I wonder if the thief probe at the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) is still being considered a case of victimization as it is turned over to the new Anti-Corruption Unit of the Royal Bahamas Police Force for investigation.

“Reasons for Smiths arrest questioned’ – The Nassau Guardian – May 20, 2017

Excerpt from this article; “Inappropriateness doe not amount to criminality, said Leader of the Opposition Philip ‘Brave’ Davis in reference to the arrest of former Nassau Village MP and Chairman of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) Dion Smith.

Smith was taken into police custody on Thursday [18^th May 2017] for questioning over an alleged thief at the corporation.

Eight employees were taken into questioning this week over several electronic items, including televisions and computers, were allegedly stolen on the night of the general election.

These employees have since been released pending further investigation.”

First, allow me to say that I agree with leader of the opposition Philip ‘Brave’ Davis when he says; “Inappropriateness does not amount to criminality..” but at the same time it does not amount to the lack thereof either and as of such investigations are necessary.

“BAIC case now corruption probe – Ingraham: Optics of Smith’s arrest unfortunate.” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt form this article; “The Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) thief probe that led to the arrest and release of former BAIC Chairman Dion Smith shortly after the general election in May has been forwarded to the new Anti-Corruption Unit of the Royal Bahamas Police Force for wider investigation, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander.

Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade revealed recently that the unit was investigating 11 cases from various government departments and public corporations, but did not say which specific cases were being looked at.

When they arrested Smith, police said the probe involved the theft of electronic items on the night of the election.

No charges were brought against anyone.”

It would appear that a lot have already concluded that the explanation as to why he [Dion Smith] and others were seen removing electronics items from his office at BAIC is plausible and that is, “According to Smith’s attorney, Wayne Munroe, the former MP decided to watch the results of the election at the BAIC last Wednesday [10^th May 2017] and brought speakers and [a] personal television to the corporation.

Smith said several employees packed these and other personal belongings after Smith learned he had lost his bid for office, according to Munroe.” 

But according to attorney Wayne Munroe, stricken with arrogance and with the assurance that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) would retain governance of the country, former member of parliament and chairman of the BAIC, Dion Smith, decided to create a ‘Super bowl’ atmosphere at this BAIC; to the point of bringing in a large screen television and speakers but are now claiming foul after being stopped by the authorities that have been known to watch government buildings on election nights for suspicions activity, such as vandalism or items being ‘carted away’.

Whatever became of watching the election results at your headquarters with your campaign workers and supporters and constituents?

As former Prime Minnis Hubert A. Ingraham says “…the optics surrounding Smith’s arrest was ‘unfortunate’ and ‘not supportive of good governance’, who knows what the former prime minister meant by this.  He could be chastising the Minnis administration for not allowing the matter to ‘go away’ or he could have been attempting to say that Dion Smith should have known better and therefore should be willing to deal with the outcome but in any event we will have to await the outcome of the investigation of the Anti Corruption Unit of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

The Progressive Liberal continues to fail for one reason, it is their nature.

END

Basically a lack of connection to the people to whom they claim to stand for but just do not seem to listen to but mostly they, as a political organization and government, seemed to have become inundated with a sense of self-righteousness that is nothing less than nauseous.

“Forbes; No need for PLP apology – MP labels Chester Cooper’s PLP repentance suggestion nonsense” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “South Andros MP Picewell Forbes charged yesterday that the Progressive Liberal Party PLP) has nothing to repent for and won’t stoop down in the face of an election defeat.

‘I know there is a time and place to say certain things.  This whole thing about repent and redeem yourself is nonsense,’ said Forbes.

‘The PLP is a party of legacy and history, man.  We have made some mistakes.’

‘We have not gotten everything right, but to tell the oldest established party in this country amidst all its fallibility, ‘You have to now stoop down, repent, reengineer, rebrand’.  No man, the people make a decision.”

