The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

Twice in less than 24 hours, our Prime Minister has publicly addressed the nation wrapping himself in our Bahamian flag to justify his government’s unwarranted interference in matters involving private businesses. Why?

He claims it is his responsibility, and that of his Cabinet, to the people of The Bahamas, punctuating that logic by saying he is the advocate of the Baha Mar employees. He says he will have his government, through our courts, take over Baha Mar through a receiver. He has instructed his Attorney General to file papers, so that a liquidator can seize the Baha Mar resort, which has been trying to get itself completed and opened.

But he also says “don’t worry, Baha Mar employees”. The liquidator is not really a liquidator, but according to the Prime Minister merely a neutral party who will be the caretaker of the Baha Mar assets until the PM and his Cabinet figure out what’s next.

In reading all of the media reports on this so far, I find this strange. Wasn’t the Prime Minister just at the beginning of this past week depicting himself as nothing more than the neutral party - “the mediator” - in the private discussions being undertaken in China between Baha Mar, and its general contractor China State Construction, and its lender, China Ex-Im Bank?

And, at that time, didn’t the PM, after implying directly and indirectly to all of us there would be an agreement shortly, have his hand-picked representative at the discussions, the Attorney General, suddenly bolt from the ongoing discussions after only 48 hours while all the other parties were still discussing. He says it was because the discussions failed, but none of the private parties directly involved have announced anything of the kind. And indeed Baha Mar has said publicly just the opposite.

Maybe the PM’s self-determined timeline said he needed to have his Cabinet back home in The Bahamas because it has to meet with the global rating agency Standard & Poor’s, which already has raised serious questions about our country’s economic health and its ability to attract much needed foreign investment. And just maybe, the PM’s antics of the past week have nothing to do with the discussions between the parties, but rather is an attempt to use Baha Mar to manipulate all of us away from holding him and his government accountable for our country’s economic and social problems and what may very well be a very critical Standard & Poor’s report highlighting them.

After all, history is replete with sad examples of sudden and extreme government actions to distract their populace from the real economic and social ills that plague their societies - Europe, China, Middle East, you name it.

Prime Minister Christie and his confederates act churlishly when their action to seize Baha Mar is termed “nationalisation”, but the reality is: what is their right to simply seize the resort? And if a country undertakes such an action, what is it but a nationalisation? The PM is not an owner; and he and his cabinet do not have a direct economic interest in Baha Mar. The government does, however, owe Baha Mar money which if the PM had paid on time as promised might have alleviated the need for Baha Mar to be protected appropriately through the Chapter 11 process under the US Bankruptcy code.

The PM even has the audacity to tell us that the liquidation of Baha Mar he is trying to enact is a protective action - but how can that be? There is no equivalent Chapter 11 process and protection under Bahamian law, which is the very reason Chapter 11 was sought by Baha Mar in the US. The PM knows this. He just does not want us to understand this.

Our “neutral” PM and “neutral” Attorney General have a lot of explaining to do to us about their relationship with China State Construction, The China Ex-Im Bank and the government of China. We know the Chinese were awarded important infrastructure projects by our government, but have not performed up to snuff. However, our government must be pleased that the Chinese gave us our sports stadium. Nice package!

We know that the Chinese own the Hilton and other properties in downtown Nassau, and that our government has agreed to the Chinese government’s request that the Bahamas become part of China’s economic trading zone in our hemisphere. We know, from media reports, our Attorney General, who has been one of the more public pit bulls used by the PM to challenge Baha Mar’s Chapter 11 and to set in motion the liquidation seizure of the resort, has swept under the rug whispers that are growing louder of her possible conflicts of interest including the possibility that members of her family are creditors in order to act with respect to Baha Mar.

In his address to the nation on Thursday night, and in his public statement the following day, Prime Minister Christie tried to convey he had been informed by the Chinese that the Baha Mar discussions had failed and that he - the neutral party - has been engaged all along in secret in making a “side deal” with the Chinese. Really? If true, is that helpful? Is that being a mediator? Is that consistent with transparency?

And finally, does the PM really think that we believe he speaks for the Chinese, who candidly are not shy about making their views known directly, not through him as intermediator, when they have something to say? China State Construction indeed only a week ago issued not just a public statement but a formal press release on its views on the Chapter 11. Since discussions began in China, it has said nothing. China Ex-Im Bank filed a motion at the end of June before the Bahamian Supreme Court about the Chapter 11. It too has said nothing about the discussions in China. So, you will excuse us that we don’t think they really are looking to you, Prime Minister Christie, to speak on their behalf.

So Prime Minister Christie, what’s up? What is your behaviour at the end of this past week really about? Baha Mar? China? Politics? We may have elected you but please don’t try to fool us!

Yours truly,

A CONCERNED CITIZEN

Nassau,

July 19, 2015.