EDITOR, The Tribune.
Over the past two years in The Bahamas and specifically within the last six months, the four Constitutional Bills to eliminate discrimination against women has been a very “hot topic”.
Everywhere you go, in the churches, schools, neighbourhoods, radio stations, newspapers and television, there is widespread debate.
The Government has set a date for the Referendum regarding the same: the 7th June, 2016.
To that end, I will give a brief overview of the above mentioned Constitutional Bills.
Bill number one (1) seeks to allow a married Bahamian woman having a child born outside of the Bahamas to pass on her Bahamian citizenship to her child.
Presently, the law allows only a married Bahamian man to do so. While the allowance of a Bahamian woman having the same right of that of the Bahamian man seems rather simple, many arguments have come forth stating that since the Bahamian woman chose to have a child with a foreign man, the child should be foreign; while they forget that the Bahamian woman should have the same right as the Bahamian man to pass on citizenship to her child.
Bill number two seeks to allow a married Bahamian woman to register her foreign husband for citizenship consideration.
Presently, the law allows only a married Bahamian man to do so. Again, while it seems rather simple to balance this right to both the married male and female; many argue, in particular the men, that there will be an influx of foreign men coming into the country taking their jobs. Also some hypocritically stated that there will be marriages of conveniences, forgetting that presently the same
disadvantage the Bahamian women face because the Bahamian men have and continue to marry foreign women.
Bill number three (3) seeks to allow the unmarried Bahamian man with proof of a paternity test to pass on his citizenship to his child. Presently, the law allows only the unmarried Bahamian woman to do so. This too is simple balance between a man and woman, but unnecessary arguments exist here also.
Bill number four (4) seeks to add the word “sex” to the other items of discrimination in the Constitution. While the word “sex” is defined as male or female; of the four Constitutional Bills; Bill number four is the most controversial because some pastors and many ordinary citizens believe that a “Yes” vote will open the door to Same Sex Marriages and the words “at birth” should be added.
On the other hand, some other pastors and some ordinary citizens who support the Government believe
that there should be a “Yes” vote to all four of the Bills.
Sadly, what started out as a simple process to eliminate discrimination against women has again turned into “a political football”.
Some Bahamians find the present Government to be disingenuous in asking the Bahamian to vote “Yes” to the four Bills because in 2002, while they were in opposition, they voted “Yes” in Parliament for the Bills but came out of Parliament and told their supporters to vote “No”. Also fresh in the minds of Bahamians in 2012, there was a majority Referendum Vote to end the practice of Web Shops/ Number Houses and the Government went against the people and still passed the law in support of the same.
This has left a sour taste in the mouths of many Bahamians and many feel the Government cannot be trusted!
In light of that many Bahamians are either voting “No” or some are saying the Government is a waste of time and they are not voting at all!
In conclusion, my dear Bahamians, “let us not throw the baby out with the bath water”; let us intelligently look at each of the four Bills; stop giving into political distractions; pray and seek God’s Wisdom, go out to the Polls on the 7th June, 2016 and vote our conscience. Thank you!
PA COOPER
Nassau,
May, 2016.
Comments
Economist 7 years, 11 months ago
Very good letter.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 11 months ago
Saying "Vote your conscience" is like saying que sera sera ......... This is no time for sitting on the fence ............. to quote Fweddy ........... "we are in a war" ........... against the PLP
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 11 months ago
The first 3 bills are fatally flawed and wide open to abuse......the door will be opened to many foreigners obtaining Bahamian citizenship in exchange for agreeing to vote PLP down the road. Our country will be flooded with cheap foreign labour at a time when Bahamian families are having great difficulty feeding, clothing, educating and buying medicine for their children. The PLP can't provide us with decent paying jobs yet they want to let thousands of foreigners into our country so that they get more votes to stay in power. Go figure! As for the fourth bill, it's all about breaking down the institution of marriage to satisfy the divide and conquer policies of the political elite and their favored cronies. Wake up Bahamians.....it's important for all of us voters to get to the polls on June 7th and vote a resounding "No" to all 4 of these bills. These bills and the referendum are not about gender-equality; don't let the corrupt Christie-led PLP government pull the wool over your eyes!
SP 7 years, 11 months ago
........................................ Five "HELL NO" votes for the PLP ...............................
Bahamians first my ass!
They gave us what the D-U-C-K got for 5 long, agonizing years. Now we'er ready to return the favor with "5 NO VOTES".
Get all your children away from cell phones and computers for a few moments and registered to vote. Registration stations are not crowded to date, so do it NOW.
This is about their future, their children's future and their children's, children's future!
We're sending a clear, concise message to deaf, blind and dumb pirates "5 NO VOTES"
Just can't wait to replace their D- with our F-!
Emilio26 3 years ago
SP it seems people like you are still stuck in the 60s and 70s that you will follow everything the church tells you to do. I think the first bill where it allows a married bahamian woman who had a child outside the bahamas to pass on her citizenship to her child is a good idea as it will create a equal playing field.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 11 months ago
The question that real Bahamians have to weigh is:
Will our vote protect the long term survival of The Bahamas as we are today or do we want to take the plunge to assimilate a plethora of future 'Bahamians' on the fringes of society ..... do we protect our national/cultural identity or become more globally inclusive ???????
............ It is the question that many countries have faced in one form or the other e.g. Scotland vs England .... Britain vs EU .... Puerto Rico vs USA, Bermuda, Quebec vs Canada etc ............... Vote for your Future, not for a political bribe, job or phone card
hallmark 7 years, 11 months ago
What the "NO VOTE" group needs to do, is go back and pull out every comment, ad and TV interview by the PLP from the last gender equality referendum, and blast it over the airwaves and take out full ads in the news papers. Let their own words defeat them.
justthefactsplease 7 years, 11 months ago
I agree with you on that. It would be the perfect weapon against these hypocrites.
jackbnimble 7 years, 11 months ago
They are aiming to create "new Bahamians" fresh in time to vote for them in the upcoming election (no doubt fast-tracking their applications which has been done by every Government before every general election).
If the process for citizenship were a more honest one that could not be manipulated by the governing party (i.e. votes in exchange for citizenship) I would be more trusting of this so-called "gender equality' referendum. Because the process is flawed, I am more inclined to vote NO to every last proposed amendment.
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