Branding protests by a group of Cuban-Americans outside The Bahamas Consulate in Miami last week "unjustified", Prime Minister Perry Christie acknowledged over the weekend that those demonstrations could have a negative impact on The Bahamas.
Speaking with reporters upon his return from the 17th Inter-sessional meeting of the CARICOM heads of government on Saturday, Mr. Christie also indicated that the demonstrations were discussed at that meeting.
The protests were organised by Cuban-Americans who alleged that Bahamian officials mistreated Cuban detainees at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre.
"I think there is always significant fallout, which is difficult to measure in terms of its impact on the economy and reputation of the country, but whenever there is a demonstration against our country arising out of some issue that the country is concerned with, clearly it is a negative and clearly we must be assiduous in our addressing the issue," Mr. Christie said.
"At the meeting, I was able to brief colleagues on The Bahamas and its relations with Cuba and the Cuban-American community in South Florida. Our country has – as you know – been the subject of the focus of advocates in South Florida for Cubans in the Detention Centre in New Providence. I believe that these attacks have been unfair and are unjustified."
Mr. Christie also took the opportunity to respond to criticisms levelled by Free National Movement Chairman Desmond Bannister, who suggested that it was inappropriate for Mr. Christie, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell, and Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe to leave the country at the height of the controversy.
Mr. Bannister said that by leaving the country at that time the cabinet ministers had failed to deal with the controversy in an appropriate manner.
But Prime Minister Christie said, "My response to him is that perhaps between now and whatever time democracy would allow him to have a position in government he may learn that a prime minister must attend to all of the duties of his country and when a prime minister travels he is still doing business on behalf of his country."
He also indicated that while out of the country he spoke with the American ambassador, a US congressman and the Bahamian ambassador to the United States all in an effort to address concerns surrounding the dispute.
Reporting on other highlights of the heads of government meeting, Mr. Christie said the leaders paid close attention to the recent election in Haiti.
"The main importance of the meeting as far as The Bahamas was concerned were the arrangements for the restoration of Haiti to the Councils of CARICOM," he said.
"It now appears that there has been a successful, free and fair election in Haiti. This means that on March 20th at the inauguration of the new president and provided the election is pronounced free and fair by the electoral observers, including the CARICOM observers, then Haiti will be invited immediately to resume its seat at the table with us."
Mr. Christie said the apparently successful election is of importance to The Bahamas, as it suggests that Haiti is on the road to returning to political and economic stability, a development which he said can only work to the benefit of The Bahamas.
Recounting the tribute which he and his colleagues paid to Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, who was attending his last heads of government meeting, Mr. Christie alluded to his own future retirement.
Mr. Patterson has announced that he will demit office on March 11.
"When he spoke with us [Friday] night in Trinidad he indicated that perhaps people would have thought that he would have retired some time ago, but [he said] perhaps if he had he would have tried to come back," Mr. Christie said.
"He said there is no intention on his part to come back and it would not be right for him even to contemplate that-He advised us of his willingness to help us wherever he can. Clearly, all of us are instructed by that and most certainly my time will come and when it does it will be as final as his."
By: Darrin Culmer, The Bahama Journal
