Posted by Al Dillette, Se. Fred Mitchell's editor on August 06, 2001 at 09:27:36:
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INGRAHAM TO BE DOUBLE CROSSED?
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham appears now to be backing away from his earlier assertion that he intends to sit as a backbencher after he loses the Prime Ministership and if he is re-elected to the Parliament after the next general election. He told the press during the last week that he plans to visit his constituency and seek their advice on whether he should run again. This seems a bit silly. Since when does he consult constituents? Usually, he just tells them what he will do. That's what he did in 1997 when he told them that he was coming to them for the last time to be their representative. It was he who changed his mind without consulting them and so, as to his running again, there is no need for this phony consultation. There is continual insult to the intelligence of the people of this country, this kind of dishonest democracy in which Mr. Ingraham engages. The fact is that he is a lame duck Prime Minister and no one listens to him anymore. He also knows that with Dion Foulkes he can't blink his eyes or he'll be gone. As a matter of fact, the word around town is that Governor General Orville Turnquest whose son Tommy is up for the Leader's position in the FNM, is still smarting from being forced out of Ministerial office to take the job of Governor General in 1995. It is said that he wants to be able to appoint his own son as Prime Minister and should Tommy be elected, he will either pressure Mr. Ingraham to resign forthwith so that he can do the honours with Tommy or remove Mr. Ingraham. Of course, the latter would require a vote of no confidence in the House, which will be difficult to schedule right now since Mr. Ingraham will only prorogue the House and not have it reconvene until he believes he can outwit them. Things that make you go: Hmmm!
KING ERIC'S CLUB CLOSES
Saturday 28 July was closing night at the King and Knights in the Nassau Beach Hotel. That was the latest incarnation of King Eric Gibson's famous 1970s eatery, dance club and dinner show place. King Eric said that he had given up because he got no support from the Ministry of Tourism. This columnist went to see it. It was a good show. Needs some little changes here or there but there is no place else to see such a show in Nassau. King Eric, a formidable campaigner is joining his son Shane Gibson the PLP's candidate for Golden Gates, on the campaign trail to vote the FNM out.
GERRYMANDERING OF GOLDEN GATES
Shane Gibson has been working the area since he was nominated in Golden Gates one month ago. He is contributing toward the construction of a basketball court for the young men of the area. But the FNM-dominated Constituencies Commission is indicating that they intend to move the boundary lines so that the basketball court is not even in the new constituency. This is why the PLP must take a firm and resolute stand on the boundaries. This is perverse. No boundaries should change.
FRED MITCHELL ON FTAA AND THE BANKS
Ken Perigord is raving, damn mad about the banks in this country and is ready to demonstrate against them. He has particular opprobrium for CIBC and the Royal Bank of Canada who have stymied his business development. He has made an official complaint to the Central Bank. He believes that too many Bahamians in the system forget the practicalities of real life business and prostitute their integrity for the bucks they get from their banks that pay them to savage Bahamian businessmen. The Banking sector is in some disarray in The Bahamas. This columnist sympathizes with Mr. Perigord who is a client of his. Something is very much amiss in the banking sector. And so arising out of months of complaints from businessmen about banking practices and from ordinary consumers, this columnist addressed the issue in the Senate on Wednesday 1 August. You may click here for that address. Further on Monday 30 July, this Senator addressed the question of the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas and the lack of public information on the issue. That address also looked at the performance of the Courts and the Government's attitude toward the Unions as well as the performance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You may click here for that address.
PICTURES OF TOMMY, THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING?
