The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

MOMENTS after Prime Minister Perry Christie stressed the need for unity on the proposed constitutional amendment bills, Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins stood in opposition in the House of Assembly for bills two and four being moved for third reading and into the committee stage.

The bills ultimately seek to enshrine gender equality in the Constitution. The House of Assembly is expected to perform a final vote on the bills on Monday. If they are passed, the bills will then move to the Senate for debate.

As read the names of the four bills to be read a second time and committed, House Speaker Dr Kendal Major asked those who are in favour of the bills to remain seated and for those who opposed to rise.

Dr Rollins stood in opposition to bills two and four. Prime Minister Perry Christie also said yesterday that Dr Rollins had resigned as party whip because of his position on the bills.

Before this, the prime minister spoke of the need for politicians to be of the same accord about the bills and also pledged to use the resources of the government to facilitate education on the referendum and aid its success.

Mr Christie said unity over the referendum is crucial, in view of the failed 2002 referendum which saw the PLP oppose the vote because they disagreed with the Ingraham administration’s process.

“I never had any misgiving or doubts about the fact that I could be called for questions as a result of what happened in 2002 and I knew it wouldn’t be helpful for me to engender a debate in that regard because the overall significance of the moment today is that we have an opportunity now to deliver what these bills are intending and calculated to achieve,” Mr Christie said.

“And the only way we are able to do it effectively, Mr Speaker, is to launch a united campaign, which in the words of the leader of the opposition, that he and I should be seen together, espousing the same point of view, and even with our wives should be seen together, espousing the same point of view.

“That was the spirit of the offering of the leader of the opposition and that was the spirit that I’ve taken because Mr Speaker, that is the spirit that will get the best results.”

Opposition leader Dr Hubert Minnis made an about face in the House of Assembly last week over Free National Movement’s full support of the four bills.

Dr Minnis took exception to all of the amendments, particularly to the first constitutional amendment because it would not operate retroactively.

It would enable a child born outside the Bahamas to a Bahamian woman to have automatic Bahamian citizenship at birth.

He added that bills two and three can be dealt with through legislative changes and that public concerns of the possibility of bill four leading to same-sex marriage needed to be addressed. He stressed that his party believes in gender equality, but he was not prepared to support changes to the Constitution that would lead to “disaster.”

Prime Minister Christie had found the move by the opposition leader surprising because Dr Minnis did not communicate in a series of consultations with the Constitutional Commission and the government in the lead-up to the opening of the debate on the bills that there were concerns about the legislation.