Following in the same vain as Senator Fred Mitchell, South Andros MP Picewell Forbes yesterday suggested that although the Progressive Liberal Party has done some things wrong during its last administration, it has nothing to feel ‘repentant’ for because, as would he suggest, their governance was based on the legacy of the organization.  What Member of Parliament Picewell Forbes needs to address is what did the Progressive Liberal Party do right in it last five years, amidst all the controversies and scandals and also address how these controversies and scandals negatively impacted the lives of the Bahamian people whom he and his former colleagues swore to protect.

The entire concept of ‘stooping down’ is a connection that Mr. Forbes has made in his mind and it probably came about while speaking with his other parliamentary colleagues but if to sit back and reevaluate your position in light of the current circumstances i.e. reengineer, means to ‘stoop down’, then is clear that those in the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) organization are unwilling to do so and thereby move ahead.  I wonder what the foreign consultant will come up with.

The Progressive Liberal Party continues to fail for one reason, it is their nature.

END

 

“Mitchell: PLP should maintain message discipline” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) shouldn’t share its internal ‘cut and thrust’ with the public, suggested PLP Senator Fred Mitchell yesterday.

Though he did not point specifically to recent comments made by Exuma and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper on the party’s May 10 defeat, Mitchell said ‘It is important for all of the contending voices, so to speak, to lend to the enterprise of trying to get the PLP re-elected to office and I am committed to that more than anything else.

‘I think the message discipline is very important.

‘I think that while you do not keep the public in the dark about what you are doing as a party, I think the internal cut and thrust of what we should and shouldn’t do, ay and should and shouldn’t say, is important to share amongst ourselves.

‘And that dynamic, I think, will produce a very powerful organization and one which is equipped to run the country again.”

While it may be true that the internal ‘cut and thrust’ of any political organization does not necessarily have to be shared with the public; it is also fact that if the ‘internal cut and thrust’ is only a fight to keep things the same, then there is something fundamentally wrong and also if your only reason now is to have your party re-elected, showing no willingness at the attempt to work along with the governing party to move the country forward for the betterment of the people, then it has become obvious that your political sunset has set and it is time for you to move on, as you are missing the original ‘message disciple’ of our own political organization.

Then there is the question of has the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) maintained it’s ‘message disciple’ and if not has the message improved or simply become outdated, while there may be a question of an outdated message being forward by the ‘old guard’ of the Progressive Liberal Party, there is also the issue of Senator Mitchell suggesting that he does not think that ‘the public should not be kept in the dark about what it is that you are doing as a party’, this is also very true but doe she not realize that while as government his party not only kept their supporters in the dark but also the persons that they were elected to govern and therefore were accountable to?

Although Senator Mitchell did not single out Chester Cooper, Exuma and Ragged Island MP, it has become painfully obvious over the years that the Progressive Liberal Party does not take to kindly to young voice that goes against the party’s message, no matter how dated it has become but it may be wise for Senator Mitchell to listen to Chester Cooper MP because at the very least he won his seat, which seems the only interest of Senator Mitchell.

The Progressive Liberal Party continues to fail for one reason, it is their nature.

END

It would now appear that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) is accusing the Free National Movement (FNM) government of doing the same thing that it took them five years to do in office, although the FNM has only been in for forty days and of course the claims by their national chairman, makes no sense as usual and therefore cannot be quantified.

“Roberts blast FNM’s last 40 days” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts accused Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis of backtracking on many of his campaign promises, raising unemployment and offering now new legislation since coming to office May 10^th.

‘It has been 40 days since the FNM assumed office, and for a group who was critical of the PLP’s governance, it is inexcusable that the Minnis crew could not table one single bill in Parliament in 40 days and took a 10-week vacation break,’ Roberts said, referring to the House of Assembly’s adjournment until September 13.

‘No new crime-fighting strategies; no new immigration policies; no energy reform policies; no strategy for growing the economy and creating jobs.’

‘While many jobs must be created in this economy, the Minnis government is busy raising the unemployment rate; engaging in witch hunts to satisfy their rabid political base; and backtracking, walking back and back peddling.”

