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New public holiday made official

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Prime Minister Perry Christie

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FOR the first time in history, the Bahamas will officially celebrate National Heroes Day, formerly Discovery Day, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced yesterday.

In addition, Mr Christie said, a new holiday – Majority Rule Day – will be observed on January 10, beginning next year.

Both days will be officially proclaimed by Governor General Sir Author Foulkes during a public ceremony at Government House tomorrow.

Speaking in the House of Assembly, Mr Christie said: “I am therefore so very happy, Mr Speaker, to be able to stand before you and before the people of our country to let it be known that come January 10 of next year, and for every year thereafter in perpetuity, January 10 will be a public holiday in the Bahamas; a public holiday to recognise and reflect upon the greatest, most defining moment in all of Bahamian history: the attainment of Majority Rule on January 10, 1967.

“(And) when we celebrate National Heroes Day, formerly known as Discovery Day, on Monday of next week, we will be doing so for the very first time under the legal umbrella of an Act that statutorily creates ‘National Heroes Day’ and declares it to be a national holiday to be observed on the second Monday in the month of October of each year. 
“This Act also creates the formal machinery for the selection and recognition of our National Heroes. This, of course, is the group of persons, be they living or dead, for whom the nation’s highest honours will be reserved.”

Further, the government is expected to compile a list of persons to comprise the advisory committee under the Act.

They will be charged with identifying and investigating citizens who should be recommended for the honour of ‘National Hero of the Bahamas’, a status that will carry to be known and addressed as “Right Excellent”.

The Advisory Committee will consist of seven persons, including two members of each House of Parliament.

“It would certainly be my wish that there be one nominee from the government and one nominee from the opposition in each of the House of Assembly and the Senate. This will ensure optimal balance and parity.

“We really do need to take partisanship and political prejudice out of the selection of our national heroes,” Mr Christie said.

Comments

ThisIsOurs 11 years ago

This must be a joke...Right Excellent? We can't have that many heroes what happened to plain old "Sir"

nationbuilder 11 years ago

suk teet at this BS

TalRussell 11 years ago

Good luck PM when we still have thousands of Bahamalander's who will not even celebrate our Nation's Independence Day, looking at it as a PLP thing.

B_I_D___ 11 years ago

Absolutely ludicrous. We have shown through both governments that we have no national heroes worth discussing, except for a few knighted drug dealers...and majority rule has been a failure...our country is in a shambles because our political leaders are worthless. Can we get the Brit's to reclaim us...we can apologize for thinking we can do a better job...maybe?

TalRussell 11 years ago

Personally, I have always held that Comrade Roland T. "Pop" Symonette has never been fairly honored for his contributions to his Bahamaland. I'd say Pop is one who appeals to most whites, blacks and lick-da-brush Bahamalander's. I never could agree with Hubert's whacked assumption that Pop's son Brent could never become Prime Minister cause of his Eleutheran skin. I also think respect for Milo B. Butler crosses all Bahamalander's skin colors. Most don't realize that Comrades Milo and Pop's were friends, despite their political differences. We can all learn from these two great Comrade sons of Bahamaland.

concernedcitizen 11 years ago

if you think a "white ' Brent could ever be PM you are either brain dead or just like to disagree w/ everything Hai EVER SAID .The PLP would spread such fear and use such emotive language about slavery and lynching et all ,that long before the election there would be discord and violence ,,come on Tals your smarter than that .

TalRussell 11 years ago

Smarter enough to know that most Bahamalander's if asked would tell you that Comrade Brant has more leadership JuJu Juice in one he fingers than Minnis has running through he entire body. For a party so dependent upon the non-black vote, you sure don't think much of your own red shirts supporters. I pray I never view Bahamalander's out of your rose-colored glasses. Thankfully, the vast majority of Bahamalander's ain't so smudged with such prejudice and bigotry. Never underestimate Comrade Brent. If not Brent, then who. Not Hubert again? Politics makes for a long journey.

concernedcitizen 11 years ago

I know Brent well having grown up around both he and Graig . The white vote is less than 8% and marginal at best Tals i can guarantee you if a white man of UBP heritage ran as leader of the FNM the PLP,S job would be incredibly easy at stirring the old white bogey man stuff that the FNM WOULD win less then 8 seats .To think any other way is either delusionul or just plan dumb .To win the gov the FNM had to get a black ex PLP from coopers town ,,IT is not bigotry as i am bi racial ,its about feilding a canidate that can sway the electorate ..

concernedcitizen 11 years ago

didn,t put brant ,,thought you blocked me weasel boy, so you don,t tell the truth from daddies sofa

Baha10 11 years ago

Should we not be focused on working harder and longer in the hope of emerging from recessionary times, as opposed to working less?!? Maybe if ever this day occurs, we can refer to this truly historic date in history as National Sense Day!

ThisIsOurs 11 years ago

You can bet that this will be one if the deadlines that they do meet.

concernedcitizen 11 years ago

if you seen our productivity rates compared to others in the region we would have to go to 16 hour work days just to catch up . I pay well but i no longer take jobs where i need more then one helper .I DO home remods ,small pojects .IT is hard to get 3 to 4 hours productivity out of guys now in an 8 hr day .IN the last 3 months i,ve told 3 guys no thanks i can,t use you anymore .Everytime they were out of my sight they are on the cell ph or texting and everytime they tell me its an emergency or its their "right" to the point of wanting to become combative ..i have scaled back no more then me and one helper

bahamianborn 11 years ago

HOORAY! Just what this Country needs. Another day of non-productivity! Another day business has to pay our staff to do nothing and hence less money going into the Government coffers. Well done PM! You really know what this country needs most!

TalRussell 11 years ago

Was Hubert ever a real PLP?

concernedcitizen 11 years ago

No he wasn,t crooked enough ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

B_I_D___ 11 years ago

Sadly...I agree with Rory on this front...they are all terrible and corrupt...and sadly the masses buy the BS spewing out of their mouths and vote the crooks back in.

concernedcitizen 11 years ago

Having know Hai all my life through my father i can honestly say he was not corrupt .did he have to give back to his backers ,yes they all do ,but he pissed a lot of "Bay street boys " off by giving contracts to PLP ,s too if they were qualified /..Did he spend too much during the recession ,thats a philishofical question ,sorry for the spelling ,about Kensian economics .Did he make bad decesions ,yes but he is not corrupt .PGC is not corrupt either he just can,t control those around him ..

TalRussell 11 years ago

When the vast number of Bahamalander's think of general and by-elections they think of political corruption. Comrades we're talk'in /FNM's/PLP's/UBP's. To say they have all "won" they votes would be stretching the truth. Corruption is not always about taking bribes. What do you call it when there are obvious signs of giving benefits to those who support them?

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