Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis said the public should not have to pay for an “opinion poll” if the upcoming gambling referendum would not bring about a constitutional change, as Prime Minister Perry Christie has asserted.
Christie noted on Monday that the government does not need a referendum to change the law on gambling, but is holding the vote to get public opinion on the issue.
Minnis insisted that if the gambling referendum — set for December 3 — is really an opinion poll Bahamian taxpayers should not have to pay for it.
“The prime minister… admitted that it is not a constitutional referendum and I’m sure he’s seeking his legal opinions, [but] if it is not a constitutional referendum then the question I’m sure he is asking all his lawyers and the Office of the Attorney General [is] how are we going to pay for this?” Minnis told The Nassau Guardian.
