As an assessment thus far of the current government, I sit back in quiet disbelief as well as sincere appreciation of what is currently taking place in this country.
In 2002, for the first time in history, the then Free National Movement (FNM) government introduced a referendum (democracy in its truest form) that would make amendments to our constitution in reference to several issues, some of which specifically pertained to women.
When discussing women, the then Prime Minister Hubert Alexander Ingraham introduced this referendum under the sole premise that all citizens should be afforded the same set of rights, irrespective of their gender.
The then opposition party, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), appeared to be on two ends of the fence when it came to this referendum.
On one side of the fence, while in the House of Assembly, they supported the referendum changes, as they understood that it would represent the advancement of women – and this country as a whole – if such changes had taken place.
But on the other side of the fence, while they were out there campaigning and rallying around their die-hard supporters about trying to win their seat back, they told a different story about the referendum.
In their political rallies, instead of educating their supporters about the information they knew in the House of Assembly, they made it a political platform for the FNM, and encouraged their PLP supporters, and in particular the female voting block, to vote against such changes.
The referendum then failed because it was deemed to be unpopular and a political attempt to get the Free National Movement out of power.
Fast-forward, we are now in 2012 and while watching the ZNS news the other day, I saw the now Prime Minister Perry Gladstone Christie introducing the idea of a “new” referendum that would – surprisingly enough – make changes in 2012 to the same topic that had pertained to women in 2002.
Because they are now in power, they now see these changes as important and much needed for the “progressive” and “liberal” state of this country.
So, when such issue was not “popular,” “safe” or to their “political” liking, they abandoned it. But now that it is all three, they now encourage all citizens to effect such changes.
There is a popular quote by the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that says: “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither ‘safe,’ nor ‘political,’ nor ‘popular.’ But one must do it because conscience tells him it is right.”
If the PLP had made a decision to support the referendum in 2002 on the sheer notion that it is the “right” thing to do, then they could be focusing themselves on other current issues that should be of importance right now.
But instead, their decision in 2002 was based on whether or not it was the popular or safe thing to do.
So now, we must sit back and wait as the current government shells out more taxpayer’s dollars to make such changes to the constitution for the second time.
So my assessment of this government is two-fold: Yes, I have sincere appreciation that they are finally giving us the opportunity to allow Bahamians to exercise their right to vote for the betterment of women in this country.
But, if their decisions are derived solely from popularity or political inspiration, then the decisiveness of this government is up for inquiry.
Danae O’Brien
