The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION leader Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday the government must make a decision and finally deal with gaming issue based on recommendations from the Constitutional Commission.

Yesterday, the Commission handed its report to Prime Minster Perry Christie. In all they made 73 recommendations.

While the Commission did not recommend any changes to the constitution to allow Bahamians to gamble locally, Chairman Sean Mcweeny said it would be easy for the government to change the law.

Dr Minnis said it is now up to the government to decide what it is going to do moving forward.

He said: “The government just has to make a decision and deal with the Gaming Act, according to the Commissions report. We had the referendum before and you know the opposition’s position it has not changed we remain firm.

“We are a firm supporter of education, we feel that Bahamians should be educated in whatever decision they make.

“We do not believe that individuals should make decisions in the blind and this Commissions has done an excellent job in going throughout the Family Islands and ensuring the public knew what they were being asked and ensuring the got their input and that is all we asked for transparency, education and knowledge and we will continue to hold our grounds.”

Dr Minnis and the FNM urged Bahamians to vote “no” in the January gaming referendum because at that time, the opposition felt the public was not sufficiently informed.

He also said he thought the Commission’s report was excellent and very well thought out.

“I thought it was excellent report, a very very outstanding report.

“I am pleased, especially pleased that the females, the women issue will be addressed. I am 150 per cent for woman equality.

“We tried to deal with that before but it never materialised. I am happy now that a Bahamian woman’s husband would be regularised and also very pleased that the kids would be regularised.

“I think that these should be first and foremost, in any Constitution of the Bahamas – equality for people,” he said.

“I am ecstatic that they recommended an Independent Boundaries Commission that would help to maintain democracy and I am a firm believer of democracy so that every Bahamian would have a right in a non-discriminatory manner, to vote for whoever he or she chooses to vote for.”