During a talk show discussion on whether United States Ambassador J. Richard Blankenship was guilty of interfering in The Bahamas’ internal affairs, Free National Movement leaders advised the Government to focus on the country’s overall relationship with America.
“We want to be unified when it comes to matters outside the border, and we don’t want to become contentious. We urge the government to exercise some caution with respect to our U.S.-Bahamas relations,” said Opposition leader, Senator Tommy Turnquest on Sunday.
Senator Turnquest, along with the Party’s leader in the House of Assembly Alvin Smith, and Senator Tanya McCartney, were guest speakers on the radio talk show Parliament Street, hosted by Charles Carter.
The talk show covered several topics, including the political party’s position on remarks made by U. S. Ambassador Blankenship and how Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell handled the situation.
“The U.S. have very many ways to show their displeasure without coming out with an official statement,” Senator Turnquest pointed out. “They might have been upset with the change in our Bahamas-Cuba relations. They may have been upset to see a ‘nolle prosequi,’ which entered into a major drug case that went into the court of appeal level. They may have been upset with seeing the Prime Minister and other Cabinet Ministers speaking at functions involving persons they feel are involved in the drug trade. There are all kinds of reasons.”
Reflecting on the blacklisting dilemma, which occurred under the FNM administration, the Senator admitted that the United States was upset because the then-Government was “dragging their feet” in the fight against money laundering.
“They didn’t tell us that. Off the record they would whisper in your ear ‘If you move in this way, you’ll be fined’,” said Senator Turnquest. “We must continue to move in a direction where we don’t allow others to abuse our sovereignty. We’re a proud nation. We must always do what is in our best interest.”
Mr. Carter then asked the panelists if the country should continue to allow the Ambassador to “impugn the integrity” of the Bahamas Government.
In response, Senator Turnquest quoted Minister Mitchell as saying in the House of Assembly that he would not seek an apology and normal relations would continue.
“The Government must take the lead in those matters,” he said. “They have the democracy, all aspects of the administration and machinery at their disposable. We can provide a historical perspective for the past 10 years and assist in that regard, and we also can get our supporters to understand the government’s position on matters outside our borders,” said Senator Turnquest.
One listener pointed out that although Ambassador Blankenship may have meddled in Bahamian affairs, the country should be careful about the way it handles its relationship with the larger country.
On Dec. 6th, prior to a bi-annual U.S.-Bahamian Joint Task Force meeting, Minister Mitchell interrupted a press conference after Ambassador Blankenship drew attention to a 1992 drug seizure in Inagua. After Royal Defence Force Officers onboard the HMBS confiscated the contraband, it was speculated that a quantity of the drugs later disappeared.
Of the RBDF, the ambassador said: “Its personnel, boats, its knowledge and its skills must be brought to bear on the drug problem in this country. There is talent and there are resources in the RBDF that are going to waste.”
After interrupting and postponing the press conference, Mr. Mitchell said the ambassador’s remarks challenged the nation’s dignity.
Since the meeting, both the 1992 incident and the Ambassador’s remarks have been the subject of debate in Parliament by Prime Minister Perry Christie, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and Independent Member of Parliament, Tennyson Wells.
By Khashan Poitier, The Nassau Guardian
