The most solemn promise made by Prime Minister Perry Christie during campaign 2002, was to head a government of integrity. To this end, he promised to legislate a bill that will provide for a standard of conduct by those in public office. An acceptable Code of Conduct with an unquestionable level of integrity would be the basic requirement for those coming forward to serve the Bahamian people.
With such a strong mission statement fresh in the public’s mind, many were dumbfounded when PM Perry Christie appointed George Smith as Chairman of the Hotel Corporation. You see, George Smith had resigned his Cabinet post under the old PLP government in disgrace, under a cloud of controversy. A Commission of Inquiry investigating corruption concluded that George Smith had accepted “gifts” such as luxury cars from a fugitive druglord, Carlos Ledher, now serving a lengthy sentence in a United States federal Prison. Perry Christie himself along with Hubert Ingraham walked out of the PLP in disgust when this report was released. The political think tanks of the day believed that George Smith and his kind would have been banished to one of those distant Cays, never to be heard of again.
In fact, so damaging was the Commission’s report to the image of the Bahamas, that a desperate Prime Minister of the day, Sir Lynden Pindling employed the Carolyn Jones Agency in a public relation exercise to show up this bad and negative image of the Bahamas. A fee of at least $750,000.00
was paid for this service to the Carolyn Jones Agency. This was at a time when the Bahamas was strapped for cash and basic infrastructure such as roads, electricity, etc was denied in some of the Out Islands because the government needed the money to uplift its corrupt image. Thanks to persons such as George Smith and others in the Commission’s report, places such as Acklins was referred to as “behind God’s back” due to the PLP’s neglect and abandonment, wasting money instead to polish up its image.
PM Perry Christie has made it quite clear that he has forgiven George Smith as he feels that George Smith has redeemed himself. It is not clear what George Smith has done to redeem himself, but the Bahamas being a Christian nation should be well versed in the concept of forgiveness. One is often reminded of this deep Christian principle here in Freeport at the Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church on Sunday mornings. Whenever some great atrocity or evil occurs around the world, the good Monsignor Father Ambrose Mckinnon would point to the crucifix above the alter and remind the parishioners of the ultimate act of forgiveness. Jesus Christ in his final moments of torment muttered “Father, forgive them!”
However, forgiveness cannot be selective, it must be across the board. The PLP has a very small history of forgiveness. With any perceived transgression against them, one felt the brunt of victimization or denial. Just ask D’Arcy Ryan or Lionel Dorsett. Just recently during the thanking of the Governor General’s speech from the throne, Abner Pinder, a self-confessed now reformed drug smuggler was viciously attacked by Cabinet Bradley Roberts. Despite Mr. Pinder’s sincere redemption, there was no forgiveness as Minister Bradley Roberts constantly referring to the same Commission of Inquiry report that PM Perry Christie has exonerated George Smith from. Unlike George Smith, the work of Abner Pinder is well known throughout his community and beyond, including his heroic efforts in the post hurricane Andrew’s devastation of North Eleuthera.
Furthermore, about a year prior to this when it was obvious that Algernon Allen, one of the most outstanding and charismatic Cabinet Minister in recent times had indicated that he would be contesting the leadership of the FNM. Once again, Bradley Roberts immediately attacked the credibility of Algernon Allen by once again referring to the Commission of Inquiry report. By his association and professional representation of drug smuggler “Kojak”, Bradley Roberts felt that Minister Allen disqualified himself even though nothing other than bad judgment had implicated Algernon Allen in the Commission’s report.
Would the PLP ever forgive someone like Sir Stafford Sands despite being the visionary behind the top two industries of the Bahamas, that is tourism and banking. In addition, Sir Stafford had introduced the prize money for the Bay Street Junkanoo Parades. And certainly, no other Bahamian has done more for the creation of Freeport than Sir Stafford! Can you imagine what the Bahamas would be like if Freeport did not exist? Yet, when the FNM government chose to acknowledge Sir Stafford’s contributions by placing his picture of the $10.00 bill, there was no forgiveness from members of the PLP for the reported racist attitude of Sir Stafford. This $10.00 was symbolically burned, with a call for a boycott of the bill, if not an outright recall. As far as the PLP were concerned, forgiveness was not in their scope of thinking.
Finally, it appears that the surprised act of forgiveness of George Smith’s indiscretions was nothing short of convenient and accommodating.
The “new” PLP government seem hell bent on returning all the old major players, no matter how embarrassing. Even more sinister is the fact that PM Perry Christie has defended his appointment of George Smith by claiming that at the time of the appointment, the Integrity Act had not yet been passed in Parliament. This idea of a new PLP was an abstract concept, designed only for those who believed it. In fact, only one other major disgraced player is still at large without any new PLP appointment. Should this former Cabinet Minister who chaired a corrupt corporation but “couldn’t recall” significant happenings at that corporation, be appointed to a government post, Bahamians would go into shock!!
Thank you,
Dr.Leatendore Percentie
Freeport, Bahamas.
October 31st, 2002
