Commemorating the 275th Anniversary of Parliament in The Bahamas, members of the Senate and House of Assembly yesterday came together in a historic joint sitting.
They should have gotten together to hang their heads in shame, as the Bahamian Parliament has become an insult to democracy the world over.
At no point in the history of this august body have the levels of debate been so low and petty personal politics been so rampant.
While Prime Minster Perry Christie droned on about how proud we should be, many Bahamians were wincing from the realisation that it is Mr. Christie’s administration that has been most responsible for taking the Bahamian Parliamant to new lows, by allowing characters, to remain in Parliament, who have have been accused or proven guilty of breaking and entering, bankruptcy, money squandering, land theft, money laundering, drug dealing, adultry, theft and fraud.
With the wife of alleged gangster Franklyn Wilson as the head of the Senate, and no less than three Parliamentarians accused of serious criminal activities, the Bahamian Parliament has denigrated to the level of an organised crime gang.
Just last week, after two devastating hurricanes had blasted the Islands of The Bahamas, the House of Assembly selfishly spent an entire day violating the Constitution in an attempt to keep a bumbling bankrupt MP in the House, instead of dealing with the needs of Bahamians who had been left destitute by the storms.
It is this type of foolishness that former Attorney General Paul Adderley referred to yesterday, on Love 97’s Issues of The Day, when he said that there was too much emphasis on “petty personal stuff” in today’s Bahamas Parliament. The former PLP legal chief also attacked the trend towards “style rather than substance”.
Adderley admitted that Perry Christie was elected, not on his platform or his abilities, but primarily because his opponent, incumbant Hubert Ingraham, had a leadership style that Bahamians did not like.
Also taking a swipe at electioneering, Mr. Adderley suggested it was time was for campaign finance disclosure, saying, “There is no doubt about it, everyone should disclose election expenses,” he told talk show host Jeff Lloyd. “In this small country there are many rich people who contribute to both politicial parties. ﾠBut there is still a residue of old money who have not quite yet, in 2004, adjusted their minds to the two-party system.”
Mr. Adderley’s comments echo those of Bahamas B2B who has pushed for campaign finance reform and limits on party donations for 4 years, while accusing rich foreigners of perverting the Bahamian political process. Lately, many Bahamians are seeing the wisdom and starting to realize the importance of cleaning up our political process, which has sullied the centuries-old reputation of our Parliament.
