The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE University of the Bahamas’ (UB) series of pre-election ‘town hall’ events kicked off in front of a packed and animated crowd last night, leaving organisers promising to provide a larger venue than the Harry C Moore Auditorium for the next one.

UB officials hope the new series will become a premier feature of the political season, in which politicians would discuss issues in greater detail than might otherwise occur.

Panellists were influential voices on law enforcement issues from across the political spectrum, including Keith Bell from the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Marvin Dames from the Free National Movement (FNM), Stephen Greenslade from the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), Sharell McIntosh from the Bahamas Constitution Party, Alex Morley from the African Peoples Socialist Party, and Andrew Stewart from the Bahamas National Coalition Party.

Addressing the topic, “Is the Justice System just?” the panellists answered four questions provided to them beforehand and three that were asked by audience members. In each instance they had two minutes to respond.

Mr Bell lauded his government’s efforts to tackle crime but his claims were met with scepticism by the crowd then when his counterparts spoke. There were audible laughs when he said the PLP “never believes in politicising the judicial system”.

One man shouted “600 murders” when Mr Bell said his party has increased the capacity of law enforcement agencies. Another shouted “You ga lose” when he boasted about the PLP’s comprehensive crime fighting plan. “There should be no heckling,” the moderator said.

The representatives of the two major political parties provided few new details about their party’s plans and seemed in synch on the current issues of bail and how to tackle high crime, agreeing that prevention, detection, prosecution and rehabilitation are areas in which attention must be focused and resources devoted.

In what appeared to be a newly-revealed policy position for his party, Mr Dames suggested that if elected to power the FNM would reform the Judicial Service Commission.

“That commission is selected by the government of the day,” he said. “We need to ask that we add on to it like in the United States where we have select committees that go and interview judges and they comprise not only one party, but any number of parties where there is a balance to ensure that we select judges that are not biased and aren’t intimidated.”

Mr Dames also promised to step down as MP of his constituency if Bahamians in Mount Moriah rate his performance poorly.

Nonetheless, it was the straight-talking Mr Morley who proved to be a crowd favourite. Striking an anti-establishment tone, he urged the audience to consider the historical contexts of the systems and institutions The Bahamas has inherited and to question whether they have been designed to adequately serve their needs.