Was it not amazing that soon after his installation as the new Chairman of the PLP Raynard Rigby said that he wanted to reach out to white Bahamians. This statement was criticized on the airwaves and by opinions expressed by readers in the letter sections of the daily’s and even the tabloid. To many white Bahamians it smacked of the same old PLP.
The problem is of course it seemed as though the party only now wanted their support to ensure another victory in five years time. However it is much deeper than it appears on the surface. To say that there is a great distrust between most white Bahamians and the PLP is an understatement, and I have been trying to understand why.
When the PLP and majority rule came in 1967, there was a real fear of repercussions. This I am told as I am not old enough to have experienced the same having been a babe in my mother’s arms at the time. However even though there was an exodus of some of the expatriates and white Bahamians, notably Sir Stafford Sands that was not the case. I am also told that at one of the early Cabinet meetings my grandfather pronounced that there would be no repercussions for past wrongs and so it came to past. Further I was also informed that he visited Sir Stafford whilst he was in hospital in London dying and that the two of them had a long conversation where Sir Stafford told him how proud he was of the smooth transition of power and the way in which the government handled itself, and thanked him for it.
With that as a foundation there should not be the animosity that exists today. I have heard many of our white Bahamians say how they had prospered under the PLP, something which the majority of them were unable to do under the UBP. A testament to this is the funeral of Sir Lynden Pindling as thousands of both black and white could be seen lining the streets mourning his passing.
Given this then why the distrust. Having grown up attending St. Andrew’s I have white friends and family. Many have expressed the sentiment that they don’t l welcome in their own country at times, and that it is only with the FNM that they feel that their voices are heard. Some opine about the times when ZNS T.V. first took to the air, and it seemed as though that ROOTS was played all the time or at least during election periods. Whilst I don’t have the same recollections it is necessary that these sentiments be examined by the PLP if the party truly wants to be one of inclusion.
On the other hand many black Bahamians point to the fact that although there has been majority rule since 1967 a vast majority of the local enterprises are still white owned as well as they indicate how difficult it is for blacks to go to the local banks and get financing for projects.
I must point out that there are truths and falsehoods embedded in both views.
All of us who are Bahamian love our country and want desperately to see it prosper. We are an intelligent set of people so is it wrong that a white Bahamian should aspire to be Prime Minister of this country. If the PLP truly wants the participation of the minority they must make it a party where they are welcome for more than just tokenism or financial support. It must be a party where they feel they are capable of advancing the course of the nation.
That respectfully Mr. Rigby is the challenge you face. So please don’t make statements that will cause our white brothers and sisters to feel that the New PLP is the same old PLP. Conversely white Bahamians must put themselves out as wanting to be included. It is only then that our national motto can live “Forward, Upward, Onward Together.”
The New PLP and the United States of America.
Much has been said in the press already of the statements of both the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the American Ambassador.
I will only say this, International Relations are based on conventions that have built up over many a year. The cornerstone of these conventions, are enacted laws which comprise the Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges. These allow envoys to conduct the business of their respective countries without fear of prosecution as if it were the head of state themselves.
However by convention also, Ambassadors are not supposed to meddle in the internal affairs of a host country. So why is it then that Mr. Blankenship has taken the actions he has.
From my perspective The United States has come to expect us to react in a quick and positive way to their directives. The reason for this can be squarely placed at the foot of the former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham. When the Bahamas was faced with the blacklisting crisis his government capitulated to the wishes of the United States and others in record time. We did not seek an extended period of consultation, we did not even seek to use all the time that was allotted for us to respond. As a result today we have a mass of financial legislation on our books which is in dire need of amendments.
When The Rt. Hon. Perry Christie was running for office he delighted in the fact that this was a new PLP. We the Bahamian electorate believed him and voted him and the PLP into power.
In my opinion the United States watched for the first six months to see if that was in fact the case. What they would have noticed however, was the appointments of the same old faces by the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister to many of the government boards and consultative committees, whilst under utilizing the younger people in the party.
It would appear as though they have reached the same conclusion as many Bahamians, the same Old PLP. In light of the circumstances is it any wonder that they feel as though they can impose their will.
Nikki Kelly in the tabloid noted that she felt as though Mr. Blankenship was out of the loop, because as soon as he made his comments at the joint task force meeting there was a major drug bust done with the cooperation of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, The D.E.A. and South Florida based law enforcement units. At that time the Bahamian police were given high marks by the Americans. Personally I don’t feel as though Mr. Blankenship was out of the loop, but rather this was a calculated move on his part, as the D.E.A., work under his authority out of the American Embassy with Bahamian law enforcement officials.
If as it was stated that a large list of names was delivered to the Office of The Attorney General for extradition, I know that the same could not have been to apply an ultimatum to the Hon. Alfred Sears, as the United States is a country that adheres to the rule of law. And the law here states that in extradition matters it must be shown that the persons wanted have committed crimes which correlate to crimes in the Bahamas. Additionally these people would be afforded all of their constitutionally guaranteed rights to a fair hearing and their rights of appeal.
We can understand that The United States is anxious to have these people extradited to face charges for serious crimes committed on their shores, but we also know that they would not want us to compromise the rights of these individuals.
The Government however must be seen to be doing everything it can to assist in these efforts, and must take the necessary steps to show that it is a serious partner.
Editorial, The Nassau Guardian
