with the distinction of being able to speak for both the Port Authority and the Government. At one stage while Iron Mike was articulating his position to the Kristi's regulars, a passer by shouted encouragement: "Don't let them off  Mike, stay on their miserable a...es - they too no good!" A Kristi's regular off to Miami to help his wife with the Christmas shopping offered to take Mike on a side trip to meet with Cuban American plant man Manuel Diaz... "He's the only fellow who can teach you how to get business with The Bahamas Government." Truth is often stranger than fiction...

Plastic on the School Roof  - Grand Bahama PLPs are watching. The roof on Walter Parker Government primary school is covered in plastic to prevent the rain from falling on the childrens' heads. What does this say? PLP activist Forrester Carroll says its an issue in the making.

Condolences - To Junior Grant of Eight Mile Rock on the death of his mother; and to Mike Edwards on the passing of his sister. They were both laid to rest Saturday, 27 November. May their souls rest in peace.

Congratulations - To Theo Farquahson on the birth of his daughter this past week. Reports are that when he was told that both mother and daughter were well, he had to be restrained in his expressions of happiness. Well done Theo.