FORMER Free National Movement Chairman Darron Cash has urged Prime Minister Perry Christie to hold off on the proposed constitutional referendum until November, and use the delay to add more broad-based issues into the process.
The constitutional vote has been delayed four times. It was last scheduled for November of last year, but postponed to this year.
Last December, Mr Christie told reporters he wants the vote by June of this year. He added this timeframe would depend on whether a successful education campaign can be finished by then.
However, yesterday, Mr Cash said given Mr Christie’s track record with execution, it is best to hold the vote until the end of the year.
“Prime Minister Perry Christie has accumulated a disappointing record of failed attempts to accomplish big things,” Mr Cash said.
“Execution is clearly not his strength. By any reasonable measure the nationally supported effort at constitutional reform has come up short and almost to the point of being stillborn.
“While most right-thinking Bahamians want and support the Christie government’s effort to compensate for their sin of killing the FNM government’s 2002 constitutional referendum of which gender equality for women was a component, many of these same Bahamians will readily admit that the current feeble, half-hearted, off on, hot and cold attempt at constitutional reform lacks clear leadership and commitment.”
Mr Cash said Mr Christie should not proceed with a June referendum on gender equality but focus on a November 2015 referendum “that is more broad based and more substantive in reshaping the nature of how we govern ourselves”.
In addition to issues of gender equality, the former senator suggested adding a question of the creation of an independent boundaries commission; a clear national answer to the citizenship question; security of tenure and a staggered term for senators.
“The current sporadic, low energy, and low volume debate about gender equality is a clear example of Christie’s lack of commitment,” he said.
“They have timidly out-sourced national leadership to an unelected Constitutional Commission. The Commission has done its work. Now it is time for the prime minister to do his.”
Comments
Publius 9 years, 2 months ago
Stop saying it needs to be postponed again. If you don't want it or don't think the public wants it, just call for it to be scrapped. In practical terms, what is the difference between June and November? This is beyond sublime now.
sansoucireader 9 years, 2 months ago
It's disgusting that in 2015 Bahamian women are still considered 2nd class citizens, and politicians think nothing is wrong about passing this back & forth. Backwards! Backwards! Backwards!
duppyVAT 9 years, 2 months ago
Perry know he cant get the bills passed so he scrappin for excuses ............ SHAME. Perry the Bahamian people gat a lot a CUTASS for you and your skanky crew a PLP crooks
John 9 years, 2 months ago
Why muddy the water even more by adding more questions? And Bahamian woman are not second class citizens. Even though there may be laws on the books that discriminate against women, most women in this country are exercising the same freedoms, rights and privlidges as their male counterparts. The question and fear is what closet doors do you open when you try to fix the laws on the books.
Publius 9 years, 2 months ago
One word. Stupid. It is obvious Cash is just talking to hear himself talk. What makes him think that citizenship issues for children of two foreign parents can be resolved this year in order to entrench such a matter in the Constitution, when Bahamians are still fighting over rights for children of Bahamian women and Bahamian unmarried men? And what is "security of tenure" supposed to be referring to? And why would a staggered term for Senators need to be entrenched? Do we have anyone in politics today who knows what they are really doing?
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