The Tribune

By NICOLE BURROWS

After the dramatic press conference, at which Prime Minister Perry Christie sat flanked by the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) gang of 16, the Bahamian public was later advised that, in spite of their need to know the details of the Baha Mar deal, given the far-reaching, negative impact it has had since its first delayed opening, the documents would be sealed to public inquiry and scrutiny for commercial reasons.

Releasing ‘‘key information” over the next few days does not equate to giving no details, but I suspect the giving of details was never Christie’s intention. As was and should be expected, Christie and his posse received immediate and intense backlash from the media and the public.

As was and should also be expected, Christie then took the opportunity at one of his speaking engagements that had nothing to do with Baha Mar to lash out at the backlash he’d received for what was now viewed as his ‘secrecy’ where Baha Mar is concerned.

Why Christie does this I do not know. I can’t remember a time when a good and strong leader found it necessary to defend himself as Christie did … as Christie so often does. But it makes no sense.

For one, why seek to defend himself at all? If your position were defensible, it would be respected and therefore there would be no need to defend it.

Moreover, why defend himself repeatedly? On and on he goes in a style he has perfected, with 60 words when six will do. It only makes it look worse than it is and makes it appear that you are uncertain about the decisions you’ve made ... that there is a level of insecurity in the decision making process you employ.

Furthermore, why defend himself repeatedly in this inappropriate forum? I’m sure at least a handful of the organisers and attendees there did not bargain on Christie going so far off topic. Or maybe they did; maybe, when you invite the PM to speak, you should expect him to ramble indefinitely and incoherently.

Christie says: ‘‘People got to believe I’m stupid.” Well, ‘people’ think you must be if but for one reason. You continue to take us down this path of Foreign Direct Investment in hotels/resorts/casinos/marinas/golf courses, which always take more from than they give to the Bahamian people. I would say that is stupid defined.

Christie also says he questions the ‘fitness to serve’ of some people in public life, because they are, according to him, naive, and because they think he’s wrong and unjustified in facilitating the sealing of the Baha Mar documents from the public.

Well, if such is the case, then I guess we’re equal then, because we have been questioning your fitness to serve for quite some time now ... and, might I add, your record of fitness to serve, as indicated by your poor decisions and stubbornness, is worse than ours.

You tell us that you’re up until 1am ... but we don’t care if you’re up until 1am. We don’t care if you’re up for 48 hours straight, if that’s what it took to get us out of the mess you got us in. Don’t try to ingratiate us over your mistake. How utterly insulting.

And your record can never be set straight. Even when it is it won’t be. In the eyes of Bahamians, you as leader, as government, are beyond redemption.

Whether sealing Baha Mar’s documents is legally allowable or preferential, you know exactly what is at stake and why the Bahamian people urge full disclosure. Why not at least show the people something of consequence so they can try to believe in you again if they so desired?

Your press release was filled with words like ‘‘some” of the outstanding amounts, “significant” parts, “possibly” all, “sizeable” payments. And this, says Allyson Maynard-Gibson, are lots of details. Bahamians, learn to read through the crap. And don’t seek the kind of confidence Maynard-Gibson refers to in her holier than thou comments. Ain’t that just like an oppressive leader? Ain’t that just like the PLP? Throw ‘‘God’ up in it to sanctify it, because your hyper religious people won’t argue with it if you say it must be ‘of God’. And how lame is it that you have no other defence for your actions that you have to lean on biblical and religious manipulation to justify your decisions.

Maynard Gibson says the “entire situation teaches the country the importance of faith”.

“Everybody believed and was praying that God would take us through all of this and lift the burden and obvious pain that many have been expecting.”

“He (God) had the Prime Minister, whose focus was only on how do we be sure we can assure that Bahamians came out of this as unskewed as possible.”

“Thank God he has been focused and assiduous in fighting for Bahamians and nothing has changed now.”

“We live in a country where we openly profess our faith and this shows that faith pays off.”

“God was in the midst of this, trust me.”

No thank you. We will not trust you, nor will we “trust the Prime Minister” as you’ve suggested. We won’t trust any of you ever again, so enjoy your spoils while it lasts because row day will come in short order and what you see now will be the last you see of the inside of public office once you are removed from it.

In any case, consider what Maynard Gibson’s defence of Perry Christie is all about. She defends the amazing Baha Mar deal because said deal falls to her to assist with negotiation and legal considerations. If it sucks as hard as we all suspect it does (I really wanted to write something else there), then it would call into question Maynard Gibson’s own abilities and authority. She would never allow that to happen, would she?

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