The Tribune

DECLARING that a Freedom of Information Act will “remove the veil of secrecy which is a part of the culture of Bahamian governments,” the powerful civic organisation Bahamas Against Crime has thrown its full support behind a rally calling for immediate passage of Freedom of Information legislation.

BAC, which is headed by Rev CB Moss, pledged to join the June 11 demonstration in Rawson Square as a co-sponsor, becoming the latest group to join the fight for the right-to-know that journalists and concerned citizens have long argued is a basic tenet of a democracy. Churches, trade unions, business associations and concerned citizens’ groups have signed on to the rally being coordinated under the umbrella of Save The Bays, the fast-growing national movement that has championed the cause of the public’s right to know.

The Bahamas remains one of the last countries in the world not to have a Freedom of Information Act on its books.

“Bahamas Against Crime is proud to be a sponsoring organisation for the demonstration in Rawson Square, calling for the immediate implementation of the Freedom of Information Act,” said Rev Moss. “This Act was passed in Parliament under the past FNM government, but was never enacted.”

“The passage of this Act is critical to the orderly development of the nation as it provides a great measure of transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business, and it establishes and protects the fundamental right of the public to know how its business is being conducted. It will also satisfy the people that the rule of law is entrenched.”

Rev Moss said that secrecy or the inability to know what government is doing has consequences that extend to the moral fibre of a nation.

“Nepotism, cronyism and favouritism undermine the moral and ethical foundation of society, and is an obstacle to national development,” he said. “The Freedom of Information Act will also balance the scales between the well-connected and the disconnected in doing business with government. It will also remove the veil of secrecy which is a part of the culture of Bahamian governments. This Act must be implemented now.”

“A Freedom of Information Act (FOI) has been one of the goals of this organisation since its inception,” said Save The Bays CEO Lindsey McCoy.

“It’s one of the points in the petition we launched in the first days of our organization that now has over 5,500 signatures.

“Although we originally adopted FOI as one of the main tenets of our platform in connection with protecting the environment so people being affected could see what was being planned on ‘their behalf’ and be involved in consultation, we immediately came to recognise that Freedom of Information was essential for every aspect of a democracy.

“The response has been amazing,” she said. “Human rights groups, labour organisations, even many within the political class have shown their support and enthusiasm. We hope anyone who has not yet signed the petition or who wants to join will go to www.savethebays.bs.”