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Volume: 111 No.128
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MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2016
THE PROTEST VOTE WHY THE REFERENDUM FAILED - SEE INSIGHT
Shot dead at the ATM
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Churchman one of three people killed during bloody Sunday
THE BODY of Ivan Cleare is taken from the scene after he was shot dead while using a Scotiabank ATM at Wulff Road and Jerome Avenue early yesterday morning.
Police: Days of withdrawing cash at night are gone By KHRISNA VIRGIL Tribune Staff Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net A CHURCH minister was shot and killed early yesterday morning while using a Scotiabank automated teller machine (ATM) at Wulff Road and Jerome Avenue, sparking an island-wide manhunt for the perpetrator of this latest homicide. While police have not officially released his identity, The Tribune understands the victim is Ivan Cleare, a minister at New Bethlehem Baptist Church on Independence Drive. Hours after the shooting, police reported that a suspect was in custody, adding that a handgun was allegedly found in his possession.
The incident pushed the country’s homicide count to 54 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records. A relative at the home of Mr Cleare’s mother, where other loved ones gathered to mourn, confirmed he was the victim of this murder, but declined further comment as the family was struggling to deal with his death. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Stephen Dean, Mr Cleare’s lifeless body was discovered shortly after 8am when police responded to a tip they received. ACP Dean said investigators were unsure of when the shooting took place or how long the victim had been lying on the ground. However, an employee at a nearby gas station told
Photo: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff
WOMAN KIDNAPPED AND SEXUALLY ASSAULTED IN HER CAR BY GUNMAN
FATHER ONE OF TWO VICTIMS IN DEADLY FOX HILL SHOOTING
CHURCH minister Ivan Cleare, who was killed yesterday. The Tribune that the victim had come into the station for gas early Sunday morning and the employee expressed shock to learn that he had been “killed in cold blood”. SEE PAGE THREE
TWO men, including a father, were shot dead in Fox Hill last night about 12 hours after a church minister was killed at an ATM. The deaths pushed the country’s homicide count to 56 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records. Police were called to the scene of the double homicide on Adderley Street shortly after 9pm, where two men were standing outside when they were shot. One of the victims was identified by a relative as Sammy Rolle, a construction worker in his 30s, who lived in Fox Hill. A relative said Mr Rolle, who had several children, was not
A WOMAN was sexually assaulted by a man who forced his way into her car and drove her to a bushy area off Carmichael Road, police said. The incident happened around 3.30am on Saturday, according to police reports. SEE PAGE THREE
known to be a troublemaker. The family member said Mr Rolle may have been “caught in the wrong place at the wrong time” when he was fatally shot. The other victim, known by his nickname “Smokey”, frequently hung out “on the blocks” near Adderley Street, residents told The Tribune. Scores of onlookers gathered near the crime scene as police processed the area last night. Some residents told The Tribune they believe the shooter was someone known to the area and was reportedly seen riding a bicycle. SEE PAGE THREE
TEN ARMED ROBBERIES IN A SINGLE WEEKEND
By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net POLICE are searching for the suspects responsible for committing ten armed robberies that took place over the weekend, seven of which occurred in less than 24 hours. SEE PAGE THREE
COMMISSIONER DEFENDS REFERENDUM RESULTS
By KHRISNA VIRGIL Tribune Staff Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net PARLIAMENTARY Commissioner Sherlyn Hall was adamant yesterday that his department did not do a
poor job in its handling of last week’s constitutional referendum despite the piecemeal release of results and apparent errors in figures identified by The Tribune. In an interview with this newspaper yesterday, Mr
Hall was on the defensive as he contended that the Parliamentary Registration Department released the referendum results “in time”, arguing that the regulations the department adheres to do not give a
specific timeframe when vote totals are to be made public. He said the regulations only stipulate that this is to be done “as soon as is practical”.
SEE PAGE SEVEN
RADIO STATIONS FEAR CLOSURES UNDER URCA CHANGES
By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net THE Utilities Regulation
and Competition Authority (URCA) has come under fire for its plans to “standardise” FM radio broadcasting, with industry insid-
DIVE INTO SUMMER.
ers accusing the regulator of making the sector “pay” for the organisation’s “mismanagement”. Members of the radio
broadcasting industry, speaking on condition of anonymity, said URCA’s SEE PAGE SIX
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THE TRIBUNE
199 Haitians caught on sloop THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force apprehended 199 Haitian migrants off the west coast of northern Andros on Friday. The RBDF fast patrol craft P129, under coxswain Petty Officer Acadia Smith, was on routine patrol near North Andros when it was diverted to investigate the sighting, which was initially reported by police in Red Bays, North Andros. Upon arrival in the area of Cross Cays off the west coast of northern Andros, P129 apprehended the migrants aboard a wooden sailing sloop. The migrants were in urgent need of food and water which were provided by locals from the Red Bays community. HMBS Lignum Vitae, commanded by Senior Lieutenant Bertrum Bowleg, was also deployed to take the large number of migrants to New Providence yesterday to be handed over to immigration authorities in New Providence. A group of Cuban migrants were taken to the West End, Grand Bahama, Police Station yesterday after apparently being dropped off at a property in Old Bahama Bay. They were reportedto have been told by a boat captain that they were in south Florida. THE WOODEN sailing sloop containing 199 Haitian migrants that was stopped off North Andros.
CUBAN MIGRANTS ARE DETAINED AT GRAND BAHAMA
CUBAN immigrants under arrest in Grand Bahama, after a group was detained in the Cay Sal Bank area. The migrants told authorities that they were heading for Florida.
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
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migrants through The Bahamas continues to flow as another group was apprehended and brought to Grand Bahama on Thursday. This puts the number of Cubans at 115 processed at the Department of Immigration in Freeport since the beginning of May. Immigration officer Napthali Cooper reported that, on Tuesday, the US Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norville arrived at Lucayan Harbour with 11 Cubans who were spotted in a rustic vessel in the Cay Sal Bank area. The migrants told Bahamian Immigration authorities that they left Cuba and were heading to Florida. They were flown to New Providence, where are detained at the Detention Centre to await repatriation. The Cay Sal Bank is a common route used by Cubans on their illegal journey to the United States. The Coast Guards have made most of their interceptions at Cay Sal, and have even rescued migrants who were stranded at the uninhabited cays there. According to reports, on May 31 some 18 Cubans were spotted on a cay in the Cay Sal Bank. The group had left Caibarien, Cuba, on May 22 and were at sea for three days when they ran out of food and water and took refuge. The group was spotted by the US Coast Guard and picked up. It has been discovered that some of migrants have been previously interdicted in The Bahamas and repatriated.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, June 13, 2016, PAGE 3
Shot dead at the ATM from page one
When this newspaper arrived at the scene, scores of onlookers gathered in the parking lot of an establishment directly across from the bank. Police could be seen putting a black body bag into a vehicle to be taken to the morgue. Hours before the suspect’s arrest, police issued two images taken from video surveillance footage yesterday, which showed the alleged shooter and a silver coloured vehicle believed to be the gunman’s getaway car. The image released by police showed a darkskinned man wearing a white t-shirt, dark coloured hoodie and a cap. “We are trying to de-
termine exactly what happened,” ACP Dean said yesterday at the scene of the murder. “We don’t have a motive, (but) we suspect that it might be robbery at this initial outlook. However, police are appealing to members of the public who might have been canvassing the area, who might have seen anything in this area, to please contact the police. “We must bring justice to the family of this male. We know he is an adult male. “We are appealing to persons who might be responsible out there that the police will hunt you down. We are asking you at this moment to turn yourself in before the police come to arrest you. You have an opportunity to turn yourself in.” He continued: “Our de-
POLICE speaking to reporters at the scene.
tectives are in the preliminary phases of this investigation to determine exactly what happened so we are on the ground canvassing. We are talking to businesses (and) we are talking to residences. We are really doing an area sweep to determine if we can garner any information and we have launched an island wide manhunt for persons who we suspect it might be.” ACP Dean made further appeal to persons making deposits or transactions at banks to take the proper precautions to ensure their safety. “The days of just coming to an ATM machine casually late at night (or) early in the morning by yourself
(are gone). We must take security precautions. “We have seen the trend of persons who are depositing money to the bank for places (like) churches (or) wherever. They are doing it alone. We are asking you to get security on board. There are numerous private securities throughout The Bahamas who can assist you. “We are asking you to speak with your divisional commanders (in various communities) to seek advice (on) how best you can make your deposits.” Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.
FATHER ONE OF TWO VICTIMS IN DEADLY FOX HILL SHOOTING from page one
Last night, police said they had a person of interest in custody. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Stephen Dean said police did not have a motive for the shooting. “Shortly after nine, police was summoned to this area
as a result of gunshots being heard,” ACP Dean said last night. “Upon arrival, police found the lifeless bodies of two males who were shot. Police do not have a motive for this incident as yet. We are actively investigating this matter. “Our detectives are on the ground but we put out a public appeal to anyone who
might have been canvassing this area, moving through this area, who might have seen or have heard (something), no matter how insignificant it may seem, we’re asking you to contact the police. We must be able to bring these persons to justice. We must be able to catch these killers. This is another senseless murder. We believe we
have the capability of solving the murders but we cannot do it without the public’s help. We do have a person of interest in custody who we are questioning in connection with this matter.” Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact police at 919, 911, or the Crime Stoppers hotline at 328-TIPS.
shortly before 2am Saturday, a man was walking in the area of Hay and East Streets, when a man armed with a handgun approached and robbed him of cash and a gold chain before fleeing on foot. Then shortly after 9am, a woman was attempting to make a deposit at a bank on Shirley Street, when a man armed with a handgun approached her and robbed her of a deposit bag containing cash. The man then fled the scene in a Honda CRV vehicle license number 216616, police said. Hours later, shortly after 4pm Saturday, a man was sitting in his taxi at a location off Yamacraw Hill Road, when two men armed with handguns approached and robbed him of cash before fleeing in a grey Nissan vehicle.
Then shortly after 7.30pm, two men armed with handguns robbed a convenience store located on Malcolm Road of a small amount of cash before fleeing on foot. Then around 10pm, a woman was in front of her home located on Hospital Lane, when three men armed with handguns approached and robbed her of her blue 2007 Suzuki Liana car, license plate number 188743, before speeding off. In the final incident, shortly after 10pm Saturday, a woman was sitting in her 1996 Toyota Corolla, license plate number 131210, in front of a home located on Bellot Road, when three men in a white Nissan car armed with handguns approached her and robbed her of her vehicle before
speeding off. Investigations are continuing.
