The Tribune

PRIME Minister Christie has refused to “man-up” in the face of rising crime according to the FNM, choosing instead to throw the Commissioner of Police and his officers under the bus.

And, according to opposition party chairman Darron Cash, both Mr Christie and his former deputy Cynthia Pratt appear to be suffering from a case of “serious amnesia” following the PLP’s campaign claim that it had all the answers to crime.

Mr Cash said: “Public confidence in Prime Minister Perry Christie has been declining for a very long time, and last Friday he once again demonstrated why he has lost the moral authority to govern the Bahamas.

“The public also saw clearly why Mr Christie’s government’s efforts to fight escalating crime have been ineffective. The primary reason for their failure has been the failure of Perry Christie’s political leadership.

At an Urban Renewal event last Friday, Mr Cash said, the Prime Minister “ducked for cover” and distanced himself from his two Ministers of National Security.

“Most notably, Mr Christie once again threw HIS Commissioner of Police, Ellison Greenslade, and the leadership of the force under the bus for what must have been the third time,” he said.

Speaking at the event, Mr Christie said he will not have his legacy tied to the performance of the Commissioner of Police and his officers.

Mr Cash said these words did not amount to the demonstration of “profiles in courage” that one would expect from a Prime Minister.

“At a time when Bahamians are concerned about their personal safety and that of their family, the number one thing on the Prime Minister’s mind is his legacy. He was unusually honest when he proclaimed that he did not want his government’s current failures on crime to make him look bad.

“Consequently, the only thing he could do was point the finger of blame at the Commissioner of Police and the Police Force. How very sad! The PM’s comments came across as small and self-serving.”

Mr Cash said it is time for the Minister of National Security and the Minister of State for National Security to be removed, because they promised positive results on crime and have not delivered.

“If the Prime Minister does not have the courage to go back to the people so that they can install a competent government — and we know he does not — then he must now fire his good friends Dr Bernard Nottage and State Minister Keith Bell for the grossly and shamefully negligent manner in which they have handled crime and other issues concerning National Security.

“Additionally, the most recent ramblings by Mr Christie are further signs of a Prime Minister who does know his own mind. On Friday he spoke eloquently about requiring the police ‘to be accountable to the people of this country’ but he must be suffering from a serious case of amnesia.

“Before the FNM left office in 2012 it had changed the law so that the commissioner of police no longer enjoyed a ‘job for life’ and would have to work very hard to demonstrate to the Bahamian people that he was being effective and, therefore, worthy of reappointment.

“The FNM’s action was the definition of accountability. However, within weeks of coming to office in 2012, Mr Christie changed that law and returned the gift of ‘security of tenure’ to the Commissioner, thereby making him less accountable.

“It is now clear that the Prime Minister and the Minister of National Security, BJ Nottage, are at odds on the issue of confidence in the Commissioner. The PM has none and the minister has made it clear that he has full confidence in the commissioner. Mr Christie clearly did not consider how divisive and damaging his comments would be.”

Mr Cash said despite the Prime Minister’s effort to “hide and duck responsibility”, the FNM will not let him forget that it was not the commissioner of police who campaigned on the basis that he had all the solutions to crime, but rather Mr Christie and Dr Nottage.

“Not to be outdone, at the urban renewal event, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Cynthia Pratt demonstrated that — unlike Nottage and the PM — she and Mr Christie were singing from the same song sheet.

“But, it was clear from her comments that she too suffers from serious amnesia.”

Mr Cash noted that Mrs Pratt accused the FNM of politicising crime, but during her time in charge of the police, persons with criminal histories, and those who were “known to police” were hired.

According to the FNM chairman, these individuals were able to become policemen because of “blatant” political interference in the vetting process.

Mr Cash said the police are still suffering from the effects of this scandal, while also reeling from the impact of Mr Christie’s 2012 overhaul of the leadership of the force.

“Our information suggests that the reinstallation of previously retired senior police officers over many of the younger and more talented officers has had a very significant and negative effect on the overall morale and effectiveness of the force,” he said. “To add insult to injury, there is a growing perception that there are at least three different factions on the force, and combating ‘force politics’ takes almost as much time as crime fighting.”

Mr Cash called on Mr Christie to tackle this matter with the utmost urgency.