When the Progressive Liberal Party came to office in 2012 they came with a 100-day plan, in other words; as they may put it they got to work and ‘hit the ground running’ putting into effect all sorts of initiatives in such an unorganized fashion that eventfully they all failed or just were not beneficial to the people that they were intended for; they did this in 100 plus days and failed the people and there is no mention of the money that was lost but yet they, through their illustrious chairman would now charge that the Free National Movement has not forth a single initiative in the past forty days; and they say this with no shame about them but then I have said before that they do not know what shame is.

Now the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) party after admonishing the FNM for not putting forth a single initiative in the past forty days, have  gone back into their little corner and brought in foreign consultants to tell them where they went wrong in the last general election and I wonder if they are attempting to analyze the entire five years or just what they did wrong during the campaign season because they went wrong during both periods but the most important would be the entire five years, as this only makes sense and they really do not need foreigners to tell them where they went wrong.

Listening to the Senator Fred Mitchell tonight is a good place to begin as to where the Progressive Liberal Party went wrong and that is that they allowed persons like Mitchell to influence the campaign with his backward polices and backward thinking, as he has recently displayed since their lost.  To listen to Senator Mitchell and some others within the Progressive Liberal Party, the black Bahamian has voted against themselves and have allowed themselves to be ‘enslaved’ by ‘the white man’ again and only the PLP can save them. 

Yes, Senator Mitchell, this sort of thinking is why your party lost, and this is beside the fact that you refused to listen to the people when they spoke to you and your colleagues, only seeming to extend arrogance when asked to address certain issues, especially when they were not addressed properly and the public needed clarification.

This advice I give for free and you can tell the foreign consultants that they are not needed.

Throwing good money after bad.

The Progressive Liberal Party continues to fail for one reason, it is their nature.

EN

It would appear that former Prime Minister Perry Christie, after breaking his long held silence, still does not seem to get the ‘big picture’.

While he defends his himself and his  government’s actions on certain issues, he seems not to realize that the Bahamian people took a look at the big picture as it relates to our fiscal position, the manner in which we were being taxed and judged him and his administration accordingly.

“Christie defends claims on spending

• Former PM is ‘disappointed by FNM’s allegations
• Says govt. did nothing wrong over $8m payout
• Calls for review of documents” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “FORMER Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday condemned efforts by the Minnis administration to portray his government in a negative light, as he challenged the nation’s leader to carry out a ‘dispassionate examination of the records’.

During a lengthy interview at his Cable Beach home on Thursday, Mr. Christie defended his administration from accusations of irresponsible spending, malfeasance and cronyism.

He also said he was ‘disappointed’ by the allegations being tossed around by the new government concerning matters that transpired during his term as prime minister.

Hitting back at accusations from members of the Minnis administration concerning the controversial pay out of more than $8m to one vendor for hurricane clean up and the write off of $1.2m to an airport tenant who was in arrears, Mr. Christie described recent moves by the government as a ‘misstep’ by a party pandering to its base.”

Mr. Christie maintained that a review of documents relating to these two controversies would absolve his administration of any wrongdoing and prove the FNM’s rhetoric is nothing more than ‘political slogans.”

I say that it does not absolve the previous Christie administration of any wrongdoing, as these allegations all detail a pattern of wanton, blatant and careless economic wastage by the Christie administration, especially at a time when we were lest able to afford it and also due to the fact that the former prime minister’s explanation of the controversies that he choose to focus on makes absolutely no sense.

It is my opinion that as the former prime minister defends his administration against allegations of fiscal malfeasances, he misses the big picture by which his administration was judged and which he nor anyone his the former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) ministers has been able to adequately explain; why after collecting over a billion dollars in value-added tax (VAT) and other taxes, why was our economy downgraded four times in the five years of the Christie administration with both the fiscal deficit and national debt increasing at an alarming rate?

The Progressive Liberal Party failed for one reason, it is their nature.