TEN ARMED ROBBERIES IN A SINGLE WEEKEND from page one
In the first incident, shortly after 9am on Friday, a woman was walking on Pigeon Plumb Street, when a man armed with a handgun approached and stole her cell phone and handbag before fleeing on foot. In the second incident, shortly after 2pm that same day, a man was driving his public service bus on Lazaretto Road, when two male passengers, armed with handguns, robbed him and three passengers of cash and a cell phone before fleeing on foot. In the third incident, just nine hours later at 11pm, two women were about to enter their home located at Passion Drive, when a man armed with a handgun approached them and robbed them of their handbags and cell phones before fleeing on foot. Then shortly after midnight on Saturday, a man was about to enter his home located on Bethel Avenue, when a man armed with a handgun approached and robbed him of cash and a watch before fleeing on foot. A short while later,
WOMAN KIDNAPPED AND SEXUALLY ASSAULTED IN HER CAR BY GUNMAN from page one
The victim was sitting in her car with a male friend in front of a home on Cowpen Road when a gunman approached and forced the man out of the vehicle. Police said the gunman made the woman drive to an undisclosed bushy area off Carmichael Road, where he sexually assaulted her. Afterwards, the gunman ordered the woman to drive him to another area off Carmichael Road, where he got out of the vehicle and fled on foot, police were told. Investigations are continuing.
THE CRIME scene at the Scotiabank branch yesterday.
PAGE 4, XXDAY, XX MONTH, 2015
THE TRIBUNE
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Is Bradley Roberts conveniently losing his memory? AFTER reading PLP chairman Bradley Roberts’ rant on Friday criticising FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis for “flipflopping” in his support for the recently failed Constitutional Referendum there are those who are wondering whether the old political battle axe is starting to slip. According to Mr Roberts, Dr Minnis, “having voted for the four bills in parliament, changed his mind mid-stream and voted against the bills on referendum day”. According to Dr Minnis, he did not vote against the bills, but having voted, he declined to tell the press how he voted. How Dr Minnis voted is not the issue. However, for Bradley Roberts to make it an issue is astounding in view of history and the behaviour of the PLP when in opposition. Does Mr Roberts not recall a similar referendum that would have given Bahamian women and their children equal standing as their husbands and fathers under the law and the role that his party played in defeating it? Has Bradley Roberts’ memory suddenly gone blank? Doesn’t he recall the February 27, 2002, referendum when the Christie government, then in Opposition, voted in the House of Assembly on Monday, January 7, 2002, to throw its full support behind the same issue sponsored by the then FNM government. However, by February 1, when Mr Christie should have been out on the hustings ostensibly to recommend that the public support the referendum, he suddenly announced that the PLP had had a change of heart. The date for the referendum — had not yet been set — when Opposition Leader Christie announced at a town meeting on constitutional reform that the PLP had withdrawn its support. “I, therefore, call upon the prime minister to pull back and cancel or postpone the plans for the referendum. It should be left to the next government of The Bahamas to do it the right way,” The Tribune reported on February 1, 2002. The gauntlet had been thrown into the ring – it was no longer a bipartisan vote to make all Bahamians equal under the law — it was the opening of the 2002 election campaign. Opened by no other than now Prime Minister Christie who saw and snatched the opportunity to fight an election rather than a referendum. There are those commentators today who still – wanting to blame the fiasco on the FNM — maintain that it was then Prime Minister Ingraham who made the referendum political when he said: “Whoever wins Wednesday’s referendum will no doubt become the next government of The Bahamas.” Mr Ingraham had made this statement in Freeport on Friday, February 4, 2002 – about a week before the referendum. In fact, it was Mr Christie who was the one who at the end of January had declared the election. It was the very manner in which the 2002 referendum was manoeuvred by the PLP in 2002 that contributed to the confusion that cost them last week’s referendum. The buzz word was: In 2002 they told us to vote “no” to the same question. This year they have told us to vote “yes.” What do they think we are - fools?” Maybe Mr Roberts would like to get his memory in gear and answer their question. The following is a part of the editorial that we wrote in this column on February 28, 2002, a day after the first referendum had been defeated. Headed: “The people have spoken, but were they duped?” – it could have been written about last week’s defeat. It started: “The people have spoken. Yesterday voters overwhelmingly rejected five proposed amendments to the Constitution in
the country’s first referendum. “It is often claimed that the ‘voice of the people is the voice of God,’ but yesterday’s ‘no’ vote was anything but the voice of God it was the voice of a people filled with fear, bedevilled by ignorance and grounded in prejudice. “‘Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear,” said Bertrand Russell. “It was this ‘great fear’ that opposition forces fine-tuned and played on in the various communities. “The proposal to give the Bahamian woman the same rights as their menfolk was soundly defeated by Bahamian voters. “We are not surprised. Listening to the various talk-shows one is left with the distinct impression that there are many men – too many for comfort – who sincerely believe that man, no matter how ignorant or foolish, was created to rule over women. In their minds women are still their chattel and playthings. “An Eleuthera resident telephoned when the returns were coming in — at a point when it was clear that all five referendum amendments had been lost. He was distraught. Distraught at the level of ignorance of his people. “‘The people,’ complained the caller, ‘don’t read, they don’t travel, they are not exposed to ideas. The extent of their wanderings are to Miami and Opa-Locka’s Flea Market. If they take a cruise, all they do is eat and drink.’ “He said that in Eleuthera the PLP spread the rumour that if women were given equal rights with men, they would marry Haitians and Jamaicans and take over the country. They were content that Bahamian men could marry foreign women, but Bahamian women marrying foreign men, and their husbands being given the same rights as the foreign wives of Bahamian men – well that was just too much castor oil for one day. “Surprisingly enough, many women, felt the same way. They voted against themselves. “The caller said that in various polling divisions in north Eleuthera, many confused and frightened FNMs, rather than voting ‘no’, did not vote at all. “‘One woman told me,’ he said, ‘that she agreed with all of the questions on the referendum, and wanted to vote ‘yes’, but her party told her to vote no.’ She was PLP. “She was too ill-informed to know that she was being given the opportunity to vote for her own betterment, and that betterment had nothing to do with her party. She did not understand that a referendum was not an election. The first referendum question was to give her a vote for herself, not her party’s candidate. “These PLP politicians who voted ‘yes’ in parliament on the referendum amendments to make themselves look good when history is written, had advised their supporters to vote ‘no.’ The people did their dirty work for them. And it is the people who will look backward and foolish when history is written… “The PLP has always talked the right talk when it has come to women’s rights, but their record of implementation has been almost non-existent. During their 25 years in power their behaviour against many women and their families was cruel. Their decisions demonstrated that the sanctity and unity of the home meant nothing to them…“ And so the 2002 editorial continued. However, little has changed in the past 14 years and so as time moves on an opportunity has been lost.
Prime Minister of convenience? EDITOR, The Tribune. RESULTS of Referendum – is Prime Minister Christie the Prime Minister or only the PM when it suits him to be? It was HIS Government that proposed the Amendments to the Constitution and it was HIS Government that failed - under the Westminster system he failed and he should have resigned on Wednesday morning.
What foolishness, my name was not on the ballot! Goings on around Tuesday’s exercise – I thought you had to be resident in the country to vote for sixmonths – on News at least a person was able to vote who lives outside for a long time. Chairman of PLP concedes that the NO vote won out at 8pm when the Registrar could not tell us even today the full results. How on earth did the Chairman of the
PLP get access – surely that is seriously in breach of the Parliamentary Election Act? 42 per cent might have voted in total – a failure of the PLP, the FNM and others to get the vote out. To my knowledge The Constitution is all of us! Really no one cared that’s really worrisome. W THOMPSON Nassau, June 9, 2016.
Decision time for the FNM EDITOR, The Tribune. MUCH has been said about the leadership struggles within the FNM. On one hand you have a man that was handed the reigns after just being introduced to frontline politics five years prior, and on the other you have a collection of experienced men and a woman who despite their best efforts seem to lose their voice amidst the noise from the core support of the leader. This same party core has done everything they can to portray the Doc as a man of the people, a leader that will defend the common man. They repeat it ad nauseum, and they take every opportunity to post on social media any shred of evidence that this man just may care about “the little man”. So I find it curious that following a number of recent social events, the good doc seems only concerned with his party core rather than the people of The Bahamas. It’s as if his only focus is on those he has either
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net promised something to, or those hoping for a crumb to drop from his table. I observe that just last weekend, the doc with his team clad in red travelled to Andros in style, and spent their time by themselves. On the other hand, Loretta, Theo, and Richard went up on a crowded ferry and took the time to greet people, sit and hear them out, and continued this at the crab fest site. An even more encouraging image was the photo op between this group of staunch FNMs embracing the DNA delegation. It is this kind of unity that the country is crying out for. With a long history of “all for me baby” mentality the PLP is famous for only taking care of whom they deem worthy. I shudder to think of the FNM adopting this myopic ideal. The FNM has a rich history of inclusion and empowerment. The
good doc would do well to remember or at the very least learn from his advisors that the FNM is more than a few council members. The Bahamian people expect and deserve better than a man roving the country with his geriatric elites only focused on partying and cutting deals. The country deserves a leader that can not only speak with them, but can speak well on their behalf in order to secure the bright future that we all long for. A convention is coming, but an even bigger fight will follow in the form of a general election. The FNM must decide if they will run a leader that is only concerned with his yes men, or a leadership team that has the strength to overthrow the PLP, and the willingness to work with all Bahamians no matter their background or social status to make this country great again. SON OF YUMA Nassau, June 12, 2016.
The reason for the fight in the FNM EDITOR, The Tribune. LET me say at the beginning I am a supporter of the FNM. Truly I am disgusted at the continuous quarrel over the leadership position in the party. What I cannot understand is how the very same set of people who have been fighting Dr Minnis for his position have been rejected by the people more than once in convention. What these people fail to understand is even if they by some trickery wrestle the leadership of the party away from Dr Minnis, the people are those who will have the last say. For those unsuspecting Bahamians who do not know, this fight for the leadership of the party has nothing to do with Dr Minnis being a poor leader. This rogue group do not want Dr Minnis to be the leader going into an election because if he wins, that means he will
be Prime Minister and certain elements cannot stand that thought, they only see themselves in that position. If these persons feel that the leader is not performing as he should, what happens to common sense discussion when they get in leadership meetings; instead of nit picking, why not all of them pledge their support for the leader and say, Mr Leader, we support you, but we would like for you to work on this or that, and build the man rather than pulling him down. I am more than convinced that this is not about the man not being a good leader, but some persons with money trying to buy party leadership. I see Dr Minnis as a sober, clear thinking honest man, but some of those around him begrudge him and will do everything to bring him down, even if it means causing the FNM
the election. “Jealousy is a deadly poison”. I am even surprised that the most recent senator, if my information is correct while reaching out one hand to receive his appointment has a dagger in the other at the back of the leader. I wish to say to the six parliamentary members while you are fighting to get rid of the leader, the people are planning to get rid of you all. For God sake understand that in a duly called convention the leader was elected by an overwhelming majority. He did not undermine his way to the top, and those who try to get to the top by such means, remember Jesus said to Peter: “He that live by the sword shall die by the sword.” OSWALD DELEVEAUX Nassau, June, 2016. • More letters on pages 8-9
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, June 13, 2016, PAGE 5
DRIVER KILLED AS CAR CRASHES INTO POLE A MAN died in hospital in Freeport on Friday just days after his car crashed into a utility pole in Grand Bahama. Police said the man, identified as Baretta S Bootle of
THE BAHAMAS culinary team on their return last night: Front row: Team Captain Ron Johnson, Team Mixologist and Co-Captain Marv Cunningham, Co-Captain Sheldon Tracey Sweeting and Richmond Fowler II. Back row: Carlton Francis, Vice President of the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association Suzanne Pattusch, Apprentice Marvon Thurston, Shelby Coleby, Apprentice Savannah Adderley, BHTA President Stuart Bowe, Chef Charon McKenzie, Chef Jamal Small, Marketing Manager of Cable Bahamas Melissa Baker, and Leonardis Moss. Photo: Kemuel Stubbs/BIS
CULINARY TEAM STRIKES GOLD THE BAHAMAS culinary team returned home last night after a successful Taste of the Caribbean competition in Miami. While the team were not able to defend the title they won last year - Trinidad and Tobago taking the honours - three individual
members claimed gold awards, two won silver and two bronze. Team Mixologist and Co-Captain Marv Cunningham won Bartender of the Year; Co-Captain Sheldon Tracey Sweeting received gold in Chef of the Year and Richmond Fowl-
er II won Seafood chef of the year. Chef Charon McKenzie (beef) and Leonardis Moss (Junior Chef of the Year) were awarded silvers and Shelby Coleby, in Pastry Chef of the Year, and Chef Jamal Small, in cheesecake, took bronzes.
