The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

That little word “sovereignty” has certainly been used and abused these past few months to prevent what was the most convenient – and financially safe—option to save the Baha Mar resort and give its developer a chance to complete the project and get into business.

But when the China Construction company, accused of not meeting its own deadlines for the opening of the hotel, and wanting to be paid for shoddy workmanship, put down its tools and refused to complete the project, the developer, being bled of his finances, decided to seek shelter in the bankruptcy courts of Delaware. Oh, no, cried the government – you are demeaning our precious sovereignty. Remember America is a foreign country! No one in government stopped to think that America was our natural friend — like it or not geography had attached our umbilical cord to Uncle Sam’s great country. But all of a sudden to use US court’s would demean our sovereignty. Looks as though they got away with this sleight of hand!

Therefore, what I would now like to know is what happened to sovereignty when the Attorney General and her crew flew to Beijing to plead Baha Ma’s case? Was our sovereignty neatly tucked away in the AG’s brief case?

Remember Baha Mar, the centre of the case, is located on the western end of a sovereign Bahamas with thousands of Bahamian jobs at stake, yet Beijing, in far off China, had to be the venue to plead for its continued existence.

Does this make sense? Maybe the all-wise AG would like to explain to a populace that her government seems to dismiss as dumb, their interpretation of “sovereignty.” And while she is at it maybe she can also give her government’s definition of “conflict of interest” and her own definition of “remobilisation” as opposed to “liquidation”. And having given these definitions maybe she can explain in detail how liquidation in The Bahamas would be of more financial benefit to creditors than what the Delaware courts had to offer.

Frankly, I am tired of my intelligence being insulted by this government.

I would like the Opposition to find out what other investments the government of China — or Chinese companies controlled by Beijing — have in The Bahamas. Also has Beijing underwritten our national debt, which was on Prime Minister Christie’s shopping list when he went to Beijing earlier in the year. Also it would be interesting to know who is going to underwrite the PLP’s 2017 campaign.

This is our country and we have a right to know. We also have a right to protect our own sovereignty as this government seems confused on the meaning of the word. Remember you can’t be sovereign in one set of circumstances and not sovereign in another.

AN ANGRY BAHAMIAN

Nassau,

September 15, 2015.