EDITOR, The Tribune.
May I address the potential impact of the amendments when all is done and one presumes the voters approve (not guaranteed).
Amendment to Article: 8… not retroactive but how many applications remain unprocessed is it hundreds or thousands? Immigration, please advise.
Amendment to Article: 10... this just gives the non-Bahamian husband in a marriage, live-existing, the right to apply and obtain citizenship. The key words here are “right” and “obtain” and in the principle of the amendment what is meant by “...making application in such manner as may be prescribed” - why isn’t the prescribed manner part of the amendment? We need to divorce “politics” totally from the giving of citizenship and as governments change the terms or the requirements to attain citizenship change. As the courts said recently The Bahamas is solely governed by laws not political policy.
How many applications are there waiting processing under this header?
Amendment to Article:14 ... inevitable to be included as otherwise there would be a conflict-discrimination as Bahamian women have this right. Has government looked at the issue of that child being a citizen of another country - The Bahamas does not permit dual citizenship; one is required at 21 years to decide, Bahamian or...I note it does not give rights to the foreign woman who bears the child.
Amendment to Article: 26... I am of the thinking that this is not drafted correctly - The Matrimonial Act says marriage is between man and woman...the Constitution is superior to legislation so The Constitution must say what marriage is with a qualifier as is used in the case in the 1969 Lotteries & Gaming Act, acknowledge discrimination and add support of the constitution to the discrimination. Editor as written Article: 26 proposed will be challenged I am reasonably sure will not prevail at Privy Council (it will lose).
Ministry of Immigration - before June 7, advise…how many citizenship application await processing? I suspect it is ‘ooo’s!
W THOMPSON
Nassau,
May 7, 2016.
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 11 months ago
Bahamians had better mark their "X" on the ballot next to the picture of the gate, as it represents (1) the gate to keep thousands of foreigners (wanting Bahamian status) out of our country and (2) the gate to keep same-sex marriages from happening in our country! The corrupt Ingraham-led FNM and Christie-led PLP governments of the past three decades think we are all fools. Even though many of us are either unemployed or under employed, our corrupt government is now hell bent on granting thousands of foreigners Bahamian status in exchange for their vote down the road. We can't afford to let this happen. Bahamians must show up at the polls on June 7th and vote a resounding "NO!" to all four of the proposed amendments to our constitution. Remember....just mark your "X" next to the picture of the gate on your ballot. We must all vote "NO" otherwise we and our families will really be sorry when the wave of foreigners come to our shores to take our jobs for less pay!
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