STABBING VICTIM IN HOSPITAL
POLICE in Abaco are investigating a stabbing incident that has left a man in hospital. According to police, shortly before 1am on Saturday a man reported that while at a nightclub on Don McKay Boulevard, he was stabbed several times in his body by a man whom he knew. He was taken to the Marsh Harbour Clinic and was seen by a doctor who listed his injuries as serious. The victim was flown to New Providence for further medical assistance. Investigations continue.
Fathers, take special care of your sons and daughters, and as they grow, they too will become fathers and mothers, and will emulate your footsteps...Ensure your steps are correct.
Happy Father’s Day ~Betty Taylor ~ Original Author
Eight Mile Rock, hit a concrete utility pole in the centre median of East Sunrise Highway near Sergeant Major Road shortly after 10pm on Tuesday. Bootle, 38, had to be tak-
en from his silver coloured Nissan Sentra by the Jaws of Life. EMS personnel took him to the Rand Memorial Hospital where he was listed in critical condition.
PAGE 6 , Monday, June 13, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
Radio stations fear closures under URCA changes from page one
proposal to impose standardised channel spacing between FM broadcast frequencies would create “hardship” in the industry. This would force radio stations “to make a decision to either violate those regulations until they are forced to shut down or just shut down voluntarily, because it’s not economically viable for many of us as it is right now,” an insider told The Tribune. Additionally, industry sources suggested that URCA’s “unilateral” proposal will “open a can of worms as far as litigation is concerned”, with some predicting numerous applications for injunctions to be made in an effort to prevent URCA from “forcing” them to change their frequencies. The Tribune Media Group (TMG), the parent company of this newspaper and five FM radio stations - 100 Jamz, KISS FM, Joy FM, Y98.7 FM and Classical FM - is prepared to seek
RADIO HOUSE, headquarters of the Tribune Media Group’s radio stations on Shirley Street. Plans by URCA to standardise FM radio broadcasting in The Bahamas could lead to stations having to change their long-standing and known brand frequencies. judicial review of URCA’s proposals. URCA, in a consultation document entitled “Technical standards framework for FM radio broadcasting”, outlines its intent to reduce “undesirable interference” in FM radio broadcasting by standardising the channel spacing of frequencies in the frequency modulation band, which URCA admits would likely result
in a “migration of certain FM radio broadcast stations from the existing frequency from which they now broadcast/transmit.” This could have damaging effects on radio stations, industry insiders said, particularly those whose broadcasting frequency is fundamental to their respective branding and/or marketing endeavours, as is likely the case with well-known sta-
tions like 100 Jamz, More 94 FM and Love 97. URCA has admitted in its document to assigning frequencies to some 37 FM radio broadcast stations between September 2009 and May 2013. There were only 10 FM stations in operation prior to URCA becoming the licensing authority and regulator for the FM radio broadcast market. “(URCA was) handing out all these licences, but now we must pay to correct it,” one industry member told The Tribune. “It’s unfair. This is a problem that they created because they had the power to grant or deny any licence application. They should have done this before they issued any licences. Then you would come into the game knowing what it was that you’re faced with. “What was their rush to get all these stations on the air without making sure that the framework was in place from the beginning to manage it? They mismanaged that process, and now it’s going to cost us.” According to URCA, the FM band for The Bahamas
lies between 88 MHz and 108 MHz, which it says is broadly consistent with the band utilised by other countries. The Bahamas has nonstandardised spacing in the FM band ranging from 400 KHz to 1400 KHz. As an illustration, the channel spacing that currently exists between 93.9 FM and 94.9 FM is 1000 KHz. The channel spacing between 94.9 FM and the next station, 96.1 (KISS FM), is 1200 KHz, according to URCA. However, the regulator is proposing that there should be a standardised channel spacing of 600 KHz “for islands in The Bahamas that are greater than 17 miles wide,” and a channel spacing of 800 KHz for islands less than 17 miles wide. URCA, in its document, seeks to validate the proposal by arguing that the channel spacing of the frequencies in The Bahamas’ FM band has developed “in what can be described as an ad hoc manner”. URCA says this was due in large measure to the “absence of established technical standards” for FM radio broadcasting specific to the Bahamas at the time when it was given responsibility for the FM broadcasting industry, but was required to issue radio frequencies to FM radio broadcasters. The regulator says the standards are necessary for New Providence-based stations because it would also “further the electronic communications policy objective to ensure optimal use of radio spectrum”. TMG, which has submitted a written response to URCA, said the proposed standards and URCA’s “past actions in proliferating licences” fail to address the “proprietary rights of our broadcast frequencies and the millions that have been invested in the branding, goodwill and imaging of those frequencies”. “Standardising future channel spacings may make sense,” TMG’s response said. “A retroactive reshuffling of stations to accommodate retroactive channel spacings does not make sense and fails to recognise a broadcaster’s established real property right in relation to its frequency. “Stations develop millions of dollars on branding, goodwill and marketing instilled upon listeners the various benefits of going to a particular place on the dial. Listeners know where to go for music, news, severe weather reports and emergency communications. Moving existing (legacy) stations could cost lives in an emergency when seconds count.”
TMG suggested that the best way to deal with undesirable interference would be to deal with “insolvent” stations and “those that have been unable to pay broadcast fees, National Insurance payments and/or any other appropriate taxes, requirements and fees,” the likes of which it said should have been “removed from the airwaves years ago”. “Many of the proposed changes contravene Bahamian broadcast law and the objectives set forth in the Communications Act and are detrimental to the interests of the Bahamian people,” TMG added. “Implementation of the proposed standards will drastically reduce station reach and the quality of signal for the consumer, and carve the Bahamian listening market into very small, economically unsustainable ‘mini’ signals. “The result will be that many licensees will go out of business, the quality of services to the public will deteriorate and there will be little sustainable competition.” An industry member told The Tribune that URCA’s proposed standards would likely force FM broadcast stations to take legal action to protect their investments. “I’m not a lawyer but I can see applications for injunctions to prevent URCA from forcing me to change my frequency,” the industry member said. “As a regulator they have certain powers and we accept that. We know we need regulations and we need control in the industry, but how far should that go?” URCA intends to issue a statement of results and final decision to the referenced consultation document within 30 days following the end of the consultation period “unless extenuating circumstances dictate otherwise”. The final decision, URCA said, will be to notify FM radio broadcast licensees of and specify the regulatory and other measures, in the form of technical standards, required to be complied with “consequential to this consultation process”. “Existing FM radio broadcast licensees will thereafter be expected to become fully compliant with the technical standards,” the regulator said in its document. “URCA proposes that all FM radio broadcast licensees in The Bahamas become compliant with the technical standards no later than 90 calendar days from the date of publication of the final decision.”
MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2016 PAGE 3
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
SUPPORTERS of the PHTK presidential candidate Jovenel Moise strike zombie poses during a protest march demanding the resignation of interim President Jocelerme Privert in Port-auPrince, Haiti, on Tuesday, June 7, 2016.
Let the voices of the Haitian people be heard ‘I
NTERNATIONAL interests in Haiti, in addition to checking off an ‘elections done’ box, are largely defined by controlling emigration, maintaining stability and managing poverty. The latter is approached either through the creation of low wage factory jobs or by channelling toward Haiti vast sums of international aid most of which are captured by national or international elites, with next to nothing “trickling down” to those who really need it. As a result, the root causes of poverty are not being addressed, and inequality continues to plague Haiti’s citizens as lives once full of promise are wasted.” That is the observation of long-time analyst of Haitian affairs, Dr Robert Maguire, Professor of International Development Studies at George Washington University in the United States. This statement by a respected and neutral US academic is important amid the dissonance that has emerged in the last few weeks from certain governments concerning the holding of presidential and other elections in Haiti. Of special significance is Professor Maguire’s remark about “checking off an ‘elections done’ box”. Haiti’s elections process has always been deficient. Shortcomings and fraud have underlined the imperative of reforming the system so that it truly reflects the will of the electorate. Election observer missions, largely sent by countries that have meddled in Haitian affairs, more in their own interest than in Haiti’s, have repeatedly stamped approval on elections with the objective of merely “checking the box”. They have failed to look beyond lines of voters at voting stations on polling day. But elections are not determined only by incidents at the time of voting; grave irregularities and fraud occur at many stages in the process and they have fatal consequences on the result. The entire electoral system requires fixing or no election will ever command the widespread approval that is necessary to imbue confidence in those that are elected. That, essentially, is the problem that Haiti faces now. And those who are in a hurry to hold the elections on the basis of the firstround (held on October 25, 2015) which were found to be fatally flawed may check the “elections box”, but they do neither Haiti nor themselves any good if that is all they do. If the current elections’ process were to proceed despite the widespread rejection of the firstround results, Haiti will continue to be unstable and unsettled. And that is good for no one. In regretting the decision of the Haiti Provisional Electoral Commission to
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scrap the first-round elections and re-do them, the US State Department, through its spokesman, Mark Toner, said that “the Haitian people deserved to have their voices heard, not deferred”. However, the majority of stakeholders in Haiti, particularly the Elections Verification Commission (Cieve), do not believe that the Haitian people’s voices were heard. In the audit of 25 per cent of almost 13,000 tally sheets from polling stations, it was found that there were 628,000 untraceable or “Zombie” votes among other major irregularities. These are realities that should not be ignored, particularly by countries that base their foreign policies, in part, on principles of democracy, rights and the rule of law. In this regard, the government of Canada was right to withdraw a request made to the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) on June 6, for discussion of a proposed declaration on “The Electoral Process in Haiti”. The proposed declaration did not take account of the findings of Cieve, and it did not await the anticipated announcement, on the same day, by the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) on the roll-out of a time-table for fresh elections.
Detractors of fresh elections have been anxious to point out many players have a dark past.’
