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SYMONETTE SAYS NO OVER CITIZENSHIP LIST

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Published On:Friday, January 27, 2012

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Brent Symonette was yesterday called on in Parliament to produce a list of everyone granted citizenship during the FNM administration.

On the final day of debate on amendments to the Parliamentary Elections Act, Bain and Grants Town MP Dr Bernard Nottage said that in a country like the Bahamas, where people "move in and out," individuals who are not entitled to vote in an election can sometimes end up becoming registered.

He said any issues of this kind would be avoided if a list of persons who were granted citizenship was made public.

He said: "I would like the Minister of Foreign Affairs to disclose those persons who have received citizenship up to now, disclose them to the public, so that when we check the register we know who is a citizen and entitled to be registered."

However, Mr Symonette refused to name new citizens, saying he has already told the press how many persons were regularised under the FNM.

He said the protocol for registering has been clear since Independence - an applicant gets a certificate of citizenship, which he submits in order to get a passport and then uses the passport to register.

Dr Nottage also claimed people have said they are having difficulties registering to vote, often because of inconsistencies in what is accepted as correct documentation.

As a way to fix this and other problems, Dr Nottage said, he supports the idea of a permanent register.

He said: "Unless they can show cause why persons who have voted before ought not have voted before, there should not be an impediment to that person registering again.

"That is one of the reasons I favour a permanent register. If you go through the process for the very first time - have all the necessary documents, they should not have to go through the process over and over again."

Dr Nottage said he has no issue with the amendments to the Act, but believes they do not go far enough.

A resolution was also passed yesterday, authorising the Ministry of Finance to accept a $41 million loan from EXIM Bank of China to provide funding for the North Abaco Port Project and Little Abaco Bridge Project.

The design and construction of the Little Abaco Bridge will cost $6.5 million and the North Abaco Port is estimated to cost upwards of $33m.

Environment Minister Earl Deveaux said the project will provide economic opportunity and growth for Abaco, lead to environmental restoration and wetland preservation, and improve international relations. The new bridge will be constructed on the north side of the existing causeway.

Reader Comments - 16 Total

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Posted By: Erasmus Folly On: 1/30/2012

Title: @Broken Bahamas

Only idiots deliberately try to forget history. If you know your history, then you know why any Bahamian who has any sense at all would NEVER vote for the PLP. They are thieving, corrupt and incompetent jokers. Wake the f%^& up Bahamas! Stop tolerating PLP mentality of no work for more pay.

Posted By: Broken Bahamas On: 1/29/2012

Title: Stop pointing fingers

James. Typical point the finger like a child mentality. Only could be the Foreign National Movement. We're in the now. A very bleak, violent, poor, depressive now. Not in the past. If the plp comes to power again, does this nonsense, and doesn't produce a list then you can call out. I'm positive you're also the person that posted after you exclaiming James is right.

Posted By: Citizen for change On: 1/28/2012

Title: We should know...

The citizenship process and the list of who has been approved as citizens is something that current Bahamian citizens should understand and know. It is not a partisan political issue. Thats our problem as a country, we can never extricate our political views from national issues of concern.

Posted By: TS On: 1/28/2012

Title: To Tal Russel

You have no clue about the UBP. When the UBP was in power over the hill was thriving, there were many clubs and it was the main tourist attraction. Yes tourists went over the hill to Bahamian owned clubs. The PLP once in powe put an end to it. Today zero tourists go over the hill and there are zero clubs over the hill. During UBP time there was hardly any crime, the PLP drug years changed that too. I could go on and on...Oh and by the way nobody has ever done more than Sir Stafford to promote black Bahamians in the tourism industry. Pick up a history book and learn something for once instead of repeating like a parrot old and tired PLP propaganda.

