Posted by The Eneas Files on January 14, 2002 at 15:53:19:
The Eneas Files
Wrong Priorities
Bahamians will participate in a general election in a few
months. These elections come hard on the heels of four
economically difficult months - September, October,
November and December. In conjunction with the
general elections, there will be a February referendum
resulting from constitutional amendments.
These constitutional amendments are socially based.
The most controversial of which deal with the spousal
rights of women and the legitimacy of children. Based
on my discussions, with a range of people, the
consensus is that Bahamian women married to
non-Bahamian men should have the same rights as
Bahamian men married to non-Bahamian women.
Likewise, the children of Bahamian women do not have
the same rights as the children of Bahamian men.
The elimination of the stigma of being illegitimate or an
outside child is unfair to children. Thousands in The
Bahamas are born with the burden of illegitimacy and we
all accept the fact that it is not the childs fault for his or
her state of birth.
This whole episode lacks the critical ingredient of input
from citizenry through public education fora and
feedback from the public on these issues, both of which
are emotive because, in both issues, great pain has been
inflicted on our women and children.
In spite of the events of the past few months, should
the parliamentary energy of this country be preoccupied
with social issues? It is my view that the political
directorate should be discussing approaches to
economic survival and devising programmes to alleviate
the economic uncertainty which awaits all of us.
With unemployment mounting in the US and the
recession deepening, the signals are there for economic
rough times. At the moment, The Bahamas would be
well served with an economic package which would
jump start this economy as too much has already
happened to adversely affect this economy.
A birds-eye view of The Bahamas would reveal that in
Inagua, for the first time in the last fifty years, there is
great concern about employment opportunities as
Morton Salt re-trenches its operation. Club Med has
withdrawn from San Salvador and people are now
migrating to the northern Bahamas. Exuma is
haemorraging as George Town survives while
settlements like Rolleville, Rolle-Town, and Williams
Town languish in economic decay. The same pattern
continues in Cat Island and South Eleuthera. Apart
from the weekly cruise stops at Half Moon Cay and
Bannertown-Cape Eleuthera area, economic activity is
limited.
Spanish Wells is thriving because of the fishing
industry. The Spanish Wells fishermen have vastly
improved their technology as they now process at sea on
Mother ships. Their isolationist attitude has also
changed as they now incorporate Bogue and Bluff divers
along with Harbour Islanders into their fishing
enterprise. Spanish Wells has made fishing an integral
part of its island economy and this has enabled that
island community to act as an economic catalyst for
North Eleuthera.
Similarly Abaco is experiencing success as it broadens
its economic base around tourism on the various Cays
for the boating vacationers, fishing like Spanish Wells
and farm production for both the domestic and export
markets.
If the cold weather intensifies in Florida, Abaco farmers
are set to reap substantial dividends from its winter
vegetable crop. With The Bahamas being unable to
import citrus from Florida, Abaco farmers will have the
lions share of the local fruit market.
North Andros and Grand Bahama can similarly benefit
like the Abaconians; however, they may not have taken
advantage of the situation.
As the industrial centre of The Bahamas, Grand Bahamas
economy still suffers from fickleness and is highly
vulnerable. It lacks resiliency and requires insulation.
This insulation can be found by encouraging more
development on Eastern Grand Bahama and taking better
advantage of the population base which is emerging in
Eight-Mile Rock and the potential which that brings to
Western Grand Bahama.The Bahamas can avoid the
pit-falls of economic uncertainty and unpredictability.
Social issues are important but not at this particular time.
A clear economic vision needs to be articulated and
projected. The tendency to rely on the economic
spin-offs from the US economy must stop; we need to
devise our own programme to sustain our economy. It is
apparent that our national priorities are skewed to the
election. A party will be judged by its performance over
the term of office. Introducing emotionally charged
issues are momentary distractions; the big issue is
putting the economy on the right course and
establishing a new development path this century.