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s it turned out, the CEP set out clear timetables for elections for the President, the remaining representatives for the National Assembly and municipal elections. There was no effort to renege on that obligation or to obscure it. The OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro, rightly welcomed the publication of the Haitian electoral calendar set for Presidential elections on October 9, 2016, and January 8, 2017. Importantly, he recognised the process “as an inclusive effort by all political parties, institutions and civil society in Haiti to overcome the political impasse”. He also made it clear that “it is essential for Haiti to return to elected governance”. The restaging of the elections “would further strengthen the democratic process and allow Haitians to elect officials, including the President”. In this context, he pledged that the Secretariat “will continue to play a positive role in the electoral process”. The Secretary-General’s commitment to keep the OAS Secretariat engaged in the electoral process is important. The elections will cost tens of millions of dollars. While the government of Haiti can pay some of it, funds and technical assistance will have to come from donor countries. The OAS has the capacity to convene meetings with the United Nations and other organisations to raise the necessary money for the conduct of elections that can be accepted by the ma-
jority of Haitians as genuinely free and fair. There is a further and immediate problem. The February 5 agreement, which I witnessed as head of a Special OAS Mission of very capable people, settled the immediate constitutional and political impasse and arguably saved Haiti from the consequences of incalculable civil strife. That agreement set June 14 as an end date for an interim President, elected by the National Assembly. The expiry date is imminent and the National Assembly must make a decision by then to either extend the term of the interim President Jocelerme Privert and his appointed government or elect a new regime. The negotiations between the stakeholders in the Assembly have been on-going; they are unlikely to be settled until the last minute. There are no pure angels in all this. As detractors of fresh elections have been anxious to point out many players have a dark past. But whatever the settlement is, it is vital that it should be an arrangement reached by Haitians and not imposed or coerced by outsiders with a vested interest. What the international community should do is insist that recommendations of previous Elections Observer Missions be implemented as a strict condition of financial support for the electoral process, and that observation should be staged on a continuous basis and not only in the days running up to the elections. Give the people of Haiti a
real chance to be heard. Sir Ronald Sanders is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organisation of American States. The views expressed are his own. Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com.
World View
By SIR RONALD SANDERS
PAGE 4 MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2016
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
The resurgence of national extremism in Europe A tidal wave of refugees and prolonged economic stagnation are fuelling discontent and identity crises in countries across Europe, Peter Young says
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MIDST the current fierce controversy surrounding Britain’s future in Europe, the rise of nationalism on the continent seems so far to have escaped serious public and media scrutiny. While NATO is responsible overall for the defence of Europe, claims that the European Union (EU) continues to maintain peace amongst its 28 member states within the bloc are now looking increasingly hollow as existing divisions and conflict grow. Terrorism and moves towards closer integration are causing concern. But the two main issues, together with a wave of anti-establishment populism, seem to be the refugee crisis and economic stagnation and uncertainty arising mainly from a faltering eurozone. These have aroused alienation, xenophobia, fear and distrust amongst individual EU countries, leading to widespread discontent and a resurgence of nationalism involving mostly far-right extremism. The consequent disarray has become sufficiently serious for seasoned and respected commentators now to suggest that the EU has become ‘a union of discontent’, to such an extent that the whole project could unravel, and that this will become more likely if Britain decides in its referendum later this month to leave. Even the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, has now stated publicly that the dream of a one-Europe enshrined in the treaties of Maastricht and Lisbon has become an illusion. The worsening migrant situation involving the mass movement of people in an
upheaval which threatens to swamp Europe has resulted in growing pressure from public opinion to return to the security of national borders in place of the Schengen agreement, which allows passport-free travel among its signatory states. In the face of increasing social tensions and unrest, the reaction of EU countries to the migrant crisis has varied from Germany’s open-door policy to Middle East refugees to a tough anti-immigrant stance by countries like Hungary, Poland, Austria, the Czech POLICE forces push back demonstrators during a rally of the group Austrian protesters against migrants in Vienna, Austria, on SaturRepublic, Croatia and Slo- day. Photo: Ronald Zak/AP vakia, some of which have erected border fences; and, entry, will struggle to cope ship of so-called accession difficulties, Greece’s in- the peace between the train defence of what they see with overwhelming flows countries like Albania, Ser- debtedness, in particular, ditional antagonists France as their national interest, of new migrants, some of bia, Macedonia, Montene- has required bailouts from and Germany, but its stubthey have rejected the im- whom are genuine refugees gro and, most of all, Turkey, the European Central Bank born and unyielding insistposition by Brussels of refu- escaping conflict in their whose citizens are soon to and the imposition of aus- ence on transforming the own lands have visa-free travel to the terity measures. But, with organisation from a free gee quotas. a serious economic down- trade area into a political while others bloc. The European German As for the economy, the turn, there is now opposi- and economic union has are simply leaders reUnion has looking for French finance minister has tion from within the EU helped to precipitate a regard acsucceeded in a better life said that Europe is experi- to its propping up Greece surgence of the nationalism ceptance of encing the most prolonged financially and, more gen- which it was designed to elsewhere. refugees as its original aim Linked to period of stagnation and erally, to the prospect of the prevent. an obligation of keeping the this is the instability (made worse northern nations continuing The European Council in upholdissue of free by sanctions against Rus- to provide fiscal transfers to president has conceded that ing Euro- peace between the sia, its third largest trading the south even though these eurocrats obsessed with the pean values, traditional antagonists movement people partner, over Crimea and are conditional on impos- goal of a European superwhile for- France and Germany, of within the Ukraine), as well as politi- ing more control over the state ignore the fact that the mer Soviet EU, which is cal unrest, since the end of national budgets of the re- ordinary people of Europe bloc nations but its stubborn and cipient countries. do not share their enthusiplace greater unyielding insistence causing diffi- the Second World War. The level of public dis- asm and have little appetite culty for the emphasis on transforming the rich northhere is a growing content and the demand for for further integration at on protectrealisation that change is clearly growing. the political level. ern nations ing the way organisation from the eurozone is Perhaps the most striking like Britain The evidence suggests of life and a free trade area whose gen- a flawed concept because example of political up- that, to many people, the nanewly-won into a political and erous wel- of the disparities between heaval has been in Austria, tion states with their varied rights and fare system its members’ economies, where the far-right Free- history, culture, traditions, freedoms of economic union has their own helped to precipitate is a magnet which cannot operate with dom Party came within a customs, languages and way for those the same interest and ex- hair’s-breadth of winning of life remain sacrosanct citizens. from the change rates. The only the recent presidential elec- and should retain control This tidal a resurgence of the hope for its survival is to tion. In France, too, where over their own affairs (not relatively wave of mi- nationalism which poorer south impose more centralisation riots against reforms to least at the present time in gration to it was designed to as well as with some sort of fiscal and rigid labour laws are caus- relation to immigration) Europe from for new mi- banking union and further ing havoc, the anti-EU and including responsibility for the Middle prevent.’ National their own laws and justice grants who restrictions on the econom- anti-immigrant East and North Africa will surely succeed in entering an EU ic independence of its mem- Front has steadily become systems. a real political force in what Nonetheless, Europe as continue as a result of the country and gaining the ber states. While Spain, Portugal has been described as a bat- a geographical entity returbulence and destabilisa- right to stay. This situation tion there - and Italy and will be exacerbated by the and, to a lesser extent, Italy, tle between the ‘sovereign- quires unity and co-operation among its many nations Greece, as the first points of admission to EU member- have experienced economic tists and globalists’. There is a rise in nation- for the benefit of all, and alist and anti-immigration this is already happening. sentiment in Germany, The scope is enormous: free with a far-right party surg- trade in a customs union ing in the polls, and similar and single market in goods trends in Sweden, Den- and services, co-operation mark and the Netherlands in areas like security and - where an anti-Islam and crime, the environment and anti-immigration party is scientific research together thriving - while in Spain with cultural, educational, the left-wing Podemos technological, medical and party has ended traditional sporting exchanges. party politics and Greece In the view of many, howhas had a far-left govern- ever, such co-operation ment since 2015. does not require full-scale All this has changed the political union and the abpolitical landscape of Eu- sorption of individual narope. Confidence in the EU tions into an EU federal amongst the general public state. If it is sufficiently in its member states is wan- wide-ranging, it should ing, though the poorer Bal- unite countries and ensure tic and southern ones value a substantial measure of membership as a bulwark interdependence at many against Russian expansion- levels so as to minimise or ism and as a route to EU prevent the sort of internafunding. tional conflict which the EU The response of the EU was designed to pre-empt. Commission to opposition The rise of nationalism or setbacks in relation to looks to be unstoppable the EU’s progress towards if the EU continues on its ever-increasing union is in- existing path, but Donald variably ‘more and more Tusk has suggested a reEurope’ with excessive in- think and a new debate terference and regulation about its future developfrom Brussels. However, ment. He may yet go down some now say that enforc- in history as the man who ing integration and com- prevented its collapse. mon policies across a continent through a centralised • Peter Young is a retired bureaucracy will no longer British diplomat living in work. Nassau. From 1996 to 2000 The EU has succeeded in he was British High Comits original aim of keeping missioner to The Bahamas.
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THE TRIBUNE
Monday, June 13, 2016, PAGE 7
COMMISSIONER DEFENDS REFERENDUM RESULTS
from page one
However, when asked if his department needed more funding and resources to ensure a smooth process for the impending general election, he responded: “All government departments need extra resources, including ourselves.” He also said: “In 2002, the (constitutional) referendum was held on February 27 and the official result was published on March 4. It took five days to publish those results. With this equality referendum, we took three days to publish. “We did not do a poor job. We got them out in time. The schedule does not give a specific timeframe and the regulations say as soon as is practical. I am not supposed to publish an analysis of the results. My
job is to give the numbers of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ votes.” The department has been heavily criticised since last week. Last Thursday, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage, who has responsibility for elections, was unemotional in the face of the outrage Bahamians have expressed over the department’s confusing and delayed process in announcing results of Tuesday’s referendum. “I don’t know what went wrong or if anything went wrong,” he told reporters at the House of Assembly. Dr Nottage said the number of questions on the ballot, coupled with issues like scattered power outages, contributed to the delay in the release of results. He said last week: “What I know is this, the four questions were on each ballot and each ballot therefore
PARLIAMENTARY Commissioner Sherlyn Hall had to be examined. The examination takes a lot longer because you had to count “yes” and “no” for each of the questions. And so this is one of the things that served the process bad. Secondly, I understand that there were some power outages that affected the process of getting the results from some areas. That’s it. I don’t think there was any particular motive.” A day after the referendum, the results from some polling stations still had not
BILL 1
BILL 2
BILL 3
BILL 4
YES VOTES 32,249 38.72%
YES VOTES 24,148 28.68%
YES VOTES 28,341 34.05%
YES VOTES 17,919 21.43%
NO VOTES 51,022 62.37%
NO VOTES 59,714 71.63%
NO VOTES 54,891 65.95%
NO VOTES 65,696 78.57%
83,271 VOTES TOTAL
83,862 VOTES TOTAL
83,232 VOTES TOTAL
83,615 VOTES TOTAL
been released. And on Tuesday night, the Parliamentary Registration Department released results for only six of 38 constituencies. Additionally, Mr Hall decided not to release polling division results as they came in, instead opting to wait for all the votes from an entire constituency before issuing them. However, Dr Nottage said the integrity of the process should not be called into question. But he said that he disagreed with Mr
Hall’s decision to withhold results until results from all divisions in particular constituencies were received. On Tuesday night amid chaotic scenes, the department was blaming electrical failures, technical issues and procedural breaches for its inability to report totals for polling stations throughout the country. “Basically, our fax (machines) are down because the (media) had to do some gymnastics with cabling, so
whatever mechanism that I think you all did, (polling stations) had a difficulty communicating by fax to us. So most of the results were telephoned, by cell, etc,” Mr Hall said last Tuesday. According to Mr Hall, a power outage limited reports from the Montagu constituency. The department released the full results on Thursday, however the data did not indicate the number of spoiled ballots or what the overall voter turnout was.
