The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

FNM CHAIRMAN nominee Dion Foulkes said yesterday that Prime Minister Perry Christie is scrambling to make changes to the upcoming gambling referendum because he knows it will fail, if it goes through “as it is.”

Last week, the Prime Minister said the referendum will only be one question: “Do you support the legalization and regulation of web shops?”

Mr Chrisite indicated that casino gambling and a national lottery will not be included in the December 3rd vote.

However, Mr Foulkes said the Prime Minister knows the referendum will fail with only that one question and is “scrambling” to make changes to ensure its sucess.

He said: “The big dilemma Mr Christie is having is that the majority of Bahamians, after listening to talk shows and speaking to them, do not want the referendum the way it is currently constructed. He knows it will fail and now they have to go back to the drawing board and find another way to accomplish what they want to accomplish without all the negative values attached.”

Mr Foulkes also urged the Prime Minister to release the report he received from the UK consultants because the “public is entitled to know what it says”. “There should be full disclosure of all the information the government has. They drafted the one question the public has to answer based on that information and the Prime Minster made his communication based on that information. Whatever information they have, whether it is preliminary or not, the public has a right to know,” he said.

“Mr Christie said the government intends to only have the question of web shops not the national lottery in the referendum because we do not have enough people. Well, Barbados is smaller than us and they have a lottery. So I don’t understand why the consultants would have given the government that advice. It makes no sense. The PLP promised and campaigned on a national lottery and now they are going back on their word.”

Mr Foulkes said the FNM will release a comprehensive plan “very soon” on the referendum and the FNM will also make their position very clear on whether they are for or against a gaming referendum.