The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

In a speech on March 20, 2014 at University College of the Cayman Island’s anti-corruption conference, Prime Minister Perry Christie, among other things, said “there is nothing in the whole of my more than 40 years in frontline politics of which I am more proud than the fact that there has never been any serious allegation of corruption levelled against me”.

He went on to say “I’m really proud of that record because, say what they like about me, it is, I think generally accepted that for Perry Gladstone Christie, integrity in the conduct of the people’s affairs is absolutely central to his personal ethos and to his personal philosophy of governance.”

Assuming that the Prime Minister really believed his own rhetoric, I think the “record” of which he is so proud is about to be shattered. On January 28, 2013, like many Bahamians I took the time and effort to go my designated polling station to cast my ballot in the gambling referendum. Prior to that date, the PM stating that he had no horse in this race looked the camera (ie the Bahamian people) in the eye and solemnly promised us that he and his government would honour whatever the majority of voters indicated in the referendum.

The majority of voters indicated that they were not in favour of legalised webshop gambling and the rest is history. Immediately it became apparent that Mr Christie desired a different outcome notwithstanding his earlier “no horse in the race” statement. Eventually he began to drop hints expressing regret that he took the matter to referendum rather than passing a bill in parliament.

Next, the Minister with responsibility for gaming, Obie Wilchcombe came out boldly and announced that webshop gambling would be legalised on July 1, 2014.

Finally, the 2014-2015 budget makes it crystal clear that the Prime Minister and his government fully intend to legalise, license and tax webshops in the Bahamas.

Some people believe that corruption only occurs when a governing party offers a contract to a campaign general or when someone in government accepts a bribe to grant the wish of an investor that is not in the best interest of our country. Yes, these are examples of corruption, but by no means do they constitute the only kinds of corruption. In Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, there are several definitions for the word “corruption” two of which define the word “corruption” as (a) impairment of integrity (b) a departure from the original or from what is pure and correct. The same dictionary defines the word “integrity” as firm adherence to a code of moral values. With these definitions in mind, when a national leader makes a solemn promise to his people that involves no less than them casting their sacred vote on a national issue and he then turns around and does the exact opposite of what he promised and what their vote tells him to do is this not a form of corruption? In my opinion not only is this corruption, but it is the worst kind of corruption. For me there is no corruption worse than that.

A leader should always stand by his word. When I was growing up, elderly people always told me that my word must always be my bond and people who do not keep their word are lacking in integrity.

Based on the current trajectory of Mr Christie and his government with respect to the matter of legalising webshop gambling, I make no hesitation in saying that in my opinion Mr Christie fits the dictionary description of “corrupt” and at the least, his PLP Cabinet is also corrupt. It begs the question, is the integrity intact? Let him/her that hath eyes see.

WELLY FORBES

Nassau,

June 14, 2014.