Bishop hails rejection of LGBT ‘plans and schemes’ By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net BISHOP Walter Hanchell has commended Bahamians for their rejection of the four Constitutional Amendment Bills, charging that their “no” vote effectively opposed the “plans and schemes” to “bring The Bahamas in line with other nations as it relates to LGBT rights.” Bishop Hanchell, chairman of the group Citizens for Justice (CFJ), in a statement on Friday said the gender equality referendum failed because Bahamians are “intelligent, alert, informed” to know “exactly what is happening around the globe with regards to the
gay agenda and United Nations conventions on human rights and gender equality”. He said the referendum on gender equality was essentially the government’s submission to “the dictates of the United Nations in their demands to have our Constitution amended to accommodate their conventions.” Bishop Hanchell also said the Christie administration, as well as members and supporters of the YES Bahamas campaign should “apologise” to the Bahamian people. Bill four, the most controversial of the four Constitutional Amendment Bills, was rejected by the largest percentage of voters in last Tuesday’s referendum. Bills one, two and three, which
dealt with issues of citizenship, were also overwhelmingly rejected. In the results that were initially released, the no vote more than doubled the yes vote across all four questions in most cases. “We commend persons from throughout the nation who realised that we are in a spiritual battle and opposed the plans and schemes to bring the Bahamas in line with other nations as it relates to LGBT rights,” Bishop Hanchell said in his statement. “As stated before and confirmed, the referendum was clearly about the Bahamas government submitting to that dictates of the United Nations in their demands to have our Constitution
amended to accommodate their conventions. “We believe that the main focus of the government was the passage of bill four. The other three bills were not retroactive and would not benefit persons already affected with citizenship concerns. Each of the bills was flawed.” Bishop Hanchell also said in light of Tuesday’s failed referendum, future administrations should conduct an opinion poll “to find out what the people would like changed in our Constitution”. “The people should never be taken for granted or treated as unenlightened fools or called dumb and stupid ever again,” he added. “The government,
members of the YES campaign and some pastors, who support the government, should apologise to the Bahamian people and never make that mistake again. Bahamians are intelligent, alert and informed and know exactly what is happening around the globe with regards to the gay agenda and United Nations conventions on human rights and gender equality.” He added: “(CFJ) will continue to be watchdogs and gatekeepers to ensure that righteousness and family values are upheld and maintained in The Bahamas and will oppose any forces that attempt to remove the ancient landmarks.” The first bill sought to give Bahamian women
married to foreign men the right to pass on their Bahamian citizenship to any child of that union no matter where that child is born. Bill two would have allowed a Bahamian woman married to a foreign man the right to secure for her husband the same access to Bahamian citizenship as a Bahamian male has in relation to his foreign wife. Bill three sought to grant any unmarried Bahamian man the right to pass on his Bahamian citizenship to any child he fathers with a foreign woman with proof of paternity. Bill four sought to prevent discrimination of any type based on sex - being defined as being born male or born female.
By KHRISNA VIRGIL Tribune Staff Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net HUMAN rights activist Erin Greene yesterday admitted that Bahamas Transgender Intersex United’s launch in April proved “problematic” for the government as it sought to get support for four constitutional changes, but insisted that the LGBT community should not be blamed for the resounding failure of the equality referendum. If blame is to be cast, Ms Greene told The Tribune, Bahamians needed to consider the poorly constructed referendum process and the Christie administration’s unwillingness to explore all issues involved with equality. With the failure of last week’s gender quality referendum, many have argued that it flopped for various reasons, among them fear of a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) agenda coupled with that community’s public positions on how the changes in the Constitution could affect them. Many Bahamians believed the fourth Constitutional Amendment Bill would have opened the door to same-sex marriages. It was a point of contention that was strongly rejected by the government and proponents of the referendum. That bill sought to end discrimination based on sex, which was described as being male or female. “I think it is disingenuous and intellectually dishonest to say the LGBTI or the transgender community caused the referendum to fail,” Ms Greene said in an interview yesterday. “If we do need to cast blame then we should consider that a poorly constructed process, an unwillingness to explore all of the issues involved and the desire to achieve equality between men and women created an environment in which many people felt that they were justified in saying the ends justified the means. “There was the unwillingness to acknowledge the extent to which the process and the laws involved im-
pacted the LGBTI community and created an environment to which people are more likely to place blame on the LGBTI community.” She continued: “The timing of BTIU’s launch of the organisation and press conference was problematic for the narrative created by the YES Bahamas campaign and by the Constitutional Commission. “But the visibility of trans people in a process and in an exercise that impacts the lives of trans people could not be the reason why the referendum failed.” She maintained that transgender and intersex Bahamians are citizens of the Bahamas and whether the referendum questions directly impacted them or not, they have a right and obligation to participate in national, political and legal exercises. Ms Greene further called on all political, religious and social leaders to measure their speech to consider carefully the impact of their words and actions, adding that they must ensure at all times that they act in a manner that promotes the common good, democracy and humanity. “I would like to speak to political leaders and politicians as we enter the election season to remember that LGBTI (persons) are citizens and our community is not a commodity that they can use to gain political credit or popularity. We are too small of a country to marginalise any citizen or group of citizens.” Amid contentious public debate in the months leading up to the June 7 referendum, members of the LGBT community went public with their views, sparking a backlash. In April, BTIU launched its multi-level equality campaign, “Bahamian Trans Lives Matter”, which sought to secure equal rights for transgender Bahamians. During a press conference at the Hilton, BTIU representatives called on the Christie administration to ensure that the fundamental rights of all genders of Bahamians – male, female and transgender – are
protected. However, despite the group insisting it was not trying to shift the focus of the gender equality referendum, it was criticised for doing just that. The group called for equal access to healthcare,
education and employment without discrimination. Lead spokesperson for the group, Alexus D’Marco affirmed that members of BTIU, and to a greater extent those in the LBGT community, are forced to live in unwarranted circum-
stances due to the confines of socially accepted behaviours in The Bahamas. According to the selfproclaimed “first lady” of the LGBT community, scores of transgender and intersex men and women are being discriminated
against on their jobs, in schools and in other social groupings because of this “well-endorsed” stigma. There are more than 50 transgender males, females and youth living in the Bahamas, according to Ms D’Marco.
TRANSGENDER GROUP LAUNCH ‘PROBLEMATIC’ FOR VOTE
PAGE 8, Monday, June 13, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
POLITICAL LETTERS SPECIAL letters@tribunemedia.net
The man behind the pen of Simon Front Porch EDITOR, The Tribune
THIS open letter to ‘Simon’ of Front Porch is written in direct response to Sir Arthur Foulkes who hides his identity by masquerading under the nom de plume “Simon”, “Bahama pundit” and whatever other names he gives himself in The Nassau Guardian and his letters to the press. Dear Sir Arthur (oops Simon) It pains me to have to publicly respond to your vicious and unwarranted attack on my character in your opinion column in The Nassau Guardian of June 2, 2016, by suggesting that my right to have and to share a political view that differs from yours in my support for Dr Minnis as leader of the FNM is motivated by the hope for personal benefit and/or gain. For the more than 50 years that you and I have struggled together to institute, maintain, deepen and broaden democratic principles in our country, and watching from up close how fiercely you personally fought for the right of all persons to hold and to express their views without fear or favour, I am deeply disappointed that you have chosen to abandon such a basic tenant of democracy, violated your own conscience and publicly attacked me on my God-given right to hold a view that differs from yours. Sir, because of what I learnt from you, I will always defend and respect your right to hold your views without ascribing improper motives and I expected no less from you but sadly you proved me dead wrong. In ascribing an improper motive to my decision to support Minnis because it differs from yours is nothing short of character assassination and gutter journalism which is unacceptable coming from someone of your long earned reputation. I expect nothing less than an unreserved public apology from you. Let me be clear. I support Dr Minnis for the very same reason that you have supported every elected government of The Bahamas for the last 50 years and that is because he was constitutionally elected on two separate occasions by an overwhelming majority of the FNM delegates in convention. The place to elect a leader is in convention not in the newspaper. The era of coup d’etat is over and should never ever be contemplated in a democratic organisation. For the record, it is my considered opinion that the six MPs and others, who by their public utterances and ill-considered actions, are seeking to hijack the FNM party by continuing to undermine a duly elected leader have confirmed to me that they have little or no respect for the party’s constitution, its elected officers, the officers and members of their FNM Constituency Associations, our party supporters and the general public. To my mind, the treacherous actions of “The Six” also call into question their respect for the Bahamas Constitution and our Bahamian people in their blind campaign to remove Dr Minnis at all costs. Their ultimatums, threats and “call to action” demonstrate their confusing efforts to undermine and destabilise the FNM party as these actions continue to erode public support for both themselves and our FNM party. Their undemocratic, selfserving and nonsensical behaviour falls far short of the legacy, traditions and commitment to democracy which are the hallmarks of the true keepers of the flame; a flame which, by the way, you along with others ignited, and which they are now busy incessantly throwing water on while publicly
SIR ARTHUR FOULKES, above, who CA Smith, left, alleges is the author behind the Front Porch column in The Guardian.