Sorry daddy, I just can't seem to do anything right. Why can't I do anything right? Guardian photo
Is this a profile of a young and dynamic man? Tribune photo
EDMUND MOXEY'S LETTER
There is a difference of opinion or shall we say dissension in the camp of the Free National Movement. The old guard like Ed Moxey, former Parliamentary Secretary and Maurice Moore, former MP, Minister and Ambassador do not like what lame duck Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham is doing. Mr. Moore intervened at an earlier stage to state his unhappiness about the process. He is openly supporting Tennyson Wells. Now comes Edmund Moxey, who wrote a detailed letter to the press about his concerns on Mr. Ingraham's style of leadership. Here is some of what he had to say: "I submit too that it is certainly wrong for you to allow the administrative machinery of the FNM to function in a fashion which corrupts and prostitutes the party's established election process. I appeal to you, therefore, to see to it that these practices now going on at the party's headquarters are ceased and made to desist, forthwith… I have personally seen staff coordinating campaigning and strategy meetings and events for the so-called 'Dream Team' to the exclusion of other genuine members who had been duly nominated by the Central Council members. My observations have been substantiated by the admission of no less a person than Mr. Dion Foulkes in an interview last Thursday evening with the media during which time he emphasized the point that the party's machinery was supporting he and Mr. Turnquest… Those of us who have been down this road are well aware of the intimidating effect the presence of a minister (and the power attached to his office) can have on local party supporters, businessmen, in particular, and there is no doubt in my mind that this is a ploy to manipulate fear into favouritism… I must tell you, it smacks of the old strategy and posture of the United Bahamian Party (UBP) during the period of our political history which we should all want to put behind us." Well said!
A HISTORY OF EDMUND MOXEY
The letter from Edmond Moxey, excerpts of which are shown in this column above, brings Hubert Ingraham and Edmund Moxey back together again after their first clash in 1977 some 24 years ago. In our political history it is called the night of the long knives. Mr. Moxey had a falling out with the Pindling Government in which he served as Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Education. He was relieved of his job there. He began openly to oppose Pindling; the high point of that formal opposition came in August 1976 when Mr. Moxey voted with the complicity of the then Speaker of the House Arlington Butler to send to Committee the Public Disclosure Bill. The result was the Government was defeated and the House was prorogued and recalled ten days later so that the bill could be re-introduced. When it came time for re-nomination Mr. Moxey, Sir Arlington, Oscar Johnson, Carl Francis, Lionel Davis, Cadwell Armbrister and Franklyn Wilson [although for a different reason] all lost their nominations. Prime Minister Pindling threatened to resign along with then Deputy Prime Minister Hanna if he did not get his way with the nominations. Who was the Chairman of the PLP at that time, hatching the plots against Mr. Moxey and company? None other than Hubert Ingraham. What is interesting is that Mr. Ingraham, formerly a PLP Chairman, is now Leader of the FNM. Mr. Moxey preceded him to the FNM. Mr. Moxey now claims that Mr. Ingraham represents the UBP. And this is correct. So what is also clear is the cleavage that broke the FNM apart in 1977 is still very much there: the former PLPs under Cecil Wallace Whitfield split in 1977 into the FNM under Cecil and the Bahamian Democratic Party (BDP) under Henry Bostwick (now President of the Senate). The BDP was the UBP faction. The FNM was the old Free PLP faction. Mr. Ingraham now joins the UBP side. We will see now after this nasty fight is over whether or not the fracture lines will split apart or be healed.
SCHOLARSHIP FIASCO
Last year when the Government hastily put together its scholarship loan support programme, it promised that every student who wanted to go to university and who needed support could get it. The programme was patched together just to stop the PLP from claiming credit when it came to office for a loan-underwriting programme. The programme has generally provided much needed relief for parents, if you can get the scholarship. But students complain about the bureaucracy. The cheques and notification come late. The payout centres are too overcrowded. And it still appears that kisses go by favour. One suggestion is that two children of Minister of Labour Earl Deveaux have received loan support scholarships. No quarrel with that, but what is a problem is when others are left out. The lame duck Prime Minister received so many complaints about the scholarships that he intervened and made them redo the list. The result is that when Senator Ronald Knowles was challenged on the issue in the Senate by this Senator, he said that all persons who met the deadline of 27 February for application and who got into an accredited school would receive the financial assistance. We shall see.
