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Baha Mar is key to government's re-election chances, says Gomez

FORMER State Minister for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez.

FORMER State Minister for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez.

As of Friday, August 14, 2015

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE government's chances of re-election depend "heavily" on how it resolves the major issues facing the country, specifically the Baha Mar crisis, State Minister of Legal Affairs Damian Gomez said yesterday. 

Mr Gomez said the Christie administration stands a "fairly good chance" at being re-elected, should it "succeed in bringing to a head" matters like the Baha Mar impasse and other matters negatively impacting the Bahamian community.

However, Mr Gomez predicted that things could become "iffy" for the Perry Christie-led PLP government should it fail at "producing the services the public expects".

"Things are objectively hard for the vast majority of ordinary Bahamians," he said on Real Talk Live with Ortland Bodie Jr. "We are challenged with circumstances which have confronted us and we are working through them. 

"Re-election chances will depend heavily on the success we have in addressing those issues. One is the completion of Baha Mar and the opening of the resort so that persons can be gainfully employed in that property. We expect good things from Baha Mar once it's finished and open. 

"We've done a number of projects in the Family Islands which, if they come to fruition, will speak to the creation of jobs, the improvement and the quality of life after those projects are completed, health facilities being available at a particular level for the first time in islands like Eleuthera."

He added: "So there are things which, should we succeed in bringing to a head and producing the services the public expects, if we do succeed in doing that we will have a fairly good chance of being re-elected. If we don't, we will have some explaining to do, and things then become iffy." 

On Tuesday, Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson said negotiations between Baha Mar and its Chinese partners to come to an agreement over the future of the $3.5 billion project are currently at an "interesting, delicate stage".

Mrs Maynard-Gibson has led two government delegations to Beijing, China, for negotiations about the resort since the property filed for bankruptcy on June 29. 

Despite the talks, a deal has not been reached. 

At the time, Mrs Maynard-Gibson did not say if she felt the relevant parties would ever come to an agreement; however she said she remains "optimistic and hopeful" that the matter can be resolved outside court. 

The government has long touted Baha Mar's opening as a key component of the country's economic rebound. The resort is expected to create 5,000 permanent jobs.

Comments

DillyTree 9 years, 3 months ago

I'd think getting crime under control would be a far better measurement of the PLPs ability to lead -- they've already badly bungled BahaMar, so that donkey's fled the paddock.

Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago

The Bahamas government cannot possibly "solve the issues facing the country" before the next election as many of the major issues facing the country at this time, are being CREATED by this government.

The Baha Mar debacle, although at first caused by CCA's inability/unwillingness to meet deadlines re completion of the resort, was made much worse by government's intervention when they initiated involuntary winding up proceedings in the Bahamas Supreme Court, seemingly, to limit the political fall-out arising from Baha Mar's filing for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware.

The alarming 2015 murder statistics are a symptom of moral decay and dysfunctional families and, although our government must do more to combat crime, solving the problem of crime will require the participation of all of Bahamian society for many years to come.

The allegations of corruption and conflict of interest at present undermining government's credibility are just beginning. Depending on the effectiveness of our Opposition, rather than being "solved before the next election", these allegations may, indeed, precipitate an EARLY election.

Chucky 9 years, 3 months ago

There is no way a thinking person could ever vote for the PLP.

It's just that simple!

There is nothing that can be done to change that, unless you changed every member of the party and it's philosophy!

MonkeeDoo 9 years, 3 months ago

Well Chucky the average government school-leaver is getting E for Maths and D+ for English. Are these thinking persons ? Tragic !

Cobalt 9 years, 3 months ago

Good point.

Keeping the masses of Bahamians dumb, illiterate and void of any social skills or etiquette certainly continues to work in the PLP's favor.

ThisIsOurs 9 years, 3 months ago

Does that mean the PM will publicly refute the AG's understanding of conflict of interest?

TalRussell 9 years, 3 months ago

Comrades, I no longer have wonder why the PM yesterday fired State Minister of Legal Affairs Damian, as the government's lead attorney on the Baha Mar court matter, pretty sure it must have had something to do with the PM's feeling his minister was beginning to give the appearance of 'collusion' with members the red party

Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago

Why Gomez "got fired" by PM??? ......We'll let me see........could be the missing files on someone the USA wanted extradited really bad, for many years. Perhaps Uncle Sam been on the phone with some other stuff re Delaware and PM had to cut Gomez loose.

Could be Gomez simply is not competent enough to deal with Baha Mar's hot shot lawyers in Delaware.