A note from the editor
WE can assure Mr Smith that The Nassau Guardian’s columnist - Simon, Front Porch - is NOT Sir Arthur Foulkes. Sir Arthur, who was personally trained by the late Sir Etienne Dupuch - for 63 years publisher of The Tribune - was a senior member of The Tribune’s editorial staff for many years. Sir
bemoaning concealing and denying their despicable leaks and threats. As an active participant in the history of Bahamian party politics, you must be acutely aware of the dangerously destructive path being followed by “The Six” which if pursued will only lead to a breakup and split from the FNM party as has happened on at least two occasions within living memory. Their threats and undemocratic bullying and public bickering and constant leaks of internal party business to the press is killing the hope of the majority of Bahamians who yearn for a desperately needed change from this cruel inhumane and deviously corrupt PLP administration. Your fancy words and slick attempts to rewrite history and glorify “the six” who have utterly failed to respect the decisions of the ultimate authority of the party do not alter the fact that the FNM party has a Constitution which all keepers of the flame must abide by. It is a truism that those of us who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. The script which “The Six” are now following has been followed before with disastrous consequences for our party. We remember well when in 1976 you exercised your democratic right to differ from some of us and skilfully used your superb writing abilities and your silvery oratory skills in leading the charge that successfully manoeuvred the overthrow of Sir Cecil Wallace Whitfield as FNM leader and resulted in a fractured party and a severe humiliating defeat for the FNM and your new BDP party at the polls. This painful experience moved P Anthony White to pen these words of advice: “No doubt again much pain and political fracture could have been avoided through consultation and open argument around the table, with
soldiers war on darkling plains like ignorant armies clashing by night ... for what it’s worth.” Again, I quote egos checked at the door, from the White boy: and party generals and po- “Back in 2001, when Mr litical middlemen kept at Ingraham took the decision bay. For years in The Ba- that he was ready to step hamas far too often around down from the FNM leadthe political executive table ership, he caused the party and in the trenches there is to hold a special convention mindless warring which di- for the election of a leaderlutes the organisation’s for- designate. Of the three ward battle thrust, and es- principal candidates vying pecially at times when there for that post - Tennyson is a desperate need for all Wells, Tommy Turnquest hands on deck, and fully ac- and Algernon Allen - Mr countable. Turnquest “The anemerged In ascribing an cient writer as the winimproper motive Thucydides ner. There to my decision presented was a great an account to support Minnis deal of bitof a battle because it differs terness in during the parts of from yours is nothing the politiPeloponnesian War short of character cal camp of which oc- assissination and the FNM, curred on which was a beach gutter journalism at the time during the which is unacceptable still the invasion of governcoming from someone Sicily by the ment of Athenians. of your long earned The BahaThat con- reputation.’ mas. That frontation bittertook place ness, and at night, and the attacking sometimes outward critiarmy became so disori- cism of the party’s leaderented that in the darkness ship, coupled with the issome of the soldiers were sue of the February 2002 actually killing each other. Referendum, conspired There is a lesson there for wickedly to energise the politicians and political or- opposition PLP to mount ganisations who cannibalise its biggest and most exinside their groups because pensive and flamboyant they often confuse friend election campaign ever. with foe, lashing out left The FNM government lost and right, sometimes igno- the February 2002 Referrantly, often with sinister endum, and on the heels of deliberation, seldom paus- that defeat, in the May 2002 ing to ponder the possible general elections, to a great effect on the cause at hand. extent because of division “That has, over the many and disgruntlement in the years, been the sad case in party, and not necessarily both the PLP and the FNM, at the rank and file level, both as government and as the FNM went into and lost opposition. Back in the the May 2, 2002, general 19th century, the English elections.” poet Matthew Arnold comThe lesson for all of us mented on such a situation, who claim to be “children no doubt drawing on the of Sir Cecil” and keepers battle account rendered by of the flame is to check our Thucydides centuries be- egos and personal agendas fore, whilst honeymooning at the door of the Convenwith his bride near Dover tion in July and come preBeach, Kent in England, pared for wise and tolerpenned the classic poem, ant dialogue. Only in this Dover Beach ... Far too of- way could we avoid further ten in The Bahamas have possible fracture and what political battles been lost could be disastrous results because supposed allied for us and our Bahamian
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Etienne was also Sir Arthur’s godfather. And so, if Sir Arthur should decide to write a column, it would be The Tribune that he would be writing for where he knows that a space is being reserved for him against the day that he should decide to put aside protocol and pick up the pen again. - Ed
people in the next general elections. My record as a keeper of the flame is long and unblemished. When Sir Lynden Pindling at a PLP party convention invited those of us who dared to have an opposing view to “Cut bait or get the hell out of the boat” I was there, and I got the hell out of the boat. On the following night of the convention when Sir Cecil Wallace Whitfield resigned from the Cabinet of The Bahamas I was there. On the Sunday afternoon when we were brutally attacked by the goon squad of the PLP for our right to hold an opposing view, it was I who chaired the meeting. On the Friday evening at a meeting at Mary, Star of The Sea church hall in Freeport, when you coined the phrase “All together” which later became the rallying cry of the Free National Movement, I was there. In 1970, when the Free National Movement contested the bye elections in The South Andros Constituency and opposition voices were almost wiped out to be consigned to the dustbin of history and silenced forever I was there. At South Ocean Club when the thrust of your verbal knife was so deadly that Sir Cecil turned to you and was heard to say “Et tu Brute”, I was there. In 1992 when The Free National Movement finally ushered in an era of real democracy, opened up the airways and institutionalised the right for all Bahamians to express their differing points of view, both you and I were there. Sir Arthur, during the half a century of our acquaintance, friendship and brotherhood, you earned my respect as the champion of the right to have, hold and express differing points of view and so you must understand how painful it is for me when I now realise that my champion of free thought and free speech has taken the cowardly way out and stooped to new lows by hiding behind a nom de plume (Simon) to suggest that I am betraying my political roots
and the proud legacy of the FNM for personal benefit. This begs the question what personal benefit do you expect in return for your betrayal of all that you fought for in respecting our right to differ? I do not and will not ever deny you your democratic right to hold your wrong opinion of my decision but you do not, I repeat do not, have the right to hide behind a nom de plume while you besmirch my character. This is a cowardly act. It is painful to see you having to resort to such unethical journalistic tactics in the twilight of such a long, distinguished and statesman like life as yours. Yours is a rich legacy my friend. Please do not let the epithet on your grave be “Here lays the body of Sir Arthur Foulkes, KCMG, a true Bahamian statesman who betrayed his long held principle of defending to the death the individual’s right to free thought and so he died as “Simon the coward”. CA SMITH Nassau, June 8, 2016.
Sir Arthur responds EDITOR, The Tribune. I HAVE been told that a letter, purportedly written by Mr C A Smith and crediting me with authorship of the column Front Porch by Simon in The Nassau Guardian, has been widely published on social media. I should be grateful if you would, by publishing this letter, let your readers know that I am not the writer of Front Porch. In fact, I have not written a column for any newspaper since 2010 when I became Governor General. When I used to write To The Point for The Tribune it was under my name. ARTHUR A FOULKES Nassau, June 11, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, June 13, 2016, PAGE 9
POLITICAL LETTERS SPECIAL letters@tribunemedia.net
Former MP Pierre Dupuch challenges “The Graduate” EDITOR, The Tribune. I WAS virtually born in politics. My first memory as a little boy, less than two digits old, was when my father took me to watch and listen to a session of the House of Assembly. In those days the sessions were held at night and the members wore formal attire. I remember Alvin Braynen (later Sir Alvin) who always spoke with one foot on his chair, and Stafford Sands (later Sir Stafford) who had a special chair made bigger than the rest to accommodate his large frame. But the member I was most impressed with, and who left his presentation engraved in my brain, was Mr Reginald Farrington who was condemning his friend and colleague for having brought a bill to the House that introduced duties to protect his business. Although Mr Farrington agreed with the principle, he soundly condemned his friend and colleague for gross conflict of interest. Yes, in those days you had men of principle in the House of Assembly! This was before the advent of political parties that now make you tow the party line or be called a traitor. There was always somebody who put country and principle before self, party and greed. So let us fast forward to the Christmas of 1955. Those of the Dupuch clan who were away at school were home for Christmas holidays. My father gathered all six of us around the kitchen table (which I still have) and told us that The Tribune had been started in 1903 by his father to champion the cause of the little man/woman in The Bahamas who were being discriminated against. It was now time to bring it to a head and avoid bloodshed. He told us it was going to be hard and that the “Bay Street Boys” would try to destroy us. He told us that the cause was good, urgent, and Christian. He told us that as a family we would have to make sacrifices, and that he may not be able to keep us abroad in school. He explained to us that he was going to bring an anti-discrimination Resolution to the House of Assembly that would free all people from discrimination in The Bahamas. He looked at us and in unison and without hesita-
that the Dupuchs were racists and the supreme haters of the black man. To accomplish this they got a “pen” for hire, the kind of person where truth, morals or ethics don’t count, a person who could convince you that a truth was a lie and a lie the truth, a person who is a pervert, a liar and scum. Someone called “The Graduate”. And so the task was to destroy a number of family names in The Bahamas. Sir Etienne Dupuch, and his family, was one of them. And they were successful. To this day I have young people telling me that they were led to believe that the Dupuch family is racist. It would seem that some people rely heavily on the “pen for hire”. When Cecil Wallace Whitfield started the FNM, the “pen” was hired by some members of the FNM to destroy Cecil’s name and accused him of any number of things including murder. They did this because they couldn’t control him. They seem to be at it again, trying to destroy Dr Hubert Minnis and Tennyson Wells. This time the “pen” signs off as “The Graduate” or some other ghost. A man who tries to destroy someone else and signs off as a ghost is less than a man. He’s ashamed of his own name! Or is it a man who is such a freak that he wants to always be on the winning side? After all, if you don’t know who he is, he can always say to the winning side: “The Graduate? It ain’t me.” Shakespeare in his Julius Caesar wrote: “A coward dies one thousand times before his death but the val-
iant tastes death but once.” When I write I sign and when I speak I identify myself. Love me or hate me, it’s me! With all this in mind, and with one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel, I plan on challenging “The Graduate” and those like him every step of the way and tell the public the facts. It is time that somebody said: “Enough is enough”. To show how intellectually dishonest they are, I will go through just a few statements made by “The Graduate”, whoever he is. In a letter to the editor published on May 9, 2016, he (The Graduate) said that because Tennyson Wells recited the CV (Curriculum Vitae) of Dr Minnis, he was “pandering”. How is this pandering? By reciting Dr Minnis’ qualifications, Mr Wells simply shows how Dr Minnis has gone from rags to riches, how he struggled by selling newspapers to help get where he wanted to go. I thought that was a sign of a good man, a man who was prepared to sacrifice, work hard with integrity, and struggle to succeed. I like that. He is the kind of man who I would pick to run a business, or to be a CEO and leader of a large corporation. And so by reciting Dr Minnis’ CV, Mr Wells was
