The Tribune

THERE IS little wonder that Bahamians have no confidence in their leaders. The behaviour of politicians in their attempt to guide the constitutional referendum bills through parliament have exposed some of them to having more interest in winning their seats in the next election than ensuring that Bahamian men and women have equal rights in this country.

One would have thought that because — on review of past history — the PLP do not have a very good record with women’s rights that they would have done everything possible to get these Bills through parliament. As for the FNM, one would have thought that they would have had too much pride to repeat the PLP’s double-cross of 2002. But it would seem that as far as women’s rights are concerned there are Benedict Arnold’s on both sides.

We couldn’t believe Prime Minister Christie’s lament after FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis, having a week earlier declared his party’s full support for the four constitutional amendments, changed his mind on the floor of the House.

Wasn’t it Mr Christie, then Opposition leader, who in February 2002 had pledged his party’s full support to the proposed FNM government’s referendum question:

“Should Bahamian men and women be equal and should they both be able to confer nationality on their spouses and their children?”

And wasn’t it Mr Christie who when it came time for the vote urged the Bahamian people — women included — to vote “no”?

The FNM question in 2002 was a simple question that took on gargantuan proportions over the following weeks.

In a talk show at that time, the Catholic Archbishop who regretted that the procedure had become a ”political football” — a scrum he didn’t want to be drawn into — in answer to the question whether the electorate needed more time to discuss the question — the position taken by the Anglican Archbishop and the head of the Christian Council ­— replied with a question of his own:

“Of course, it would be better if we had more time to discuss any issue, but how much time does one need to decide that a Bahamian woman should have the same rights as a Bahamian man?”

But, insisted commentator Wendell Jones, “we are talking about changing the Constitution of the Bahamas which is fundamental to the people?”

“Yes, Mr Jones,” replied Archbishop Lawrence Burke, “but what about the issue – isn’t the issue of the equality between man and woman a pretty fundamental thing too, whether it is in the Constitution or not … it seems to me that this is a more basic right…”

In 2002, then Prime Minister Ingraham, made it clear — as Mr Christie has done with the bills now before the House — that he would not go through with the referendum unless there was unanimity between government and opposition.

The matter went before the House – the process that continues this morning. The then Christie-led opposition wanted many changes. Everything the PLP asked for was conceded by the Ingraham government. Mr Ingraham was determined that both government and opposition would speak with one voice when they went to the people. The vote was taken in the House and the record shows that both government and opposition unanimously agreed that the question be put to the people.

However, at his first town meeting to help inform Bahamians of what the referendum question meant, Mr Christie announced: “If I knew then what I know now, I almost certainly would have taken a different position on the bills.”

The PLP campaigned and defeated the FNM proposed referendum to give women equal rights in their own country. The 2002 election was three months away. It was far more important than women’s rights. The PLP concentrated on the election. The cry was that whichever side defeated the referendum would win the election. The PLP had picked up political momentum from the referendum battle and won the election. And now Mr Christie wonders why Dr Minnis has let him down at the last minute after agreeing on a unified approach to the four referendum questions before the House.

PLP chairman Bradley Roberts also has the nerve to accuse Dr Minnis of flip-flopping and backtracking on his promised support, “proving that he does not support equal rights for women nor does he support equality for all under the law”.

Exactly what Mr Christie and his party had done to the Ingraham government in 2002. Only Dr Minnis was gentleman enough to make his position clear on the floor of the House before the vote and not vote for it — as Mr Christie had done — and then embarrass everyone by a surprise announcement after it had gone to the people.

But more troubling than all was a Tribune report on Friday that Dr Minnis had been pressured by his party to oppose the referendum. And the reason? FNM council members believed that Dr Minnis could secure more support for himself by opposing the bills.

Is the broken record of 2002 being played all over again, only this time by the FNM? We hope that this report is not true. However, if true it is too despicable for comment.

At least Deputy Opposition Leader Loretta Butler-Turner is willing to stand on the bridge and hold the two sides together in the fight for equal rights for Bahamians. We hope that at least the women will stand behind her.

Mrs Butler-Turner has said that while the bills are not perfect in their present form she is more than willing to work with the government to ensure the rights of women are protected – even if it means that she will be standing alone.