Andre Rollins
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
FORT Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins suggested yesterday that Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell is an “enemy of the state,” saying his recent comments about Baha Mar CEO Sarkis Izmirlian should prompt concern among Bahamians about the future of this country with respect to democracy and economic issues.
The independent parliamentarian resigned from the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) in June amid disagreements with the governing party’s performance since the 2012 election.
In some of his first public comments since that time, Dr Rollins told The Tribune that the government’s handling of the Baha Mar debacle threatens to throw the country into an economic recession.
“The emotionalism of senior politicians like Mr Mitchell in dealing with this matter is cause for all Bahamians to be seriously concerned about the future of our country, our democracy and our economy,” he said. “Any politician who tries to sucker the Bahamian people into thinking that this is a fight between Bahamians versus foreigners is himself an enemy of the state and no friend to the common Bahamian.”
During an Emancipation Day speech over the weekend, Mr Mitchell cited Section 81 (D) of the Immigration Act and said Mr Izmirlian “should consider making the appropriate steps to live elsewhere” if he cannot conform with the expected conduct of “economic guests.”
In response, Dr Rollins said: “This is no time for politicians to be catching feelings; dispassionate leadership is needed to help struggling Bahamians catch a much needed break. This isn’t about Bahamians versus foreigners; it’s about negotiating a successful outcome for Bahamians and foreigners. Isn’t that what the government intended to have happen when they signed an agreement with Mr Izmirlian, the Chinese and their respective foreign teams? An agreement that Mr Christie and his entire cabinet triumphantly declared would create thousands of job opportunities for Bahamians? Instead of negotiating success, the government’s performance thus far has done nothing but lower the government’s negotiating power in relation to prospective foreign investors. Their blatant use of bully tactics in this private matter, coupled with the country’s existing poor social and economic indicators, has guaranteed that the Bahamian government will be compelled by future investors to continue offering huge concessions as a condition of investment in what will naturally be perceived as an increasingly risky environment.”
Dr Rollins added that the Christie Administration must ensure that its attempts to wind up Baha Mar in the Supreme Court must not frustrate the developer’s efforts to meet his contractual obligations if he is capable of funding and operating the project.
He suggested that the country could lose substantial amounts of money if a court later determines that the government used the winding up process to circumvent a developer’s ability to salvage his project on his own terms.
More like this story
- Do everything to promote newspapers’ ‘freedom to publish and be damned,’ said Mitchell
- Mitchell says Baha Mar group fuelling racism
- It’s now time for Christie to take control and stop the nonsense
- Rollins blasts fellow politicians for criticism of Baha Mar chief
- Baha Mar tight-lipped on Mitchell investigation
Comments
Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago
Dr. Rollins appears to be more effective in Opposition than the Official Opposition!
ourmaninnassau 9 years, 3 months ago
Here, Here
ohdrap4 9 years, 3 months ago
he better be careful or he might be invited to deport himself
Sickened 9 years, 3 months ago
I hope Rollin's passport don't expire anytime soon 'cause Mitchell is gonna make sure that it is not renewed and Gibson will demand a psych test.
DonAnthony 9 years, 3 months ago
Minister Mitchell in his speech conducts himself more like a street thug than a statesman, it is really quite embarrassing and unbecoming in a cabinet minister, as such a narcissist who takes every slight as a horrific personal insult he is wholly ill-suited to his job of diplomacy, and the country's reputation suffers terribly for it.
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 3 months ago
Fred Mitchell has done nothing but show the entire world that he may in fact be a racist lunatic. Both Fred and Perry are small men stuck in the past who still fail to realise that the racism of yesterday has no place in politics today. Hopefully Bahamians will be spared having to watch repeated showings of the movie Roots on ZNS TV. The electorate are now much more discerning and therefore less vulnerable to being manipulated by inappropriate propaganda initiatives designed to have the Bahamian people wrongfully blame someone or anyone else for their suffering when the blame belongs and should rightfully be placed on the failed social and economic policies of the corrupt Christie-led PLP government. Up until recently, both Christie and Mitchell had always touted how important foreign direct investment is to the PLP's mission of providing good paying jobs for Bahamians. But their recent 180 degree turn in this belief, as evidenced by their viciously vindictive attacks on the Izmirlian family, reeks of a desperate effort on their part to avoid sunlight pouring in on certain things that have been kept hidden from all but a select few.
BaronInvest 9 years, 3 months ago
It all could be so easy.
Bahamar came up with an additional 200m already, let the Bahamas cover the other half on the basis that the construction has to be finished with bahamian workers - this is what the constructor wants already anyway.
In addition to that the Bahamas will receive a percentage ownership of the Bahamar which will allow them to receive investment returns over the next years. I'm sure the Bahamar would be willing to negotiate the percentage to a degree where it's actually higher than 200m, so for the 200m investment the Bahamas would receive a 300m share in the Bahamar.
Income for the Bahamian workers will be continued to be paid by the Bahamas until completion, Bahamar will cover income for the non-bahamian workers.
asiseeit 9 years, 3 months ago
Bravo to Rollins for speaking the truth of the matter. Mitchell and his ego are hurting this country immeasurably, as are the rest of the PLP clowns. Whoever voted for the PLP should hang their heads in shame and apologize to the Bahamian people for the harm they (the PLP) are doing to our country!
sansoucireader 9 years, 3 months ago
Have you met anyone who admitted they voted for the PLP? Someone must have, and a lot of people are complaining now, rightfully so, but who voted for them? Was in a packed government office yesterday and the hot topic was Baha Mar, Christie, Sarkis etc. Lots of talk, comments etc. but still who voted for these people in the first place. Always been scheme-y but this crew is the worse I can remember in my almost 54 years.
banker 9 years, 3 months ago
Fred Mitchell is not only enemy of the state, he is stuck with the slave mentality of a man who is marginalised in his own party. In spite of being Minister of Foreign Affairs, he is in the outer circle and not on the inside in Prime Minister CriscoButt's sanctus sanctorum. He is also not respected internationally and he thinks it is because he is Black. He doesn't notice what eveyone else does, in that he is a phallus-head with a bad attitude, so he lashed out to prove his dubious manhood by saying outrageous things and exercising what little power he has right to the fullest. He quite simply doesn't belong in government.
EasternGate 9 years, 3 months ago
Fred is simply a misfit, politically and socially. A square peg in a round hole (no pun intended)
John 9 years, 3 months ago
An educated fool is also commonly called a "jackass "
Tarzan 9 years, 3 months ago
Shane conducts psychological examinations of applicants for permanent residence on a bed, after they gift him expensive wrist watches.
Fred forms his views about how a free, democratic, society works by observing first hand his pals in Cuba.
Fine bunch to be running the Bahamas.
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 3 months ago
All of us now know that the apex of our corrupt dysfunctional PLP government is Christie himself; not rogue members of his cabinet speaking their own minds without his consent. Christie puts them all up to whatever bidding (dirty work) he wishes for them to do for him. He then later turns a blind eye to any self-enriching wrongdoing they may do (at the taxpayers expense) as compensation for them having done his dirty work.
DreamerX 9 years, 3 months ago
Haven't see you post before Tarzan, but ya have me dying.
The PLP, as the party I voted for last, is afraid of the possibly unknown consequences of not appeasing the bigger dog in this. Their future plans with Chinese investment. They are scraping up the **** from every pen, every kennel and every cesspit and flinging it furiously.
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