END

“Clarke: Cooper should have made remarks in private” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) candidate Dr. Charles Clarke said he agrees with much of Exuma and Ragged Island Member of Parliament (MP) Chester Cooper’s observations of why the PLP lost the last general election, but says Cooper may have been attempting to score ‘brownie points’ by doing so in such a public forum.”

My most obvious question would be, score ‘brownie points’ for what and with whom?  Is there a power struggle going here?

Indeed, the Progressive Liberal Party is a party of secrets and maybe Mr. Cooper should have made his observations ‘in house’ where they could have been left to die a lonely death but wasn’t he addressing the National Progressive Institute; I am not getting the impression that this ‘private club’ is not as ‘private’ as I once thought, as I posed the question to persons “Exactly what is the National Progressive Institute? And by the very same token, the point being made that Mr. Cooper is attempting to score ‘brownie points’, what exactly is Dr. Clarke’s motivation by openly admonishing minister Chester Cooper for this observations?

I must say that some of these people within the Progressive Liberal Party confuse me.

Then there is the analogy drawn by Dr. Clarke to explain why he does not agree with Chester Cooper’s call for the PLP to ‘apologize’ to the Bahamian people; “It is like a vehicle,’ Clarke told the Guardian yesterday.

‘When you have a car and it has an accident or knocks someone down, the car doesn’t apologize to the person.

It is certainly not the passenger or the car, but it is the driver who comes out to apologize, or should apologize.

‘There are people in the party who should apologize to the party and the council of the party for taking the party and its vision away from the core values of the party, and it is now causing the Bahamian people to now be skeptical about the party.”

Wow, who is this man because his thought process is really scary and I really mean, who is he? Because before the election I had never heard of him before.

When he says “There are people in the party who should apologize for taking the party and its vision away from its core values of the party “, does he not realize that that one; this is basically what Chester Cooper is saying and two; doesn’t he feel ‘these people’, of which he is a part, owe an apology to the Bahamian people?

Does he really believe that they only owe an apology only to the party and council of the party? 

This is sad and borders on the delusional and seems to be what member of parliament Chester Cooper is saying when he says; “…the party lost the 2012 general election because it ‘protected he interest of the party over the interest of the nation, and urged party members to make a ‘sincere and humble apology and repentance’ to its supporters and the country.”

While, there are many in the Progressive Liberal Party that feel that they have NOTHING to ‘repent’ for, I am thinking that Dr. Charles Clarke may think he has nothing to apologize for because ‘he just reach’.

The Progressive Liberal Party continues to fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END

 

“Sears backs Cooper on PLP views” – The Tribune

Except from this article; “FORMER Attorney General Alfred Sears applauded Exuma and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper’s recent frank reflections on the Progressive Liberal Party’s loss yesterday while former State Minister for National Security Keith Bell said he disagreed with those remarks.

‘Those represent his personal views to which he is entitled to make but they don’t represent my view and I disagree with his view,’ Bell said.  ‘A combination of reasons (caused the PLP’s loss) but I reserve my views for the moment.  No need to add to the confusion.”

What ‘moment’ would that be Mr. Bell?

As some attempt to distance themselves from former Prime Minister and former leader of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Perry Christie, there are still those that seek to hold in place his legacy.

“Mitchell won’t ‘pile on’ Christie criticism” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Senator Fred Mitchell said yesterday that former Prime Minister has accepted responsibility for the party’s 2017 defeat and he won’t ‘join in on the parade’ to ‘trample’ his name.

It is indeed good that the former prime minister has accepted responsibly for the party’s election defeat but has he had that ‘come to Jesus’ moment on exactly what it was he did wrong and are others that seem to want to hold onto Christie name and legacy aware of exactly what brought about this crushing defeat because it would appear that some like Senator Fred Mitchell would do the same thing all over again, in the very same way if they were able to; even knowing the outcome – this is simply amazing.