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR
Senator Obie Wilchcombe, the PLP's candidate for West Grand Bahama and Bimini on Wednesday 1 August called for an investigation into the allegations made by Mohammed Harajchi that his bank, Suisse Security, was closed down by the Central Bank Governor because he refused to do a personal favour for the Governor. Julian Francis, Governor of the bank has angrily denied the charges. Minister of Finance William Allen said that while he heard Mr. Harajchi's complaint, he did not believe Mr. Harajchi. Privately, Mr. Allen says that he wishes to deport Mr. Harajchi from the country. Senator Wilchcombe argued that Sir Williams's response was not appropriate and that an investigation ought to be held into the allegations. He said that Mr. Harajchi had promised to provide affidavit evidence to refute the response of the Governor that he had no personal relationship with him. The affidavit is said to be going to contain dates and times of a dinner between the Governor and Mr. Harajchi at the latter's residence on Paradise Island. There are video cameras at the residence. Mr. Francis has said that he will take advice from his attorneys on the matter. But the ante is now raised further and beyond Senator Wilchcombe's allegations. The attorney for Mr. Harajchi has said that he will report the matter to the police as an extortion complaint. The Bahama Journal in its editorial of Thursday 4 August has called for the Central Bank Governor to answer specifically the allegations. On Wednesday 1 August when Senator Wilchcombe delivered his intervention, workers from the bank that was closed by the Central Bank in March with the help of armed police, sat in the gallery with T-shirts emblazoned with logos that said I SURVIVED THE CENTRAL BANK INVASION. The Bahama Journal photo shows from left Chris Lunn, former CEO of the Bank and Attorney for the bank, Derek Ryan.
DAPHNE BROOKS AT SUN
Congratulations to Daphne Brooks who has been promoted to Director of VIP/Guest Services for Coral and Beach Towers at Atlantis Hotel at Paradise Island. She is pictured. Ms. Brookes is a graduate of the College of The Bahamas with an AA in business management. She was a former student of this senator's Politics and Government class. Ms. Brookes went on to acquire a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Florida International University in 1991. Stuart Bowe, VP of Operations for the Coral and Beach Towers said of her: "Daphne is another example of a company of high flyers. Her engaging personality and focus on guests service will further enhance our operational improvement efforts."
VOTER REGISTRATION STILL SLOW
The old register, the one used for the 1997 election, is to be revoked on 30 September. But Bahamians this time are dragging their feet in registering for the new election, the one that is to be used for the 2002 election. Registered voters now stand at just about 84,000 according to the Prime Minister. There are some 130,000 to 140000 who should be on the rolls. The lame duck Prime Minister must ask himself why people won't register. One thing is that the darn process is too difficult. The PLP will have to look into the question of automatic registration. Right now you have to leave your home and make the effort to get registered. Too much trouble.
BAHAMASAIR IN MORE DEBT
It has been confirmed by Bahamasair's Chairman Frederick Gottlieb that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States, the tax collecting agency, has placed a lien on Bahamasair's assets in the United States to the tune of $6.6 million so as to collect taxes owed to the United States Government by the airline. The Chairman says that Bahamasair can't pay and so the Government will have to fork up the cash. Bahamian passengers should be careful and not fly on an airline that might get seized by the IRS and you may not be able to fly home.
FOX HILL CELEBRATES
This weekend is a holiday weekend in The Bahamas. And nowhere is that holiday marked more than in Fox Hill in eastern New Providence. The old African village comes alive as it celebrates Emancipation Day. It marks the 167th year since the slaves were freed in The Bahamas. It will be marked by church services, Junkanoo and a street fair. In other islands, the occasion is marked by homecomings and regattas. Fox Hill day comes a week later on Tuesday 14 August when the freedom of the slaves is celebrated in a unique festival for Fox Hill residents.
FOX HILL MP EMERGES
No one has seen her weeks. She does nothing and says nothing as MP for Fox Hill. Yet now that it's Emancipation Day (celebrated 6 August) she has emerged at all the public functions. Juanianne Dorsett has done nothing for Fox Hill since she was elected. But now that she has emerged, it appears she may run again. She has been sticking up under the Foulkes/Turnquest team. She must answer how she is going to allow Foulkes and Turnquest to cause the Fox Hill constituency to disappear, to have them piece it up and cut it up so that the main part of Fox Hill will disappear just to stop this candidate from winning. She needs to answer that.
NEWS FROM GRAND BAHAMA
Congratulations to Neko and Barbara Grant on the call of their daughter Nikara Grant to the English Bar. Nikara is now off to New York to sit the American bar exams. Congrats to all on the hard work.