showing how Dr Minnis is qualified to run this country. Maybe “The Graduate” feels small because he can’t stand next to Dr Minnis because “The Graduate” has gotten to where he is by sucking, not pushing. In another paragraph “The Graduate” says that Tennyson Wells is a “cardcarrying member of the past serving his own self interest”. Oh yeah? By saying this, “The Graduate” exposes himself for what he really is - an ungrateful parasite, a taker not a giver. I wonder where “The Graduate” was when the Isaacs family, who had been more than generous to the FNM, needed the space on Mackey Street and gave the FNM notice to leave. I don’t know where “The Graduate” was but I do know where Mr Tennyson Wells was. Mr Wells recognised a problem, jumped to the forefront to help and gave the FNM space in the Standard Plumbing building free-of-charge for five years. Mr Wells also paid all the utility bills! Come to think of it I do know where “The Graduate” was; he was right there as usual sucking, not pushing, a parasite. And he dares to call Tennyson Wells “a card carrying member of the past serving his own self interest”. If anyone wants to know what is wrong with the country today I can tell them: It’s because of people like “The Graduate” and his kind who don’t have the courage to stand up like men and identify themselves. They are hired pens, capable of lying, deceiving and hiding behind “ghost” names that set out to destroy people with integrity like Mr Wells. “The Graduate” goes on to say that “Minnis is the latest of a long list of politicians to whom Tennyson has pledged his unrequited love”. “The Graduate” says that “psychologists call this insecure attachment. We know it as currying favour or colouring one’s nose.” This is what “The Graduate” says about Mr Wells. I was always taught that loyalty was a good virtue, not brown nosing. Maybe the “The Graduate” was looking in a mirror and talking about himself. “The Graduate” seems to object to the fact that Ten-
mer Minister and former with diplomacy. Ambassador is a betting When Simon went and man but the dream books metaphorically mashed his say play 102 if you keep see- corn in the newspaper C A ing a porch in your dreams. became convinced that only Play 606 if you dream about Sir Arthur’s feet could wear someone named Simon. such lovely shoes as those C A could only have been that crushed his toe. dreaming when he decided Few who practice the to put the genteel statesman craft of writing do so with Sir Arthur in his the finesse and crosshairs. He awesome word‘With should check and smithing as the friends see what number now retired head “fall” on the day of state, Sir Arlike he launched his Cornelius thur. Sir Arthur scribbled armada is revered from at the wrong tar- A Smith, Inagua in the get. south to Walkers who needs Now that his enemies?’ Cay in the north. dreams have One of the architurned into tects of freedom, nightmares and he has of liberty, of independence been unequivocally proven and of political party instiwrong I can only wonder if tutionalisation in this counC A wants his sumptuous try, Sir Arthur is one of the meal of crow served hot or few politicians of his gencold and if he fancies a side eration to never have been order of humble pie. He doused with the malodorcould wash it down with the ous stink of corruption of very bile he produced for thought, deed or action. the friend he so falsely acPrecedent, modesty and cused. good breeding, not to menTalking fool is always a tion the preservation of serious thing. As the song- the dignity of the Office of writer foretold, talking fool Governor General would has left C A’s reputation ly- never permit Sir Arthur to ing in the mud. Because he un-sheath his long-retired is a former diplomat once pen in defence of his good accredited to the White name and his unimpeachHouse in Washington, DC, able reputation. Ambassador Smith knows I don’t attempt to do so that political temperament now, because I can never must always be modulat- do the man justice. But I ed. Impetuousness is not do feel a sense of obligaa trademark we associate tion to defend responsible
free speech in this country. Simon exercised a right of citizenship in a free country and had published his views on an important political event of our time. C A enjoys the same right as Simon, but as a former elected official, as a man who feels he still has gas left in the tank to run another lap of public service, C A ought to have known that an unprovoked attack on Sir Arthur was just not cricket. Talking fool about your friend without one iota of proof or evidence bespeaks a man who is in the throes of political desperation. C A is a freedom fighter who earned his stripes through long and loyal service to the cause of freedom and free speech in the Bahamas. When he joined that liberation army, Sir Arthur was already a drill sergeant welcoming him into the struggle. They have both served this country admirably in the past. According to C A they are friends. Well mudda sic! With friends like C A, who needs enemies? If Sir Arthur were my friend and I heard voices inside my head that told of a side of his character that was new to me, I would have picked up the phone and given my buddy a call. That’s called friendship. It also goes by the name
respect. Or you can call it loyalty. Others call it simply the right thing to do. But C A obviously surrounds himself these days with men and women who hear the same voices in their head. Wars have been started on rumours. Lifelong friendships destroyed on hearsay. Bad blood has traversed through the veins of many men, often building up and accelerating on the kinetic energy created by wrong information. Some years ago someone had the audacity to place a cheeky, if redundant, sign at the top of the beautiful Kaieteur Falls in Guyana. The Kaieteur waterfall is a 750 foot thundering drop (about the same as falling out of a 50-storey building) and next to it was a handpainted sign that read: “Look before you leap”. It was a last chance to implore the mentally unstable or the foolishly brave to rethink their intentions. I wish C A were my friend so I could have sent him urgent tweets, Whatsapp messages, Facebook exhortations, urgent texts and used other social media to beseech him to reconsider going off half-cocked against a beloved national icon. Sadly, it is now impossible to un-ring that bell. As a general rule, we tend to ring-fence those persons who serve in the highest
tion we said: “Go to it, Pop.” And so, on January 23, 1956, the ‘ol man brought to the House of Assembly the Anti-Discrimination Resolution. It was defeated. However, within 24 hours, all the leading establishments in The Bahamas opened their doors to all. Sir Etienne had ended racial discrimination in The Bahamas. The battle had been won, without one drop of blood. But the struggle was not over. As suspected, the “Bay Street Boys” tried to destroy The Tribune. My allowance was $1 a week. With it I bought one movie ticket, which was 70 cents, and three O’Henry chocolate bars. For my last six months in school my allowance was cut to 50 cents/week. This meant no more movies. But it was worth it. For all of us the struggle was hard, but it was right, moral and just. Do we brag about it? No. Are we proud of it? Yes. In 1962 I returned home and, at 24, nominated for the election of the same year. I ran as an independent. Geoffrey Johnstone ran as a UBP, A D Hanna ran as a PLP and Arthur Foulkes ran as a PLP. Geoffrey Johnstone and A D Hanna won. Johnstone won for the first time and Hanna for the second time. Our family opposed the PLP because they preached revenge and hatred and said that “the white man’s blood would run knee deep on Bay Street”. From then on I had to face the goon squads, the rocks and bottles and missed being killed at least three times. But it was worth it. Because we opposed the PLP we were put on the “hit list,” and the younger generation were to be convinced
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A man who tries to destroy someone else and signs off as a ghost is less than a man.’ Pierre Dupuch
nyson Wells was running against Cecil Wallace-Whitfield for the Leadership of the FNM. I remember this. I was there. I opposed Wells and supported Cecil. Cecil won. After it was all over, Cecil and Wells embraced and then moved on to build the Party. I don’t know what “The Graduate’s” psychologist would call this, but I’d call it democracy at work. “The Graduate” would say the same thing is happening today in the FNM. It’s not you know. Cecil and Wells ran against each other for the Leadership of the FNM. A vote was taken. Cecil won. They embraced each other and got together to build the party. What is happening today is much different. Loretta Butler and Dr Minnis competed for the Leadership of the FNM at a convention. Dr Minnis won decisively. The Party elected Dr Minnis as Leader of the FNM. Rather than embracing and getting on with building the Party, some of the losers wanted another convention, and have agitated for one earlier than the Party’s Constitution calls for it. Like dogs biting at Dr Minnis’ shins while he tried to reach the goal, a small group of Parliamentarians, not the Convention or Council, kept biting. They did not have respect for the decision of the convention. They finally got their way when Dr Minnis conceded to having an early convention. In the process, this small group of losers has fractured the FNM and caused terrible dissension in the party. So what have these losers accomplished? A broken, ineffective party, not ready for the upcoming election. I believe the motive is clear, keep the Party in disarray, have a quick convention, completely confuse the delegates and the public so that someone will come in to save the day ... guess who! The public, and FNMs in particular, should be aware of writers like “The Graduate.” They’re ghosts. They’re hired pens. They’re parasites. As I said above, and to paraphrase Shakespeare: “A coward dies a thousand deaths; a man he dies but once.”
office in the land - that of Governor General. We check our politics at the door and give them the deference they deserve. Witness the silencing of the guns on Dame Marguerite Pindling from the day she was sworn-in as Governor General. We revere the office and respect the office holder. Some might grumble under their breath or suck their teeth but they would never voice a crude, rude or unsavory opinion of Dame Marguerite in public. She is the embodiment of the Bahamian state and despite her past politics and what one may think of them, as far as I am concerned she has never put her foot wrong in representing us. Neither has Sir Arthur. Nor Arthur Hanna, Dame Ivy Dumont, Sir Orville Turnquest or the other four distinguished Bahamians who have held this high office since 1973. But then C A Smith, demonstrating his pith, crossed the line and opened fire on the retired former Governor General. He who attempts to commit regicide must know that he gets but one arrow in his quiver. You shot your load C A. Now clean it up.
PIERRE V L DUPUCH Nassau, June 4, 2016.
CA Smith crosses the line EDITOR, The Tribune.
IT APPEARS that footin-mouth disease is going around these days. Flatfooted Tennyson “Oligarch” Wells came down with a bad case of it recently and now it appears Cornelius A Smith has caught it too. Symptoms of the disease appear to be uncontrolled fits of delusion, a high fever of contempt, a propensity to make false accusations and taking full leave on one’s senses. When he was a child I am sure that C A would have been advised by his parents to look both ways before crossing the street. The consequences for not doing say could be detrimental. Pity C A didn’t take that advice with him later in life. So incensed was C A that a columnist would dare question his blind faith and loyalty to the leader of the FNM that he put on a suit of self-righteousness, mounted his high horse and proceeded to jostle with a figment of his own imagination. Boorish C A pulled no punches in declaring that the voices in his head told him that the writer whose publication name is Simon, is really Sir Arthur Foulkes in the flesh. I don’t know if the for-
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THE GRADUATE Nassau, June 11, 2016.
PAGE 10 , Monday, June 13, 2016
Protest over sewage odour after death of local resident By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net FOR years residents of a community in Grand Bahama have suffered noxious odours from a nearby sewage plant, but after a resident died of pneumonia last week, the residents for the first time will come together this morning to protest about the conditions. There is no proof that the illness of the deceased resident, Michael Wilchcombe,
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was caused by the sewage plant at Chesapeake, Freeport. But residents think it is not a coincidence that the 57-year-old and other members of the community have faced respiratory illnesses amid the toxic fumes. According to one resident, Shuffel Hepburn, who is organising today’s protest, officials from the Grand Bahama Utility Company have blamed the noxious odours on a nearby pond - which they also own - rather than the sewage plant. “Where in the history of the Bahamas have we heard of ponds making people sick?” Mr Hepburn asked. Residents are seeking recourse through the legal system in the matter, although Mr Hepburn could not discuss the case with The Tribune. He said since moving to the area years ago, Mr Wilchcombe had continu-
ally suffered bouts of flu. “At first the flu turned into bronchitis,” Mr Hepburn explained. “He was admitted to hospital, stayed several days there and was off from work for about four to five weeks. It wasn’t long before he started feeling funny again. He went to the doctor and the doctor said he had fluid in his lungs. “He took a couple days off from work and then he went back to work. But on Sunday I got a call saying he had been rushed to the hospital with breathing problems. I got a call an hour later saying he had died. “It’s unfortunate and we have another resident who had a similar incident except it didn’t end that way. Her house is next in proximity to the plant. Other residents have health issues, have health problems too.” Today’s demonstration is scheduled to take place from 10.30am to 1.30pm.