Indeed, there is a divide in the Progressive Liberal Party about the future direction of the party and it seems that the only person from the ‘old guard’ to express their desire to stay the course is Senator Fred Mitchell; others either could not be reached for comment or just refused to comment.

The Progressive Liberal Party continues to fail for one reason, it is their nature.

END

If it were coming from me, then it would be classified as biased political talk but when it comes from one in your own camp, then what do you call it?

“PLP MP calls on party to repent – Cooper claims he knew Christie was a tough sell” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; In a frank and scathing speech before the Progressive Liberal Party’s (PLP) National Progressive Institute last night, Exuma and Ragged Island MP Chester Copper charged that the party lost the 2017 general election because it ‘protected the interest of the party over the interest of the nation’, and urged party members to makes a ‘sincere and humble apology and repentance’ to its supporters and the country.

‘I don’t expect this suggestion to be warmly embraced, but the Anglicans and Catholics would be familiar with the act of penitence: If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us,’ he said.

Cooper also acknowledged that during the recent election campaign, then Prime Minister Perry Christie was a hard sell.

He said as he campaigned voters told him more than once that, ‘Chester, I like you.  You are the best candidate by far, with the best plan.  I want to support you, but I can’t vote for you because I cannot support Perry Christie or what the PLP has become, and a vote for you is a vote for Christie.

Cooper said the party was ‘out of touch’ and not ‘transparent and accountable’ enough in the lead up to the election.”

Right now this young man is saying all the right things but is it too little too late for him to remove himself from the shadow of the Christie legacy? Most may claim that his success at the polls is a sign of this but he only managed to garner 51.57% of the votes cast that day and also the question should be asked, when exactly did he have these revelations about the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and its former leader?

When Mr. Cooper speaks about having ‘no sin’ and deceiving oneself’, he must be mindful that the very persons that he may have been addressing as he made this “frank and scathing speech” are the very ones that are full of ‘sin’ and have been judged accordingly by the people and by this very same token if the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) is to pick itself up, it must rid itself of the image/legacy of ‘party first’, which exists heavily in the ‘old guard’ of the party and even within Mr. Cooper himself; who saw no reason to sound the alarm when he saw things going wrong leading into the 2017 general election

The Progressive Liberal Party seems to just not get it.

The Progressive Liberal Party failed for one reason, it is their nature.

END

Knowing the duplicitous and hypocritical nature of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the highly ineffective and non-professional fashion that they approached the Baha Mar situation after the original developer, Sarkis Izmirlian filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a United States court; it would be unwise and dare I say just plain stupid of anyone to trust a word out of their mouth as it pertains to the Baha Mar deal and anything else for that matter.

What is unfortunate is that they [the Progressive Liberal Party] allowed another nation, the Chinese, to come subvert our national sovereignty by encouraging them into applying to the courts to seal the contents of this deal; claiming ‘sensitive matters’, when it would actually appear that there MAY have been nothing to hide in the first place.

“Davis says FNM ‘climb down’ shows deceit in campaign” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “OFFICIAL Opposition Leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis has accused the Minnis administration of a ‘breath taking climb down’ over its seemingly reversed position on Baha mar, which he said was part of the Free National Movement’s election campaign ‘deceit’.

The statement from the Progressive Liberal Party leader came days after Attorney General Carl Bethel told The Tribune there is nothing ‘unusual’ in the documents relating to Baha Mar’s sale to Chow Tai Fook Enterprises.

Mr. Davis said the FNM acted in desperation when in opposition by suggesting there was something illegal or unethical in the documents relating to the mega resort’s sale and remobilization.

He questioned what the FNM ‘promised’ original developer Sarkis Izmirlian for this support.”

Why the ‘cloak and dagger’?

Why all the secrecy?

In my opinion, if the Free National Movement (FNM) or any incoming government had it to do all over again, I would recommend the very same course of action, all under the principles of open and transparent governance – something the Progressive Liberal Party seems to know nothing about .