Posted By: Erasmus Folly On: 1/28/2012

Title: Simple Truth

PLP = Ignorant Corrupt Hypocrites

Posted By: bigfatblowfish On: 1/28/2012

Title: @ Jack Albury

Yeah keep dreaming, your lil 3rd world backward island couldnt even pay for a corn dog

Posted By: Anti Idiocy On: 1/28/2012

Title: @Tal Russell

Why do you insist on bring such an ignorant jack? Let's here from the UBP chairman of the PLP. Talk about that. Pindling and the boys gad a whole lot if swill to say about Whites yet turned right around and kissed their backsides when it came time fir money. PLP is responsible for this lazy, criminal, entitled attitude of our people. They successfully dumbed down the masses. Your postings are proof. We are in a whole new era and you insist upon race baiting, selective amnesia and revisionist history. Stop. In case you didn't know it, the economic plan for this country is the same one forty five years after the UBP was ousted; the economy dependent primarily upon the tourist dollars and investment money of people the same color you apparently abhor. You represent the worse thus country has to offer and the comments you tend to make are sickening. "Comrade@ idiot, why don't you stop if you have nothing truthful it substantial to say?

Posted By: Hideandseek On: 1/27/2012

Title: NO???

The FNM claims to be the government in the Sunshine, so by their own mandate they should disclose to the people, the peoples business without hesitation, and whenever they are called upon to do so. What is the Minister hiding??? What is he afraid of??? If it is found that the minister gave out citizenships for votes, not only would he disserve jail time, but his legacy will forever be the minister who soldout future Bahamian generations for election votes. Prepare ya sef minister Symonette.

Posted By: Tal Russell On: 1/27/2012

Title:

Here you go again with Comrade "UBP" Jack. Comrade I got news for you. The painful truth is Sir Stafford had a lot of Vulgar things to to say about black Bahamians. Comrade Jack, like Ingraham. would love to see the foreign Sir Stafford's insult his own people.

Posted By: Jack Albury On: 1/27/2012

Title: Jack Albury

Bigfatblowfish this name suits you to the T. All the years Abaco has been subsidizing other islands with our taxes idiots like did not give a hoot about us. Now that our Prime Minister is seeing that things that are needed in Abaco are being done you spout off about it. As Aunt Esther on Sanford & Son used to say, "Watch out Sucker!" because over the years we have paid for this infrastructure and much more. We earned all that we are getting and more besides.

Posted By: bigfatblowfish On: 1/27/2012

Title: 40 million for a bridge on an out island?

Thats plenty money for a piss poor 3rd world country like ours to pay for some bridge in the middle of nowhere.

Posted By: Liz On: 1/27/2012

Title: Query@spoitier

Are you sure they were "passports"? The reason I ask is because the "Certificate of Identity" and the "e-passport" book looks exactly alike.

Posted By: spoitier On: 1/27/2012

Title: Citizenship

I was in nassau in september to get my paspsport, I no longer reside in the Bahamas. First of all i'm not prejudice against Haitian because they are only trying to live life better, but the immigration process I respect because the Bahamas only have a carrying a capacity of around 300, 000 people, which is about the Bahamian population. Now while at the passport office I was suprise to see the amount of Haitians getting passport, now the younger ones were probably born in the Bahamas so that is fair, but older people was getting passport also, to make a long story short more than 70% of the people at the passport office were either Haitian or Haitian decend.

Posted By: james is right On: 1/27/2012

Title: James is right

The PLP never told us squat, except that if a bale of dope washes up on the beach to dry it and sell it. If you can profit from drugs, profit.
Oh, and don't work the land, buy your food from away!
They are the reason why the murders are so high and young people have no social skills!

Posted By: James On: 1/27/2012

Title: Do As I Say, Not As I Do

PLP never disclosed the names of persons who received citizenship when they were in power. Next time when you are in government (if ever) show the example and disclosed the names of those persons who received citizenship. Then you will sound a bit more credible. But until then, please stop the hypocrisis.

Posted By: Tal Russell On: 1/27/2012

Title:

Those in the House yesterday say Brent seemed bored with hearing Grants Town MP Dr Bernard Nottage question him on the possible voter manipulations of persons claiming to hold Bahamian citizenship.
Brent continues to dodge rather than account for all the citizenship he signed, before he had to endure Carl Bethel running his mouth on him - remind Brent from whence he came to be the deputy leader of the FNM.
I will say it again. The official version of what lead up to Brent's sudden resignation that was issued by PM ingraham is a lie.
to read a perspective from our favorite investigative journalist, Russ Baker. He makes the point that there are still a lot of questions that haven't been answered-- and a lot that haven't even been asked.

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