THE TRIBUNE
‘The Bahamas’ own street philosopher’
THE TRIBUNE
SANDS FATHER AND SON MAKING MASONIC HISTORY FOR THE BAHAMAS BASIL L Sands has become the first non-American to hold the prestigious Freemasonry high office of Sovereign Grand Commander and his son, Robert ‘Sandy’ Sands, has been elected to Sovereign Grand Inspector General to mark an historic achievement for the Bahamas and the Sands family. The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas announced the historic elections at the135th Annual Session and the 45th Triennium of the United Supreme Council, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation, Northern Jurisdiction, USA, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which took place on May 27. Illustrious Sands, 330, was elected to serve as the 19th Sovereign Grand Commander of over 7,000 Scottish Rite Freemasons from the northern US, Barbados, Canada, Europe, the Far East and the Bahamas. Sands, a Bahamian, is the first non-American to attain this high office. Locally, Sovereign Grand Commander Sands has been a member of Royal Eagle Lodge No.1 since September, 1959, and an Honorary Past Grand Master of Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. He started his Scottish Rite Freemasonry journey as a member and first secretary of Bahamas Consistory No.73 (now James E Morley Consistory No.73) in 1962. He was created a Grand Inspector General and Honorary member of the United Supreme Council on May 13, 1968. He was elevated to “Active” status as a Sovereign Grand Inspector General and appointed Deputy of the Orient of the Bahamas in 1979, a position he held for 25 years. Sovereign Grand Commander Sands was elected to the third ranking office of Illustrious Grand Minister of State in 2004, and to the second ranking position of Lieutenant Grand Commander in 2006 before ascending to the rank of the19th Sovereign Grand Commander and Chief Executive Officer of the Rite. “We are very proud indeed to have a Bahamian Prince Hall Mason, one of our own, achieve this high office,” said Hon Leslie Dean, Most Worshipful Grand Master of Prince Hall Masons in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. “Even though we have always been a part of the
DAME ANITA TO GIVE LECTURE DAME Anita Allen, the president of the Court of Appeal, will give the 2016 Eugene Dupuch Distinguished Lecture on Tuesday evening at the British Colonial Hilton. Dame Anita will address the topic ‘The Law in a Changing Society: Reconstructing Marriage’ in the eighth annual lecture at 6.30pm. The public is invited.
Monday, June 13, 2016, PAGE 11
FNM chairman says ‘delusional’ Roberts is trying to pass the blame By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
AT the historic Freemasonry election in Philadelphia last month at the 135th Annual Session and the 45th Triennium of the United Supreme Council are (from left): Sovereign Grand Inspector General Illustrious Robert “Sandy” Sands; Lieutenant Grand Commander Illustrious Melvin J Bazemore; Sovereign Grand Commander Illustrious Basil L Sands; Sublime Prince Dr Basil G L Sands; and Dr Duane E L Sands, Master Mason. United Supreme Council, Bro Basil Sands Sr has not only put the Bahamas at the helm, but has put us on the map of Masonic history. “Both Bro Basil Sands and his son, Bro Sandy Sands have had long and illustrious Prince Hall, Masonic sojourns and are very deserving of the honours which they now receive. Their labours have not been in vain.” Illustrious Robert D L “Sandy” Sands, 330, has been a Grand Inspector General since 1988. He is the eldest son of Sovereign Grand Commander Sands and was elevated to “Active” status as a Sovereign Grand Inspector General and appointed as the Aide to the Sovereign Grand Commander. Like his father, he is a member of Royal Eagle Lodge No.1 and James E Morley Consistory No.73. The Bahamas delegation of about 40 was present at the historic event and in-
cluded Sovereign Grand Inspector General, Roscow A L Davies, 330, Deputy of the Orient of The Bahamas; Illustrious Leslie M Dean, 330, Most Worshipful Grand Master of Prince Hall Masons in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas; Illustrious Sands’ three sons, SGIG Robert, SP Basil and Dr Duane Sands; Grand Inspectors General from James E Morley No.73 in Nassau and Leo Calvin Newton No.83 in Freeport as well as family and friends.
FREE NATIONAL Movement (FNM) Chairman Sidney Collie has branded Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts as “delusional” as he fired back in defence of his party’s leader. “Delusional - it’s the only word that fits to describe Chairman Roberts’ mental state in the aftermath of the PLP’s resounding rejection by the people this week,” Mr Collie said on Friday. “Instead of stepping up and acknowledging that the results were a clear rebuke of this Government’s performance over the last four years. “Delusional Roberts is trying to cast blame and point fingers at anyone and everyone for the PLP’s failures.” Mr Collie lashed out in
response to a statement on Thursday, in which Mr Roberts forecast that Dr Minnis’ “flip-flopping ways” will prove to be his political undoing. The PLP Chairman had taken issue with Dr Minnis’ stance on the Constitutional Referendum, and his call for Prime Minister Perry Christie to resign over the results. Yesterday, Mr Collie noted that the PLP called for then-Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham’s resignation following the failure of the 2002 referendum. “So history repeats itself for Delusional Roberts,” he said, “and now he is the ‘spin doctor’ and ‘apologist’ trying to ‘make up all sorts of stories about the whys and the wherefores. But Delusional Roberts can say whatever he wants - the voters have spoken and they have resoundingly rejected this Government’s heavy-
handed, corrupt leadership.” Mr Collie said: “Maybe Delusional Roberts should take the words of his fellow party member to heart and call on his Prime Minister to resign in the wake of this resounding rejection of the PLP’s failed leadership. “It would save the country from weeks of PLP spin doctoring to try to pass blame for their handling of the referendum vote. Make no mistake it was his own party member who said in 2002, ‘the simple fact is they were beaten and beaten convincingly’ and that holds true today.” He said: “The people saw through the corrupt campaign to engineer the ‘yes’ vote that included promises of jobs and other offers of enticements. They clearly and emphatically rebuked the PLP and its leadership. To suggest anything else is simply - delusional.”
PAGE 12 , Monday, June 13, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
SUSPECT IN DRUG TRAFFICKING TRIAL GRANTED $20,000 BAIL
By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A MAN allegedly involved in a major drug trafficking gang has had his bail application granted by a Supreme Court judge, The Tribune understands. Ian Porter, 45, is believed to have been granted bail of $20,000 by Justice Cheryl Grant-Bethel on Thursday. He is also required to wear an ankle bracelet and sign in twice a week. Porter is one of eight persons seven men and a woman - who were remanded to prison in January after being charged in connection with a $341,000 drug seizure on the Eastern Road. Porter and Andre Porter, 42, along with Devon Campbell, 36, Zintworn Duncombe, 28, Ilano Noel, 21, and the 26-year-olds Jimmy Joseph, Sean Major and Deneal Knowles all faced a charge of conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs with intent to supply when they stood before Magistrate Andrew Forbes in January. Police believe some of the eight accused are members of a major organised drug trafficking ring, according to reports. According to police, shortly after 6am on January 16, Drug Enforcement Unit officers went to a home on Eastern Road where they searched a Dodge Caravan and allegedly discovered 10 crocus sacks containing 341 pounds of marijuana. The discovery led to the initial arrest of four men and one woman. It is alleged that all eight accused colluded to possess the drugs for distribution between January 4 and January 14. Andre Porter, Duncombe, Joseph and Noel were further charged with actual possession of the dangerous drugs with intent to supply. All eight accused denied the respective charges they faced when called to enter a plea. As magistrates no longer have the discretion to consider bail for these offences, they were denied bail and remanded to the Department of Correctional Services to await trail.
PARTICIPANTS in the Rise and Shine event that saw the launch of the Teenhawks wing of the Genesis Warhawks.
Junkanooers helping children to shine
YOUNGSTERS hard at work serving up food.
THE Genesis Junkanoo Organisation is reaching out to youngsters to help them develop into wellrounded citizens. The group has created a new arm of the organisation - the Genesis Teenhawks. The Teenhawks operate as an official arm of the group, complete with its own executive committee, chaired by Anthony Watson a senior at CV Bethel High School. “We are basically being trained to be the next leaders of not just the group but of the world,” said Mr Watson. The new wing receives the full support of the group through their adult mentors, who ensure the development of skills such as civic outreach, leadership, organisation sensitiv-
ity to community concerns, and culture. The goal is to create a cadre of young people, the next generation of citizens, who can not only continue the development of the group but Junkanoo as a cultural expression and the country as whole. Mr Watson said: “We are looking to empower other teens to become leaders as well, by being an example”. The group started with a bang on May 28, with a breakfast outreach event. Mr Watson said: “The breakfast outreach was decided because we as teens basically wanted to not only do stuff within the junkanoo world but also for the community and we figured we would start by feeding the community.” The event, held at
Thompson Lane, saw the youngsters provide free breakfast for the community, dubbed “Rise and Shine”. They ventured into adjourning streets like Lilly of the Valley, Gibbs Corner, Strachan’s Corner, Mason’s Addition and even delivered some breakfast to some workers on a community project on Lewis Street. Mr Watson said: “We were very successful in what we did because it was well organised, promoted and we were able to feed the entire community, along with group members and civilians from other communities as well.” Genesis Warhawks, the senior group, holds practices every Tuesday at 7pm at the Arawak Cay parking lot. All are welcome.
SUSPECT SHOT BY POLICE AFTER FOOT CHASE IN PINEWOOD GARDENS POLICE shot a man who led officers on a foot chase before pointing a handgun in their direction. According to a police report, shortly after 11pm Friday, officers were on routine patrol on Wild Guava Tree Street in Pinewood Gardens when they received information of a suspicious-looking man walking in the area armed with a handgun. A few minutes later, the officers spotted a man, who fitted the description of the suspect, in the
area. According to police, the suspect on seeing the officers fled on foot. The officers pursued him into nearby bushes, where he pulled a handgun from his waist and pointed it at the officers. The officers, in fear for their lives, fired at the suspect and shot him, police said. A nine millimetre handgun along with seven rounds of ammunition was recovered from the suspect, police said. The suspect was taken to hospital where he is
listed in stable condition under heavy police guard.
TEEN AND MAN IN WHEELCHAIR SHOT A teenager and a man in a wheelchair are in hospital after they were injured during a driveby shooting in Pinewood Gardens on Friday. Shortly after 6pm a man was driving his vehicle accompanied
by his teenage son in the area of Avocado Street and Bay Geranium Avenue in Pinewood Gardens, when the occupants of the white vehicle, described as a Jeep, armed with firearms opened fire on them, shooting his son and a man sitting in a wheelchair on the side of the road. The occupants of the white vehicle then sped off. The two victims were transported to hospital where they are listed in stable condition. Investigations are ongoing.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, June 13, 2016, PAGE 13
SC Mcpherson School receiving its awards from Dr Daniel Johnson, Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, and Keith Glinton, General Manager at SOL.
Awards for Junior
Junkanoo
YELLOW Elder Primary School receives awards.
THE JUNIOR Junkanoo Awards held at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium, with One on One school receiving their award. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
MEMBERS of the Big Apple Academy School with their award.
2 by 2 school receiving an award for Junior Junkanoo.
PAGE 14 , Monday, June 13, 2016
THE TRIBUNE