Could be our AG feels betrayed re that Punch front page story.

Could even be what we have been told, that The Bahamas Government finally realizes that they have been exposed (thanks Baltron) re their skullduggery in siding with their Chinese friends against Baha Mar.

But Tal, I REALLY do not think that Mr. Gomez is in collusion with any members of "the red party".

TalRussell 9 years, 3 months ago

Comrade let me remind you that “neither” Pindling, Papa Hubert, nor PM Christie ever get elected on facts. They all got’s elected on themes. That’s the sum total of why both Minnis and Bran, will never claim to have enjoyed "electability" status to the nation’s top office.
Thought I'd share a little insight with you, where I always blog from?

Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago

I agree! many of our past elections never made any SENSE! Often the result had nothing to do with facts but resulted from what you call " themes", blind allegiance, racial prejudice, family traditions, old habits, and corruption.

Maybe this time, however, the facts are just too obvious to ignore and the "themes" are too old fashioned to count.

Maybe, just maybe, enough of our voters will vote with their heads and not with their hearts and the next election will turn into an ejection! An ejection of this tired, old 1980's PLP government!!

TalRussell 9 years, 3 months ago

Comrade Wideawak, when did PLP cabinet members become so skittish about their leader? The must know it doesn't speak highly that they are peddling a message that can only be interpreted as yet another first term as elected government may soon be discarded that PM Christie not only faces a challenging 2017 General, but an uphill battle to even make it until the 2017 election.
Comrade not for me to attempt to stop anyone from reading what they think is between the lines of Damian's comments.

Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago

FNM won in 1992 and 1997. Since then Bahamian voters have kicked out their government every five years. I think these days Bahamian voters demand more than ever from their government, and unless their lives get noticeably better during a five years term, then bush crack! government gone!

Even without all the negative events of the past three years the PLP would be hard pressed to get elected for another term. But with all the scandals, and charges flying around it will be almost impossible for the PLP to get re-elected. When it comes to corruption, or even the suspicion of corruption, voters vote the government out.....pull up the weeds before those political roots grow too deep into the economy.

MonkeeDoo 9 years, 3 months ago

ThisIsOurs: Not a chance. They are both so deep in conflict of interest that they have to stick together and play dumb.

MonkeeDoo 9 years, 3 months ago

Comrade Tal. If Gomez is colluding with the Reds then I am going GREEN.

TalRussell 9 years, 3 months ago

Comrade, all left wait to watch for is will Damian, Dr. Anrde, Renard and Pot cake Leslie, rides the same Dan Knowles bus over to reds Mackey Street Headquarters, or each take one separately? Can you imagine this bunch and Loretta, fightin for positioning? All be missin for a even bigger 'sold out' Carnival 2015 show, is Bran. Bran so political lost, he'd need a guide dog lead him in da direction Mackey Street.

TalRussell 9 years, 3 months ago

Pindling

John 9 years, 3 months ago

Government has a lot of answering and accounting to do and Bah mar will just be a small piece in a big puzzle come 2017. Here are some points to ponder:

  1. Why are Bahamians still paying $5.00 at the pump for gas when oil prices are less than half what they were this time last year and the lowest they have been in nine years? In fact oil is expected to drop even lower in the next two weeks to 1/3 the price is was last year.
  2. Same for BEC. The government promised an instant 40% decrease in the price of electricity. But since the fuel surcharge is 60% of your bill and fuel has dropped so much, the surcharge should now be negative and your bill should be at least 70% what it was last year.
  3. Hotels, airlines, shipping companies operating in the Bahamas are still tacking on a fuel/energy surcharge to their bill, why? 4 CRIME< especially MURDER is increasing at an alarmingly increasing rate. The murder count for this year is 95. The projected number of murders for 2015 is 150. The government, including the commissioner of police has gone silent on this matter. 5 The new minimum wage, coupled with VAT will cause the demise of many small and medium businesses, especially those that are labor intensive. The increase is 40% and national insurance on these workers will bring a whopping 50% increase in labor costs for these workers.
  4. Many workers will now find themselves unemployable. While the national average for school leaving students has dropped, the government has raised the minimum wage by 40%. Unskilled and uneducated workers will not find work. to be continued

Wideawake 9 years, 3 months ago

That's just a small part of what the government must answer to.

sheeprunner12 9 years, 3 months ago

Damien ....... don't worry about re-election (yall goose cooked) ........ worry about a Commission of Inquiry on the crooked deals of this administration that is coming soon

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