The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

ORGANISERS behind a Freedom of Information Act town hall meeting held last evening have implored the government to “stay true” to its promise and ensure the passage and enactment of the “critically significant” piece of legislation before leaving office.

Reverend C B Moss, community activist and director of Coalition to Save Clifton, ahead of yesterday’s community forum said he along with other organisers of the event are operating under the premise of “do or die”.

The Bain and Grants Town activist said the Progressive Liberal Party must understand that the public cannot enter a new election cycle without the passage of a FOIA, insisting that successive administrations have successfully hidden infractions and failures behind the lack of need to make their actions public.

“We don’t want it to be like what the Free National Movement did back in 2012,” said Rev Moss.

The former administration passed a FOIA shortly before the 2012 general election, however the law was never enacted. After it assumed office, the Christie administration said the legislation needed to be significantly revamped.

He continued: “As a matter of fact, let me rephrase that to secure my point; we will not, must not, go ahead with a promise or plan; this act needs to be put before the House (of Assembly), voted on and passed before the voters go to the polls to choose a new government.

“This is far beyond a political talking point now, this is a matter of national development and all in the eyes of progress. That is the purpose of (Monday’s) meeting, we want to mobilise the entire public behind this movement to demand that now is the right time.

“We have done all we can do, the government has to now stay true to its promise to pass this piece of legislation; end the talking and the political actions, the bill is here, it is time to get it passed and ready to be used.

“We want feedback from the public. If a FOIA is passed, then the entire public is set to benefit. Government respects numbers and the more persons we get on board, the better it is for our cause. We know that Bahamians aren’t the most apathetic bunch, but we believe that if we make this as personal as possible they will buy in and see the importance. We are hoping that after the presentations, members of the public will feel connected to the demand and join us in doing all we can to get the FOIA passed and ready for use,” he added.

Monday’s town hall meeting, held at the BCPOU Hall, featured presentations from those that have remained devoted to the passage of the legislation: Executive Director of the Organisation for Responsible Governance (Org) Matt Albury; Policy Chairman for Citizen’s for a Better Bahamas (CBB) Lemarque Campbell; President of the Bahamas Bar Association Elsworth Johnson and Chairman for Citizens for Justice Bishop Walter Hanchell.

In May of last year, the government released a draft of a revamped version of the legislation. The bill was to be tabled in the House last month, however that was delayed due to Hurricane Matthew.

The bill is now expected to be brought to Parliament before the end of the year.

Monday’s meeting marked nearly a week since third party Democratic National Alliance (DNA) released its draft version of a FOIA.

DNA Deputy Leader Christopher Mortimer, during a press conference to officially release the document, dared the Christie administration to muster up the courage to “do what is right for the Bahamian people”.