PR Disaster At Fishing Hole Road - Half a day of rain Friday past proved too much for the main road leading into Eight Mile Rock and west Grand Bahama. By going home time in the evening, authorities had placed announcements on radio warning motorists not to travel the road unless absolutely necessary. What about those people who had no other way of getting home? The event was a public relations disaster for the Government, the Grand Bahama Port Authority and others who advocated the lowering of the road by some sixteen inches over objections and street protests by residents in order to facilitate the movement of aggregate from the strip mining operation, Dravo Rock. Earlier in the day, Port Authority spokesman Barry Malcolm had taken to the airwaves in a call-in radio talk show to defend the project. "Barry had a hard time of it," said one listener, "caller after caller lambasted the idea."
Mud 12 Inches Deep - A senior correspondent for this site visited the Fishing Hole Road on Friday and reported "Foot-deep mud." Reports are that even the unfinished secondary road being built to supposedly solve this problem was awash and impassable. Police had to intervene to divert traffic onto the property of the neighbouring Bahama Cement Company where motorists encountered even more mud. Amid the chaos, embarrassed FNM politicians tried to put the blame for the fiasco on drains blocked by sabotage, but said one EMR resident: "What we saw was bad engineering and bad planning." The people of the area continue their protest that a proposed conveyor belt to carry strip-mined aggregate over the main road should not go ahead until a satisfactory alternative route is completed and functioning. An irate FNM told News From Grand Bahama "Ken Russell (FNM High Rock MP and Minister for Public Works) should be ashamed."
FNM Parliamentarians In Lockstep - Grand Bahama's FNM parliamentarians gathered for a news photo in support of the Ingraham / Dion / Tommy team in the battle for that party's leadership. "They were all there, in lockstep and unsmiling," said our correspondent, "including the three woman FNM Senators." The lone Grand Bahama FNM parliamentarian not there and noticeable by his absence was Neko Grant, Member for Lucaya. The Freeport News photo caption was headlined 'Parliamentary Representatives Support 'Dream Team'. Insiders say that despite the photo, at least two of the Grand Bahama representatives "will double-bank Ingraham with the secret ballot. This will give everyone the right to say 'It wasn't me, boss." Asked about his absence, Mr. Grant deadpanned that the race for the leaders-designate was "an internal party matter and should be handled in that fashion".
Rumours On Neko's Nomination - In the midst of this swearing of fealties to one would-be FNM leader or the next, rumours of moves against the renomination of Neko Grant for the Lucaya constituency have resurfaced. Mr. Grant himself is silent on the matter, but one supporter offered, "The party is already split in three and now if you fool with Neko, you'll see what'll happen... " Sources say that Mr. Grant has told his delegates, who seem to be supporting either Algernon or Tennyson Wells, to vote their conscience.
C.A. To Retire? - Grand Bahama politicos are saying that FNM Minister and MP for Pineridge C.A. Smith is privately praying that Tennyson Wells or Algernon Allen will win as leader designate of the FNM. "These are old time FNMs who might remember him old times sake and keep him on as Minister, but its been sipped by Dion and Tommy's people that C.A. should now be ready for retirement and give that seat to someone else." On the face of it, Mr. Smith has been front and centre in the Prime Minister's campaign for Dion Foulkes and Tommy Turnquest. Things that make you go hmmm!
More FNMs Vow Not To Register - More and more this week, reports are that many FNMs across Grand Bahama are refusing to register and therefore to vote in protest at Prime Minister Ingraham's moves to "rule the party through puppets or simply destroy us... If they put those puppets in so that Hubert can have his way, people will stay away en masse and whatever happens, happens."
Container Port Stevedores - Stevedores or 'berthers' at the Grand Bahama Container Port are grumbling seriously over pay and working conditions. According to one 'berther' who says he represents the views of many "Our union leaders have sold us out and our MPs don't want to hear us." The stevedores were reportedly given a lump sum payment of $1500 and a year long contract starting in September of this year in an effort by the Container Port to head off further unrest. "That $1500 should have been at least a thousand more," said the stevedore, "and the contract doesn't deal with how this new manager is treating the people and ignoring the labour law in The Bahamas." Stay tuned.
Driftwood Exec Riles Staff - Two Bahamian resignations from the Driftwood Group's Resorts at Bahamia this past week are being blamed on a new foreign executive vice president. Reports say that one Thomas Rosati has so upset the staffers that they resigned their posts "rather than listen as grown people to someone telling you to shut up and even worse." Sources inside the company say, "He's obviously come here to axe some Bahamians and do what he has to do to bring in his own people."