By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday conceded that the June 7 constitutional referendum went “hopelessly wrong” and said he was “shocked” to be accused of having a hidden agenda that sided with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
Speaking in the House of Assembly, Mr Christie said the government accepted the outcome of the failed equality referendum but seemed to place blame of its outcome on Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis and some church leaders who did not communicate their reservations during consultations with the government.
Still Mr Christie admitted that the entire referendum process may have been “hopelessly flawed” because of a compelling urgency by some to “pay back” the PLP. This, he said, affected the supremacy of the issues presented during the vote.
He further defended the government’s decision to fund the YES Bahamas campaign saying it took this position because “that was all that it was about. It was never about ‘no’.”
He added: “We ensured that there was full and uncompromising levels of consultation and we made it absolutely clear to the ministers of the gospel that we were together, the leader of the opposition and I.
“ . . . The leader indicated to me that his wife and my wife would lead the charge and we gave full assurance to the ministers of religion present that this was the purity of our position.
“They had a trust in the commitment in the leadership of the Free National Movement and the Progressive Liberal Party. (But) whatever happens we accept the result.
“This is why I feel bad those church leaders who got together and committed themselves did so because they trusted us.”
He continued: “But things went hopelessly wrong when we who sat together had to witness the leader of the opposition telling people go vote your conscience.
“This whole thing may have been hopelessly flawed because of a compelling urgency on the part of some to pay us back (for) what they perceived to be a payback to the PLP and therefore the supremacy of the issues of equality were lost in a payback.”
However Dr Minnis took exception to this, saying he told the House of Assembly from as early as July 2014 that he was urging Bahamians to vote their conscience. He reread the excerpts of a 2014 speech into the record of Parliament to substantiate the point.
The Killarney MP said he supported the referendum and that the FNM always supported equality for women.
“He attempted not only to impugn my character but my honesty and sincerity,” Dr Minnis said. “And with respect to the referendum the prime minister eluded to this House that he was not familiar with my position in terms of me informing people how they should vote.”
At the height of national discourse on the referendum, particularly bill four, many Bahamians accused the government of having a hidden agenda because it sought to prevent discrimination based on sex or being male or female. Some thought this would lead to gay marriage.
Recently sitting Court of Appeal President Dame Anita Allen has said this proposed amendment neither opened the door nor closed it to same-sex marriages, pointing to “difficulties” inherent in the existing marriage laws that do not present any clear provision that parties to a marriage must be male and female.
Comments
Honestman 7 years, 10 months ago
Mr Christie admitted that the entire referendum process may have been “hopelessly flawed” because of a compelling urgency by some to “pay back” the PLP.
Christie and his cohorts have only themselves to blame for their duplicity in the 2002 and 2013 referenda. An even bigger "pay back" awaits them in May 2017 if the main opposition party can get its act together.
watcher 7 years, 10 months ago
Now would be an opportune time to resign Mr Christie.
ohdrap4 7 years, 10 months ago
Cameron did it this morning.
B_I_D___ 7 years, 10 months ago
Hey...I'm FNM, I will admit that...I voted YES to the equality the first time around, and despite my better judgement to slam them with payback, I voted YES this time around as well, even if the PLP were to get credit for getting it passed, because it was the right thing to do. The LGBT thing was an insignificant factor that was blown way out of proportion to capitalize on our homophobic little nation.
Reality_Check 7 years, 10 months ago
Don't you believe it! Christie's only regret is that the Bahamian people proved to be smarter than the D- education he and his equally corrupt predecessors (Pindling and Ingraham) have given them over many years.
ghostwriter242 7 years, 10 months ago
Well said!
TalRussell 7 years, 10 months ago
Rt. Honourable Prime Minister, this is the aftershock that the PLP cabinet is only now experiencing are coming from the 2013 Numbers Houses Referendum.
PLP's in the thousand who really like you a lot, still voted "NO" in both referendums.
Fact is 77.7% of the "YES" Votes to amend the constitution, were cast by red shirts
John 7 years, 10 months ago
Christie's biggest worry right now is that Election 2017 does not go hopelessly wrong (for himself and the PLP.). They have to many pots of uncooked food on the fire and they know what will happen to those pots if they lose the election. This is a more educated electorate, a more rlhight ended electorate, a less tolerant electorate, a less forgiving voter, so those politically have just one chance and in very few instances two, to get it right. And if Christie gets kicked in his political backside in 2017 that will be it. The fat lady will have sung and "ole man winter ". Will be recruiting full time. Now what was this post about again?
sheeprunner12 7 years, 10 months ago
This stupid jackass of a national leader has to resign ......... or we will kick him to the curb like SLOP in 1992 .......... Perry is a national disgrace and a joke among his peers
TigerB 7 years, 10 months ago
That what real PM do, as in the case of the British PM who stepped down after his fail referendum!
Sickened 7 years, 10 months ago
I'm hoping that Perry knew about the Brexit vote last night. And, if he did, will follow Cameron's lead and quit. QUIT YOU LOUSY, USELESS S.O.B.!!!
We need a COMPETENT captain to lead this sinking ship to safe harbour.
Abaconian 7 years, 10 months ago
Resign
Zakary 7 years, 10 months ago
This is an opportune time to discuss the UK ‘Brexit’ referendum. Let’s do a crude comparison shall we?
The UK’s electorate is made up of 46,501,241 people with 33,573,896 of them voting, That’s a turnout of about 72.2%. The UK has voted to leave the EU 52% to 48%. David Cameron will be stepping down as Prime Minister in the coming months, as his position was to stay in the EU. In his speech today he said;
“The will of the British people is an instruction that must be delivered.”
Our electorate is made up of a number between/exactly 179,508/179,972, who knows, let’s say about 180,000, with an average of 83,495 of us voting. That’s a turnout of about 46%. The Bahamas has voted to leave the Constitution unchanged 70% to 30% across the the four amendments. Prime Minister Perry Christie will not be stepping down in the coming months, even though his position was to change the Constitution. Roughly two weeks after the referendum he said;
“This whole thing may have been hopelessly flawed because of a compelling urgency on the part of some to pay us back (for) what they perceived to be a payback to the PLP and therefore the supremacy of the issues of equality were lost in a payback.”
Hmm....where’s Rollins?
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