The Tribune

THE much awaited letter from House Speaker Dr Kendal Major informing him of North Abaco MP Hubert Ingraham’s resignation from the House arrived on the Governor General’s desk yesterday morning.

Mr Ingraham announced in the House on July 19 – the 35th anniversary of his election to parliament — that he intended to resign his North Abaco seat on August 31. The delay of more than a month —from announcement to resignation — was to accommodate FNM candidate Greg Gomez in his need to satisfy his residency requirements to qualify as a candidate in the constituency. Campaigning in the district is now underway.

Although the Speaker was a little slow in notifying the governor-general whose duty it is to issue a writ for the election, this will in no way affect the election date, which has to be held within 60 days of the resignation— not the notification.

Prime Minister Perry Christie stated the obvious when he said that the bye-election would be held in October — the 60 days expires on October 30. However, it seems clear that the bye-election will be held sometime between now and Wednesday, October 17, when the House reconvenes. On that day the new MP for North Abaco is expected to be sworn in.

Prime Minister Christie announced that the referendum would come after the election. It seems that we are now moving into a government by referendum and putting in mothballs what Bahamians have always voted for — a representative government.

Of the three proposed referenda, the only referendum required by the constitution is the section that affects the citizenship of a woman’s foreign spouse and their children. This change will amend the citizenship section of the Constitution. This can only be changed by the people’s vote.

The other two referenda are being brought about because the people’s representatives find themselves caught between a “rock and a hard place” and want to pass the buck to the people who are paying them to represent them and make the decisions. These two proposed referenda are unnecessary because they do not affect the Constitution— although they might protect some compromised politicos.

Although many Bahamians expect the women’s rights referendum to be held first — and soon— we hate to dash their hopes. They might have to wait another four years — and even then it might be forgotten. Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell when asked recently refused to be pinned to a date. He said it would be before the end of the PLP’s term in office in 2017.

Apparently a decision on oil drilling in our pristine waters and gambling — government lottery and continuation of number houses — are more important.

The gambling is going to be interesting. This is one baby that the legislators do not want to touch — they don’t want to lose the Baptist vote nor do they want to lose the generosity of numbers king-pin Craig Flowers, who heads the FML Group of Companies, and whose gambling establishments have been raided several times by police. There are those who say that a proliferation of gambling will be a curse on our society, while others claim that the taxed proceeds in government hands could benefit the country. They point, as an example, to Mr Flowers’ $100,000 donation to NEMA for hurricane relief not too long ago.

And, of course, with the North Abaco bye-election in full swing, there are whispers that some flowers might be generously sprinkled throughout the district to cheer the people to the polls.

And then there are the churchmen. The late PM Sir Lynden Pindling was quite the chameleon — he could change positions as quickly as the lizard could change colours. And remarkably, like the lizard, he got away with it, he just slithered off, fooling everybody. And on gambling he was pretty slick — he didn’t have the crisis of conscience that the present lot seem to have. He didn’t pass the buck, by sleight of hand he just did it.

In 1968 — going into his second election to get a majority that would allow him to govern — he declared that “no further certificate of exemption will be granted for casino gambling anywhere in the Bahamas.” He maintained that if the UBP were elected they would extend gambling. This was not true. The late Premier Sir Roland Symonette, a staunch Methodist, was himself anti-gambling. However, Sir Lynden got away with the bluff. He won his majority and 11 years later on May 6, 1978, under glittering lights and scantily clad bunny girls tripping around with trays of cocktails, Sir Lynden opened Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Casino in the Ambassador Hotel with the words: “It’s a dream come true!”

That same month the Baptist made it very clear that they would “find it very difficult to support any government that utilises gambling as a source of national income.”

But election after election they seemed to forget the difficulty. In his government’s 1988 Budget Sir Lynden told the House that casino gambling would be extended to the Family Islands. And so it was.

The Baptist made noise, but election after election they continued to support Sir Lynden.

Prime Minister Christie has recently appointed several churchmen to his new boards and committees. But, on the other side he cannot afford to forget the generosity of the numbers men.

He should be like Sir Lynden, bring the matter before the House and have members do the job they were paid to do — vote what’s best for the country —to gamble or not to gamble.

Remember, economically our resources are stretched and these referenda cost money. Spare the people the burden —do your job.