As it would appear that the Progressive Liberal Party seems to be deceitful and insincere, even when situation do not warrant this type of behavior and as we have seen it is usually to their very own detriment.

Now they must face the harsh reality, as they call others ‘deceitful’, that most people voted against them simply because the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), as a government, refused to be open and honest to the public whom they served.

The Progressive Liberal Party failed for one reason, it is their nature.

END

 This past week was very disappointing one for many, as the budget debate came to a close – blue print of bad governance and for fiscal mismanagement by the former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government being laid out leaving many in total amazement and others physically nauseous; with all being left up to the office of the Attorney General to prosecute who needed to be prosecuted, wherever criminality could be proven but with the Attorney General saying that he had not yet received any files on misconduct on which to bring anyone before the courts as they should be.

“Bethel; No file received on misconduct” – The Tribune 23^rd June 2017

Excerpt from this article; “Attorney General Carl Bethel said his office had not received any files in relation to complaints of misconduct of former government officials.

He said whatever information that is sent to the Office of the Attorney General in the future will be dealt with under due process.  However, he added the many allegations against the former administration that have emerged from the House of Assembly warranting criminal prosecution have other avenues of redress.”

This then would suggest that the door is still open to holding the former administration to account for it many cases of alleged malfeasances, as audits and investigations are still ongoing and also shows clearly why there is URGENT need for anti-corruption legislation.

“Carl Bethel: Public justifiably horrified – AG says Christie administration appears to have abandoned good governance.” – The Nassau Guardian 24 June 2017

Excerpt from this article; “Attorney General Carl Bethel yesterday said there is something ‘rotten in the state’ as he reference a number of reported cases of alleged misfeasance by the Christie administration highlighted in the House of Assembly.

He said while his office will take a balanced approach when looking at such matters, he noted Bahamians are ‘justifiably horrified’ by some of the allegations of wastage and are calling for action.

The budget debate in the House of Assembly….has began to reveal the excessive spending that the PLP indulged in Bethel said as he contributed to the 2017/2018 budget debate in the Senate.”

This brought the response from some members of the PLP and some of it supporters; claiming that the people get ‘swing’ because look at all the wrong that we did and what will you all do about it?  

It is as if the former administration is admitting to the wrongdoing and also making the claim that if you were not going to do anything about it, the country might as well have left them in government to finish the ‘job’ that they started.

Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Senator Dr. Michael Darville in lying out his case went on to say, “………the people are tired of political talk.  He encouraged the government to ‘get to work’.

If you have something on some ministers that you believe is criminal carry then to the police’, he said

Darville added that so far; all of the claims made by the current government have been ‘just talk’.

So the former minister calls the allegations of mismanagement of the public purse “just talk” but the question is, are they true?

Senator Mitchell then went on to say, “………..he is unaware of any act of malfeasance on his part or on the part of Senator Dr. Darville, who is also a former minister.

He objected to Bethel’s’ implicit threats’.

Mitchell added: ‘Don’t come in here being fast and loose, quick and clever.  If you have something…..say so.’

The former minister’s comments came after Bethel pointed to the 2011 Caribbean Court of Justice that gave the go ahead for the attorney-general of Belize to take legal action against two of it ministers for monetary losses suffered by the state as a result of malfeasance.

Bethel said he was merely making a note of the case.”

So clearly the Attorney General, Carl Bethel knows of this ongoing issue, as does Senator Fred Mitchell but it seems that Senator Michael Darville is still unaware of what is going on, as he was during the past five years and someone needs to sit him down and clue him in.

Indeed, Senator Mitchell needs to get Senator Darville up to speed and very quickly as to what he is “justifiably horrified” of when Attorney-General Carl Bethel mentions the recent legal action that Belize recently took against two of its ministers and the possible ramifications that it could have on the members of the former administration because if it was up to me Senator Darville would be one of those name at the top of the list to be investigated for ‘monetary losses suffered by the state as the results of malfeasances.

The Progressive Liberal Party continues to fail for one reason, it is their nature.

END